Chinese Modern Science Fiction Literature: Translation and Acceptance in Russia

Fan Tszyalin' PhD in Cultural Studies Postgraduate student, Department of Russian Literature, Heilongjiang University 150006, China, Jilin, Tuanjie Street, Lijing Park fangjialinsofia@163.com

1. Introduction

In 1904 in the journal "the novel Susan" (《绣像小说》) began publishing the first full-fledged Chinese science fiction novel "lunar colony" (《月球殖民地小说》), written by the author under the alias "Guantanamo" (荒江钓叟). Despite the more than a century-old history of Chinese science fiction, only a few of her works have become known outside of China. As the writer Fei Deng noted: "Chinese science fiction is a lone warrior hiding in an impenetrable desert, where few people look."^{[15, p.5]} For many Western readers, Chinese science fiction is like an "invisible planet".

Drastic changes have taken place over the past 7-8 years. The book "The Task of Three Bodies", written by Liu Zixin and translated by Liu Yuk Kun, is storming the world rankings, pushing Chinese science fiction to the forefront of world literature. "The Three-Body Problem" instantly became a bestseller in the United States. Even The Wall Street Journal called it "the invasion of Chinese science fiction." Since 2015, the works of Liu Zixing, as well as other Chinese writers, have won the love of the Russian audience.

Based on this, it is important to conduct an in-depth analysis of the process of penetration of modern Chinese science fiction into the Russian market: to study the chronicle of translations, assess the current state of affairs in the field of translation and analyze in detail strategies, difficulties and ways to solve them in promoting Chinese literature on the world literary scene. We are confident that the analysis will become a valuable source for future research in this direction.

Table 1. Review of publications of modern Chinese science fiction literature in Russian.

2.1 Translations of novelistic works

In 2016, Olga Glushkova, under the pseudonym Olga Braatchen, made an unofficial translation of Liu Cixin's novel "The Task of Three Bodies". In 2017, Eksmo Publishing house, which ranks fifth in the ranking of the largest publishing houses in Russia, released an official edition of this translation with a circulation of 5,000 copies, which was subsequently increased by 17,000 (2017 - 2000; 2018 - 2000; 2019 - 3000; 2020 - 5000; 2022 - 5000). These data indicate a growing interest in modern Chinese science fiction in Russia. "The Task of Three Bodies", being the first work of the trilogy "Memories of the Earth's Past" by Liu Qixin, enjoyed great success in Russia. This fact prompted Eksmo publishing house to release a sequel in 2018 - "The Dark Forest", translated by Nakamura.

Also in 2018, the translation of the final book of the trilogy "The Eternal Life of Death", made in collaboration with Glushkova and Nakamura, was completed. As Glushkova noted: "Started in 2014, completed in 2017. It was a long and difficult journey for all of us."^{[12, p. 8]} In the same year, the book was published by Eksmo publishing house in an edition of 15,000 copies.

In 2019, Eksmo released the trilogy "Memories of the Earth's Past" with a total circulation of 9,000 copies. In the same year, the publishing house released the novel "Ball Lightning", translated by Sergei Saksin, in a circulation of 10,000 copies. In 2020, Saksin translated another novel by Liu Cixin, The Age of Supernova, which was published in 6,000 copies.

In addition to the works of Liu Qixin, Eksmo Publishing house drew attention to the broader Chinese science fiction market and in 2021 released the novels "Garbage Surf" by Chen Qufan, translated by Mikhail Novysh, and "Rebirth of Time" by Bao Shu, translated by Glushkova. However, these works failed to achieve the popularity of the "Three-Body Problem", and their total circulation was 2,500 and 3,000 copies, respectively.

2.2 Collections and translations of short works

In addition to novels, there are three anthologies of short works of Chinese science fiction on the Russian market. The Chinese collections "Broken Stars" and "Invisible Planets", edited by Liu Yukun, present a variety of modern Chinese fiction to Russian readers. They get acquainted with the works of such authors as Xia Jia, Hao Jingfang, Cheng Jingbo, each with their own unique style.

