Society

Big-name authors back rebellion at sci-fi magazine

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-25 19:04

BEIJING - China's leading science-fiction authors have joined mounting calls for the removal of the head of the country's best-loved science-fiction magazine, and warned of the journal's imminent demise if no action is taken.

Editors of Science Fiction World (SFW) have published an open letter online, claiming their president, Li Chang, is incapable of running the magazine and requesting his removal from the post.

Such editorial rebellions are rarely heard of in China as the president or editor-in-chief of a magazine is appointed by the superior administrative department.

The open letter has prompted hundreds of thousands netizens to comment on the Internet in support of the editors.

SFW had a circulation of 150,000 copies a month when Li took over at the beginning of 2009, but the latest figures showed the figure has fallen to 130,000, said a senior editor of the magazine.

"The circulation had been declining in recent years. We are all anxious, but Li took no positive action and it kept declining," said the editor.

Li was appointed SFW's president and chief editor by the Sichuan Association for Science and Technology (SAST), an organization of scientists and technicians under the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

"This is obviously a case of a layman leading the experts. If it continues, Science Fiction World will definitely die," said Wang Jinkang, a six-times winner of China's prestigious Galaxy Award for science fiction.

Wang, 62, the author of 20 science fiction books, including "Life of Ants" and "Cross," a novel about an extremist biological warfare attack on the United States, is one of the most popular sci-fi writers in China and began writing for SFW in 1993.

China's biggest-selling science fiction writer, Liu Cixin, who has a contract to publish his next novel with the editing studio jointly run by SFW and Sichuan Science and Technology Publishing House, said he had seen thousands of fan comments online and had been deeply touched by them.

"I really hope SFW can overcome the current difficulties. 'Live long and prosper,'" said Liu.

"Science Fiction World is a hotbed of China's imagination. It has a large readership. It would be a great loss for the country if something happened to the magazine," said Wu Yan, a leading science fiction writer and critic.

"Sci-fi is an important genre, which plays an irreplaceable role in inspiring thinking and enthusiasm for science," he said.

"Science fiction is a special genre that demands expertise to be a chief editor," said Pan Haitian, chief editor of a fantasy magazine called "Odyssey of Chinese Fantasy" and popular author of the short story collection "Run, Dajiao! Run" and "The Legend of Master Yan." The 35-year-old has sold more than 500,000 books.

A former editor of the SFW, Shi Bo, whose pen name is Storyteller, wrote in a post, "Save SFW, for the sake of Chinese science fiction," following the open letter at douban.com.

"I have contacted most of the sci-fi writers in Beijing. We are trying to figure out a way to better support the SFW editors," he said.

Writers, including China's science-fiction patriarch Liu Xingshi, He Xi, and young authors such as Chen Qiufan and Fei Dao have all expressed support for the SFW editors.

"SFW does not belong to anybody. It has become a treasure of the world in the past 30 years. Its leader should be elected from the experienced editors, which we used to do all the time," said 79-year-old Liu Xingshi who began to publish novels in 1945 and was a founder writer for SFW.

"The magazine is of great significant for the readers. We grew up reading it," said writer Xia Jia, 26, author of "Reversed Journey."

"I began to read sci-fi when I was 7 or 8 years old and I first came across Science Fiction World when I was a teenager. I really hope the dispute will not hurt the magazine. I hope Science Fiction World can survive this crisis," she said.

The open letter, which described Li Chang as "unprofessional" and his instructions as "arbitrary and impracticable," is signed "All the editors of Science Fiction World" and was published under the ID, "Rise to Fight," on douban.com on Sunday.

It said Li had "whimsical new ideas -- ordering his Chinese literature editors to write novels themselves instead of writers, foreign language editors to translate novels themselves instead of specialist translators, and art editors to draw pictures themselves instead of artists, which shows he has no idea how to run a magazine."

Li had also "tried to change the cover of Science Fiction World entirely into an advertisement."

"Every department protested against his orders, but Comrade Li Chang threatened to punish staff members who dared to voice different opinions."

The letter also told how Li had refused to pay some authors, refused to sign labor contracts with editors, used substandard paper to print the magazine, published too many advertisements, and alleged he had illegally selling the magazine's registration number to unlicensed publishers.

"The open letter represents the true thoughts of most editors of the magazine," said a senior editor who declined to be identified, as he had been ordered not to speak to the media.

"The circulation of SFW has been shrinking. We are all anxious. We really need a qualified chief to lead us out of the situation," said another senior editor.

The editors had submitted reports to higher administrative departments, requesting Li's removal and the appointment of a leader qualified to save magazine.

Li Chang has not been answering calls to his cellphone.

Li Dayong, deputy Party secretary and discipline inspection commissioner of the SAST, told Xinhua by phone that an investigation had been launched. "But I will make no comment until the investigation is finished," Li said.

The SAST is publisher of a number of magazines, including the Science Fiction World.

Meanwhile, sci-fi fans are backing the editors. On-line comments have called Li's presidency an abuse of power in the publication sector, and say the letter reflects the will of the editors to run a normal magazine in a favorable environment where their rights and thoughts are respected.

"It shows that the editors want to have a real say in editing affairs, and it is a trend of grass-roots democracy," said one comment.

Science Fiction World was established in 1979 to accompany a government campaign to promote science and technology during the reform and opening up drive initiated by Deng Xiaoping.