Contemporary Chinese science fiction offers a rich and polyphonic panorama of transformative moments in a future that, in many ways, seems already to be unfolding in our present. These narratives explore questions of control over emerging technologies, of human autonomy within systems that shape ourexistence, of how interpersonal relationships can be reimagined in an increasingly fragmented world, and of whether language and time can still serve as reliable structures and stable carriers of meaning.

Writers such as Xia Jia imagine literary futures that seek answers, open up new possibilities for insight, and envision alternative ways of being and living together. In conversation with the translator and editor Lukas Dubro and publisher Sarah Käsmayr, Xia Jia will discuss speculative visions of the future that unfold along a narrow ridge between fascination and unease. These scenarios present natural phenomena and technological developments as deeply ambivalent forces: as mirrors of human longing, as projections of our fears, or as autonomous agents with unpredictable consequences. At the heart of the event is the new anthology Flüchtige Zeit (“Ephemeral Time”), which brings together a wide range of literary visions of the future that continually renegotiate the relationship between humanity, the environment, and technology.

Guests:

Xia Jia 夏笳

Foto ©: Wang Jianhua

Xia Jia 夏笳 writes science fiction, researches the genre academically, and works as a translator. She is a professor of Chinese literature at Xi’an Jiaotong University. Her distinctive style has been described as “Porridge Science Fiction,” as her stories combine the conventions of science fiction with a wide range of elements not typically associated with the genre, including references to mythology. Her short stories In the Clouds, Night Journey of the Dragon Horse, and Tongtong’s Summer have been published in Kapsel publications.

Sarah Käsmayr

Foto ©: Lin Nowicki

Sarah Käsmayr is a Book designer, editor, and publisher at the Augsburg-based MaroVerlag

Lukas Dubro

Foto ©: Yanina Isla

Lukas Dubro is a journalist and literary scholar. He studied Applied Literary Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. In 2017, he founded the literary magazine Kapsel. Since 2018, he has worked as a freelance contributor for the German Press Agency (dpa), and since 2021, for the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

Dr. Petra Thiel (Moderation)

Petra Thiel studied Modern Chinese Studies, Romance Languages, and Religious Studies in Heidelberg and Shanghai. Her doctoral research explored the Chinese coming-of-age novel within broader global literary contexts. Since 2012, she has served as Director of the Confucius Institute at Heidelberg University, fostering intercultural dialogue and promoting academic and cultural exchange between Heidelberg and China.

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