In 2020, Eksmo publishing house, thanks to the translation skills of Mikhail Golovkin, released "Broken Stars" with a total circulation of 3,000 copies. This collection includes 16 short stories by 14 famous Chinese authors, including such as Xia Jia "Good Night, Melancholy", Liu Qixin "Moonlight", Tang Fei "Broken Stars", Han Song "Submarines", Salinger and the Koreans", Cheng Jingbo "Inviting Sky", Bao Shu "What if it passes, it will be nice", Hao Jingfang "New Year's Train", Fei Dao "The Robot who loved to tell tall tales", Zhang Ran "Snowfall in Jinyang", Wu Shuang "Restaurant at the edge of the universe: Porridge Lab", Ma Boyong "Games of the First Emperor", Gu Shi "Reflection", Wang Kanyu's "Brain Box", Chen Qufan's "Light Coming Down from Heaven, A History of Diseases of the Future" and three science fiction articles written by Wang Kanyu, Song Mingwei and Fei Dao.

In the preface to Broken Stars, Liu Yukong does not set out to demonstrate the "characteristic" or "best" in Chinese science fiction. Its purpose is to show the diversity of voices and currents. He also deliberately included in this anthology works that may be difficult for a Western reader, for example, Zhang Ran's story about time travel, reflecting the peculiarities of the Chinese genre "chuanyu".

In 2021, Mikhail Golovkin translated the book "Invisible Planets", which was published by Eksmo publishing house in an edition of 3,000 copies. The original version features 13 short stories from seven Chinese science fiction authors, including works by Chen Qiufang, Xia Ji, Ma Boyong, Hao Jingfang, Tang Fei, Chen Jingbo and Liu Qixin. The book also contains three articles on Chinese science fiction, authored by Liu Qixin, Chen Qiufang and Xia Jia. These materials provide the Western reader with an overview of the development of this genre in China. For a better understanding of the context, each story is preceded by a short biography of its author. It is worth noting that the Russian version does not include the stories "Circle" by Liu Cixin and Xia Jia "Ghost Street". Nevertheless, "Ghost Street" was translated into Russian and included in the collection "The Journey of the Three Kings", edited by Vladimir Arenev, in 2021.

In the preface to "Invisible Planets", Liu Yukun emphasizes that science fiction is a literature about dreams, which allows a deeper understanding of their creators and interpreters.^[8] It is necessary to emphasize Liu Yukun's contribution to the promotion of Chinese science fiction on the world stage. Most of the mentioned translations were based on the English versions created by him. In addition, he is a recognized author of science fiction, whose works have also been published in Russia, including the novel "Royal Grace" and many other short stories^{[1, 2022]}.

In 2021, Eksmo Publishing house released a collection of short stories and novellas, The Wandering Earth, translated by Nazira Ibragimova. The collection contains works by the famous Chinese writer Liu Cixin, such as "Wandering Earth", "Mountain", "Sun of China", "For the Good of Mankind", "Curse 5.0", "Micro-era", "Devourer", "Take Care of God", "With her Eyes", "Cannon the core" and others. The total circulation of the publication was 5,000 copies. To date, the story "Take Care of God" has been published in the Science Fiction magazine and in two collections of the same name, translated by Sukhanov and Ibragimova, respectively. The collection also includes the short story "The Messenger" and the novella "The Devourer", translated by the authors under the pseudonyms madman and sonate10.

In addition to the official publications of the Eksmo publishing house, many science fiction enthusiasts present their translations online. For example, a user under the pseudonym ali gress published on the Dzen platform his translation of "Emerging Beijing" based on the English version made by Liu Yukun.^[2] This user also expressed interest in Chen Qufan's work and stated his intention to continue working on translations of Chinese science fiction.^[3] The Rule portal also presents translations of Chinese works in the genre of science fiction, but the quality of such works is very different and does not always meet the high standards of the academic community.

