Short story, translated by Xueting Christine Ni, now available to read online at the Paper Republic website as part of its Afterlives series.
Tang Fei is a writer of speculative fiction born in Shanghai and currently living in Beijing.
In modern Chinese, “story” (故事) and “fiction” (小说) are not exact equivalents. A story is more rooted in the folk and oral traditions, and thus possesses more resilience and vitality. This is why I’ve always called myself a storyteller. Story, for me, is a word infused with magic. Every time I say it, I feel a joy in my spirit and pleasure in my senses. —Tang Fei (in a Clarkesword interview conducted and translated by Ken Liu)
“Imagining the worst tomorrow makes me happy.
The gloom of the future lights my path.”