HUGO AWARD-WINNING SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY MAGAZINE
Ether
Our fifth podcast for January is “Ether” written by Zhang Ran, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan and Ken Liu, and read by Alasdair Stuart.
Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 100 - Ether by Zhang Ran [88:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (26009)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in 1981, Zhang Ran graduated from Beijing Jiaotong University in 2004 with a degree in Computer Science. After a stint in the IT industry, Mr. Zhang became a reporter and news analyst with Economic Daily and China Economic Net, during which time his news commentary won a China News Award. In 2011, Mr. Zhang quit his job and moved to southern China to become an independent writer. He began publishing science fiction in 2012, with his debut story, "Ether," winning the Yinhe (Galaxy) Award as well as the Gold Xingyun (Nebula) Award. His novella, "Rising Wind City," won the Yinhe Award and a Silver Xingyun Award.
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ISSN 1937-7843 Clarkesworld Magazine © 2006-2015 Wyrm Publishing. Robot illustration by Serj Iulian.
Tingbudong wrote on April 30th, 2015 at 11:29 am:
I really enjoyed this one, first one to motivate me to comment in fact.
I found it interesting and telling that Ether was authored by a Chinese writer. The Great Firewall of China hanging over everything posted online in China and the army of censors and trolls employed by the big brother government there along with the high level of control over the media must surely have inspired this dark view of the future of all, even spoken communication.
I am married to a Chinese national and she and other friends of mine there all hesitate to speak their mind online and even in certain public environments. Its sort of the way we in the west won't even say the word bomb in an airport as part of an unrelated conversation. The censorship there is overreaching and in your face… But one does wonder if we have it here too, only it is more subtle and largely unnoticed. I see posts all the time saying "Yahoo, Why do you keep deleting my comment?" Maybe that is where it all begins?
Good science fiction is never just about crazy unrelated futurism, its commentary on today's issues and the culture we all reside in right now.
Great story!
I hope we get to hear a lot more of this smart and thought provoking social commentary coming out of less familiar places where literal comments would largely be deleted or covered up, with original posters' names quietly collected for further tracking and possible action...