3.1 The perception of modern Chinese science fiction in Russia

For readers, reviews and ratings often become key indicators of the popularity of works. According to statistics from the science fiction website Fantlab, on November 16, 2022, 7,466 people gave their ratings to 44 modern Chinese works in the science fiction genre. Liu Jixin's trilogy "Memories of the Earth's Past" (or "The Task of Three Bodies") won an impressive rating of 8.49 out of 10. For comparison, the legendary "Dune" by Frank Herbert (Frank Herbert) on the same site is estimated at 8.65. This indicates that the "Task of three Bodies" was able to win the hearts of Russian-speaking readers. In addition, of the 12 works rated above 7 points, nine belong to the pen of Liu Qixin. Among other highly appreciated books, it is worth mentioning "What will Pass, it will be Nice" by Bao Shu (7.77), "The Rebirth of Time" (7.22) and "Summer of Tongtong" by Xia Jia (7.37).^[4]

Table 2. Rating of works on the Fantlab website (data for December 2022)

These data show that Liu Qixin's works are very popular and highly appreciated in the Russian market. This is undoubtedly related to the content of his books. Readers from all over the world immerse themselves in the fascinating story of the "Three-Body Challenge", exploring a variety of life stories in various time contexts. They are fascinated by unique scientific ideas such as the "Three-body System", "Solar Amplifier", "Probes", "Guzheng Plan" and "Wall Appeal Plan". The work is literally saturated with scientific concepts, which often blur the boundaries between reality and science fiction. And even despite astronomical data suggesting that the system in the constellation Centauri actually consists of a double star system, and not a triple one, this does not in the least diminish the greatness of the novel "The Task of Three Bodies". Thanks to this masterpiece, other books by Liu Qixin, such as Spherical Lightning and The Age of Supernova, also find their devoted readers.

Russian readers highly appreciate the "Task of three bodies". They write: "The Three—Body Problem" is a rare example of high-quality science fiction in recent years. Liu Qixin has extensive knowledge. The book contains a lot of information about physics, electronics, biology, cosmology and, of course, the history of China. Despite the scale of the story, the book has a clear structure and is completely drawn, which often does not allow you to break away from reading." "This book is a grandiose story. In addition to history and astronomy, the book makes you think about human nature and morality." Many readers also emphasize that the introduction of the translator about the main character before the start of the story is very important for immersion in the story, especially for those who are used to "European" names. In addition, many find the narrative style in the book interesting: "The novel does not follow a chronology, but unfolds along several narrative lines, which makes it look like a detective story where the solution comes as a game." Some readers even give the maximum rating, believing that "by reading this book, you not only get an interesting story, but also learn a lot about science, sometimes you even have to search for information on Wikipedia... It's a unique reading experience."^[5] However, the book is not without flaws. For many readers, the vast cosmic context and complex scientific concepts become a barrier, and they have to start reading several times before they really immerse themselves in the world created by Liu Jixin. Some feel that the narrative is too fragmented, making it difficult to engage. In addition, some readers, upon learning that the translation was not made directly from Chinese, but through English, doubt the accuracy and readability of the translation and close the book. There are those who give a low score, believing that "the work has no artistic value and resembles a beginner's draft..."^[5] Based on the reviews of the "Three-Body Task", it can be argued that the reaction of Russian-speaking readers generally coincides with the reaction of Chinese readers and is divided into two types of opinions. This also indirectly indicates that the Russian translation mostly corresponds to the original.

From the point of view of researchers, interest in the study of Chinese science fiction in the academic environment is growing every day.

Estonian journalist Nikolai Karaev, who is also a pseudonym, is fond of science fiction. In addition to his main job, he also translates science fiction into Russian, as well as writes works and articles. Since 2005, he has translated 54 works, written three novels and several hundred articles and reviews on the subject of science fiction.^[6] In 2017, he interviewed Liu Qixin and published an article titled "What kind of fiction is being written in China?" in the World of Science Fiction magazine. The article tells how in 1903 Lu Xin translated Jules Verne's novel "Journey to the Moon" based on a Japanese translation, and reaches the modern "three great" Chinese science fiction authors - Han Song, Wang Jinkang and Liu Jixin. From the first true Chinese science fiction novel "Moon Colony" to the main Chinese science fiction magazine "World of Science Fiction". Karaev examines in detail the development of Chinese science fiction. Thanks to this, Russian readers can gain a systematic understanding of Chinese science fiction. In addition, he believes: "In the West, people usually look for the origins of Chinese science fiction in Chinese mythology or philosophy, such as Chuang Tzu's dream of a Butterfly, Journey to the West, Tales of Wandering Ghosts. Chinese science fiction is always intertwined with mythology, miracles, philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism, etc." ^{[9, p. 130]}

