Who says fiction is dead in China?

Brendan, July 3, 2009, 3:58p.m.

I don't think anyone anyone said fiction is "dead" in China. There's an awful lot of it on the TV news and in the newspapers every day!

Meanwhile, it's interesting to see how at least one writer views the "officialdom genre" (quoted from the China Daily article):

Xiao Renfu, an official-turned writer based in Hunan province, points out that officialdom novels are popular because of existing problems with the official system.

"It would be great if no one read officialdom novels, which means that our official system is getting better," says Xiao, who recently published a three-volume novel Official Career (Shitu) after five years' work."

Bruce Humes
Chinese Books, English Reviews

Bruce, July 4, 2009, 2:40a.m.

Seems like every country has its own equivalent of the "officialdom novel", a genre that reflects our fascination with those who wield political and economic power. The only difference is where that power happens to reside: party, politicians, bureaucracy, military or mullahs.

In Japan, it takes the form of manga, novels and memoirs by and about high-ranking bureaucrats in the most powerful ministries (Foreign Affairs, Finance, MITI). These have been a staple on Japanese best-seller lists for decades. In the States, where the bureaucracy is perceived to be relatively weak, we prefer political memoirs by presidents and their advisors, racy political novels (Primary Colors), or non-fiction by CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. No surprise that some of the best-selling Chinese books deal with Communist Party cadres, as they are the nexus of political power in mainland China.

Wonder what kind of "officialdom novels" were popular in the Soviet Union during the 80s, or what sort of guanfang literature now fills the shelves of bookstores in the Middle East.

Cindy M. Carter, July 5, 2009, 12:08p.m.