Han Song, one of China’s most celebrated science fiction authors, stands at a unique crossroads between envisioning the future and chronicling the turbulent present. Born in 2000, he has captured the essence of a rapidly changing society through narratives that often blur the line between fiction and reality. His novel predicting the collapse of the World Trade Center emerged years before the event itself, while another story foresaw a world transformed into a giant hospital, echoing the drastic measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
At 59, Han reflects on his prophetic writing style, acknowledging that his imagination may not have dove deep enough into the bizarre turns that society could take. “I thought I was just writing, but it was impossible for it to happen. It actually happened just a few years later,” he remarks regarding his novel “Hospital,” which reflects an unsettling truth of society's evolution into patienthood.
By day, Han works as a journalist for China's state news agency, an arena from which he witnesses the tumultuous waves of modernization sweeping across the country. By night, he transforms everyday settings, like subway trains, into chilling backdrops for violent and grotesque scenarios that examine the relationships between China and the West. His stories both critique and illuminate the surreal aspects of life amidst profound societal shifts, allowing readers to grapple with the darker undercurrents of existence in an age of disorientation.
As the narratives unfold, Han Song's unique perspective offers an exploration of the dynamics that shape contemporary China, ultimately revealing a world where the line between science fiction and reality becomes increasingly indistinct. Through his writings, he invites readers to reflect on the implications of progress, power, and the unforeseen consequences of modernization in a swiftly evolving landscape.