In 2018, after the official publication of The Dark Forest in Russia, the Russian critic Alexander Strepetilov also wrote an article in the World of Science Fiction magazine. He believes that the "Dark Forest" expresses humanism to a greater extent, and the characters are more complete and voluminous. At the same time, the narrative is unnecessarily fragmentary, the scientific aspect needs to be strengthened. "After the publication of the trilogy "The Task of Three Bodies", the Russian audience is gradually expanding from science fiction fans to ordinary readers. Many readers say that this was their first experience of reading Chinese science fiction and Chinese literature in general. They are interested in the game "The Problem of three bodies", and they agree with the author's interpretation of the essence of intelligent beings and the laws of the universe." ^{[10, p. 278]}

Thus, the modern Chinese science fiction authors and their works presented by Liu Qixin aroused wide interest and discussion in Russia. From readers to researchers, many expressed fair and objective assessments, and the Russian audience became increasingly interested in the past and present of Chinese science fiction.

3.2 The problems of translating modern Chinese science fiction into Russian

Modern Chinese science fiction is already winning the hearts of Russian readers and continues to strengthen its position. Nevertheless, the translation of such works into Russian faces considerable difficulties. The main ones can be described as follows:

First, the complexity of the translation. Whether it's Mo Yang's works or science fiction novels, they face translation problems when entering the international arena. In order for a work in one language to be accepted and loved by readers of another language, the role of translation becomes critically important. Translators need not only an accurate lexical correspondence between two or more languages, but also cultural, historical and social insight to ensure full understanding and appreciation of the original. This is a big challenge for translators. The difficulty of translating science fiction can be described as follows.

Firstly, there are not enough qualified translators. Despite the fact that the number of Chinese language learners is growing rapidly, there are very few specialists in the field of science fiction translation. As Karaev noted, "Chinese characters are very complex, and understanding dialects is even more difficult."^{[9, p. 129]} Most translations for publication are made from English, direct translations are rare. In particular, according to the Russian employment website SuperJob, Chinese surpassed French and German among the five most popular foreign languages, taking second place after English.^[7] There are much fewer people who speak Chinese at a high level than English – this is an undeniable fact. Secondly, even with the ability to translate directly, many translators choose to translate through English in order to make the most of the translation software and save time. Thirdly, English translation often simplifies some features of the Chinese style, preferring forms more familiar to the Western reader, which makes it easier for Russian translators to work. However, in the process of such translation, distortions and simplifications become inevitable. Translation is always an interpretation and understanding limited by knowledge of the language and cultural context, so distortion of the author's original message is inevitable. Secondly, the difficulty of translating terms and fictional elements. Unlike a purely literary translation, a science fiction translation can include many specialized terms and scientific concepts. These terms and concepts may differ in different linguistic and cultural contexts, which requires accurate and clear translation and explanation for the reader. For example, in the preface to The Immortal Death, translator Grushkova faced the problem of choosing terms, pointing out: "How to translate 'a ship capable of flying at the speed of light'?... We were forced to translate this as a 'lightship' (lightship), although this is incorrect ..." Thus, translators are faced with the need to take notes for readers, while trying not to mislead them. Thirdly, the difficulty in conveying the author's style. Liu Yuk-kun argues that in translating novels, it is most important to preserve the author's unique "voice". Each author has his own special style, and readers familiar with him can recognize him by the way he writes. "It is easy for me to tell a story or explain a plot, but the unique 'voice' of the author is very difficult to convey in translation..."^{[8, p. 148]}. For example, Chen Qufan's novel "The Tide" describes the future Guangzhou, where the main character learns the truth about her origins in a huge underwater city. Although the story mainly takes place in Guangzhou, there are many fictional moments in it that require special attention and cultural context to translate.

