{"product_id":"new-story-of-the-stone-an-early-chinese-science-fiction-novel-paperback","title":"New Story of the Stone: An Early Chinese Science Fiction Novel - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eElizabeth Weber\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator), \u003cb\u003eJianren Wu\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of China's first works of science fiction, \u003ci\u003eNew Story of the Stone\u003c\/i\u003e is a belated twentieth-century sequel to the beloved eighteenth-century masterpiece \u003ci\u003eStory of the Stone\u003c\/i\u003e (more famously known as \u003ci\u003eDream of the Red Chamber\u003c\/i\u003e). The story follows protagonist Jia Baoyu, borrowed from the original \u003ci\u003eStory\u003c\/i\u003e, as he is dramatically hurled forward over a hundred years from his own time into a bewildering future: first the decadent semicolonized late Qing China of the author's own time and later an astonishing high-tech Confucian utopia called the Realm of Civilization. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBaoyu is equally disoriented in both places: in China proper, he is distressed by the growth of foreign influence and weakening of the traditional moral code in favor of capitalist consumerism and selfish gain; in the Realm of Civilization, he is amazed by everything he encounters--from flying cars and ingenious medical technologies to the perfectly moral populace. Seen through Baoyu's eyes, the Realm is everything that late Qing China has failed to be and offers a hopeful vision of what it might yet become. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis quick-paced romp deftly highlights some of the major preoccupations of the tumultuous final decade of China's last dynasty while raising important existential questions about China's future. Enlivened by author Wu Jianren's vivid imagination and wry sense of humor, this playful, satirical adventure is essential reading for lovers of science fiction and Chinese literature in translation.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWu Jianren (1866-1910) was a leading figure of the late Qing literary scene, best known as a writer of satirical exposé fiction and influential romances. His other notable works include \u003ci\u003eStrange Events Eye-Witnessed Over Twenty Years\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSea of Regret\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLiz Evans Weber is an assistant professor of instruction in Chinese and research assistant professor at the University of Rochester. She is a 2025 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship, which will support work on her next translation project.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 600\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.33 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 24, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43340587532377,"sku":"9780231203470","price":61.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0736\/6465\/9545\/files\/Ibm7QoeaIg9780231203470.webp?v=1779444881","url":"https:\/\/warrenssanctuaryofthemind.myshopify.com\/products\/new-story-of-the-stone-an-early-chinese-science-fiction-novel-paperback","provider":"Warren's sanctuary of the mind","version":"1.0","type":"link"}