Secondly, cultural restrictions. Chinese science fiction is deeply rooted in Chinese history and culture, following certain Chinese traditions. Differences in thinking that form in different cultural contexts can lead to errors in understanding and interpretation. Science fiction literature always reflects the society of its authors and readers. For example, in the novel "The Task of Three Bodies" by Liu Qixin, special attention is paid to the tragic events in the life of Ye Wenjie during a special historical period. As Karaev said: "Any culture understands itself better than others. The Western understanding of such a story can be one-sided."^{[9, p. 132]} Despite the strengthening of Sino-Russian relations, especially after the "Year of the Chinese Language" in Russia in 2010, not a single Chinese science fiction novel has been officially published in Russian.

Russian readers believe that "Liu Zixin's works fully reflect Chinese national identity, which may be difficult for a Western reader to understand. But this is not the only problem, science fiction literature in the West has millions of works, so Chinese science fiction may seem naive in comparison with it." "Despite globalization, which brings China and the West closer, the world still cannot truly understand China."^{[10, p. 132 Russian critic Boris Nevsky believes that "Liu Zixin's early works, such as Shi Yun (or Li Bai), strikingly combine science fiction with a unique Chinese worldview. Combining science fiction with poetry, philosophy, and religion is not an easy task."[11, p. 201]} This emphasizes that Chinese science fiction is full of Chinese culture and elements, and misunderstanding or misunderstanding of this culture can lead to a serious loss of cultural information or even to the transmission of incorrect cultural information. The reader's perception of a work is often based on his existing knowledge, and if this perception goes beyond this knowledge, a wrong perception may arise.

Thirdly, a single source of distribution. This implies a lack of stability and diversity. Eksmo Publishing has certainly achieved excellent results in promoting Chinese science fiction, but when all hopes and expectations are focused on one publishing house, the risks also increase. Any economic turmoil, management problems, or changes in marketing strategy may limit or interrupt the spread of Chinese science fiction in Russia. In addition, a single publication strategy may limit the variety of literary works. The variety of Chinese science fiction is huge, and if only one publisher is involved in its selection and promotion, the choice may be influenced by marketing strategies or other commercial factors. In this case, Russian readers will see only the tip of the iceberg of Chinese science fiction. Having only one major publisher can also slow down innovation. Competition between publishers can drive innovation by encouraging them to seek out new authors, new topics, and new marketing strategies. But in this situation, due to the lack of competition, Eksmo may be inclined to maintain the status quo rather than move forward. If such publishers specializing in science fiction as astrel-spb, mann-ivanov-ferber and ast had participated in the introduction and publication of Chinese science fiction, it would have significantly enriched the Russian science fiction market, providing readers with a wide choice.

To sum up, the only source of distribution may limit both the distribution of Chinese science fiction in Russia and the quality and choice of works. In order for Chinese science fiction to truly be widely recognized and promoted in Russia, it is necessary to attract more publishers, create a multifaceted, competitive and innovative publishing environment.

Fourth, the narrow focus of the content. Liu Qixin's works for some time surpassed Mo Yang's work in terms of the number of readers, reviews and popularity in Russia and became an excellent example of Chinese literature going beyond the country. However, Liu Cixin's tremendous success in the Russian market hides one problem: the too narrow content of Chinese science fiction in Russia. In the eyes of Russian readers, Liu Zixin may have already become synonymous with Chinese science fiction. His series of books "The Problem of Three Bodies", "Ball Lightning" and other works are widely read and discussed. Many Russian readers may mistakenly believe that the field of Chinese science fiction is limited to the universe described by Liu Zixin. However, the real landscape of Chinese science fiction is much richer and more diverse. The history of Chinese science fiction goes back more than a hundred years. During this time, many works of various styles and themes were created. And it's not just about Liu Qixin's reflections on the universe and the fate of humanity, but also about a deeper exploration of humanity, society, technology, culture and the environment. Such a narrow focus in content can mislead Russian readers into thinking that Chinese science fiction has only one direction and style. This is not favorable for the development of Chinese science fiction and its promotion at the international level. The diverse and rich literary world should show all its facets, not just the most popular part. In addition, monotony can cause aesthetic fatigue in Russian readers. If the same genre and style continue to be promoted and discussed, readers may gradually lose interest in Chinese science fiction and turn to other sources of literature.

3.2 Reflections on the spread of modern Chinese science fiction in Russian

We face a number of challenges, and first of all, it is necessary to strengthen the training of translators in order to solve the problem of the lack of replacement for the current staff of translators. As you can see, the team of translators of Chinese science fiction into Russian, headed by the "Three-Body Task", is quite limited. It is urgently necessary to expand the channels for finding translators, optimize the team and create a corpus of science fiction terminology. The lack of qualified translators in science fiction is not only a problem for one country; it is a challenge that the entire translation community has to solve. Attempts to translate the series of books "The Task of three Bodies" can serve as a model for the dissemination of literature. Translator Glushkova, who did not know Chinese and had no experience in translating pure science fiction, read "The Task of Three Bodies" translated by Liu Yukun in 2014, and after the book was awarded in 2015, her desire to present this book to Russian readers only intensified. With the help of Dmitry Nakamura, an expert in the field of translation of scientific texts, and Albert Krisskoy, a well-known Chinese language specialist, Glushkova completed the translation of the book.^{[12, p. 8]} She also held numerous consultations with experts in the field of Chinese studies, physics, programming, having studied string theory, the structure of the Sun, cosmology and the history of China. In addition, the author has saved many notes made by the English translator Liu Yukun and offered his understanding to Russian readers, clearly and concisely defining and explaining the story and key phrases that are unfamiliar to the Russian reader. Russians Russian edition has thus developed a unique multi-note phenomenon, which includes notes by the author himself, English translator Liu Yukun and Russian translator Glushkova. The book "The Dark Forest", translated by Nakamura from the English translation by American Joel Martinsen, also raised doubts among readers about the accuracy of the translation. Therefore, a specialist in the Chinese language of Krisskaya was invited to translate the "Dark Forest", who "restored the missing parts of the original in the English translation and carried out the final edit." In the preface to the book, the author expressed gratitude to translator Glushkova, Deputy Director of the Institute of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Andrey Sergeev and his assistant Aelita Timoshenko. This experience shows that joint efforts can lead to better translation. In the current situation, when there is no direct translation yet, one can turn to "indirect salvation", avoiding blind nationalism and the idea that only the Chinese can translate Chinese literature well. The joint approach to the translation of the "Three-Body Problem" (with the participation of an English translator, a Sinologist, a physicist, etc.) is presented as an innovative and successful example for the dissemination of Chinese literature abroad. From the point of view of acceptability to readers, distribution of the work and its commercial value, the current version of the translation is generally successful.

Secondly, the intensification of the promotion of Chinese culture involves the inclusion of sections on Chinese culture in the curricula of Russian schools. For the effective implementation of this proposal, a comprehensive market research should be conducted, aimed at identifying the needs and interests of Russian students and teachers in the study of Chinese culture. Using the methods of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, it is possible to get an objective picture of the requests of the target audience. To ensure the quality and relevance of the content, it is recommended to establish cooperation with Russian academic institutions, research institutes and higher education institutions. The involvement of experts for peer review and correction of materials not only ensures their scientific correctness, but also contributes to strengthening academic ties between China and Russia. It is also necessary to establish cooperation with Russian publishing houses and printing houses, which will ensure high quality publications and their distribution. In the context of the integration of new educational materials into the educational process in Russia, it is extremely important to maintain contact with relevant government agencies, ensuring that textbooks comply with educational standards. In order to deepen the understanding and adaptation of the material, an invitation of Chinese lecturers to conduct master classes in Russia or the implementation of interactive online sessions can be organized. Additionally, practical classes, such as summer language camps in China or tours by Chinese creative teams in Russia, contribute to immersion in the cultural environment. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that for the long-term sustainability of the project, systematic updating of training materials, monitoring of their relevance and correction based on user feedback is required. As Xie Tianzhen correctly noted: "In translation tasks, we must sensitively take into account the peculiarities of the recipient country, avoiding imposing our own cultural and ideological model."^{[13, p. 22]} Thus, the importance of a sensitive and delicate approach when broadcasting cultural heritage in an international context cannot be underestimated.

Third, by expanding your audience, change the ways of distribution. For science fiction to be accepted by a mass audience, "going abroad" is crucial. It is necessary to actively integrate visual and auditory means and actively transform outstanding Chinese works of science fiction into film, animation and television series formats in order to attract more attention to the science fiction genre. In 2023, the films "Wandering Earth 2" and "The Task of Three Bodies" in real life ended, and the series "The Task of Three Bodies" received a high rating of 8.5 on Duban. After the reputation of the series "Wandering Earth" and the television series "The Task of Three Bodies" has been established, the domestic audience, out of curiosity or thirst for knowledge, begins to perceive works of science fiction independently, and the doors of the science fiction market will be wider and wider. Similarly, if Chinese literature can go abroad in the form of secondary creativity such as audiobooks, cinema, art painting and even literary-themed goods, stylized and artistically presenting literary works, the influence of Chinese literature abroad will continue to grow. From 2017 to 2020, eight audiobooks were published, read by Igor Knyazev and Sergei Orobchuk, the total number of views of which exceeded twenty thousand. In 2019, the Chinese Film Festival in Russia began at the Aurora Cinema in St. Petersburg, where the hardcore sci-fi film "Wandering Earth" was shown, which was warmly received by the Russian audience. In addition, the covers for "The Problem of Three Bodies", "The Dark Forest" and "The Eternal Life of Death" were painted by the famous Russian engineer and amateur painter Nikolai Plutakhin. Since 2010, Plutakhin has created covers for 185 science fiction novels,^[15] which also shows the popularity and recognition of the series "The Task of Three Bodies" in Russia. In the future, there will be even more films and audio productions that will help spread literature. However, for translation and secondary creativity, it is not enough only for the strength of the fans. It is necessary to strengthen cooperation between Chinese and Russian translators and reputable publishing houses in both countries. Under the leadership of the government, more projects of mutual translation of cultural products between China and Russia should be launched, providing resources in human, material and financial terms, stimulating the participation of more people and publishers in translation and publication, creating a dual internal and external motivation for translation.

Fourthly, it is necessary to strengthen cultural awareness, establish cultural confidence and increase the depth and influence of national culture. In the context of globalization, cultural interactions are becoming more active, and awareness of one's culture is becoming especially important. If we do not have such an understanding, we risk losing the value and heritage of our culture. A deep understanding and love for our culture gives us confidence in it. This understanding and confidence is based on true knowledge. Concrete actions are needed to strengthen the influence of national culture. For example, actively study ancient texts, art and traditions, adapting them to modern tastes; stimulate innovation and modern forms of representation, combining tradition and modernity to create a lively and deep cultural picture.

In the preface to The New Wave of Chinese Science Fiction, Han Song writes: "The most exciting thing about science fiction is perhaps that it arose in the context of great geographical discoveries and great revolutions. Isn't China now in a new era of these great discoveries and revolutions?"^{[15, p. 20]} However, after this prosperity of science fiction, trials follow.

In 2021, a member of the National Political Advisory Council of China and president of the Association of Magazines of China, Wu Shangzhi, during a study on "Improving the quality of publishing and expanding the supply of high-quality cultural products" at the Chongqing Publishing House, saw a series of books by Liu Qixin "The Task of three Bodies". These books were sold in 26 countries in 24 languages, with a total circulation of about two million copies abroad. In order for Chinese science fiction to truly establish itself in the world, it is necessary to focus efforts on creating outstanding works and educating authors such as Liu Zixin.

Conclusions. In conclusion, we can say that modern Chinese science fiction literature deserves special attention in Russia. It represents a unique combination of traditional Chinese values and innovative ideas, which makes it especially attractive to the Russian reader. The acceptance and recognition of Chinese works in Russia confirm that cultural exchange between the two countries is at a new, higher level. Translations, adaptations, and interaction between Chinese and Russian literary communities play a key role in promoting and understanding each other's science fiction. This shows the importance of continuing and strengthening cultural and literary ties between China and Russia in the future.