The inaugural Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest handed out trophies to respective winners over the weekend in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Author Liu Yang gives his acceptance speech for Best Novel on stage during the Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest's award ceremony held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest Organizing Committee]

During the award ceremony, ten main awards were handed out, which included Liu Yang winning Best Novel for "A City in the Well," Fractal Orange being awarded Best Novelette for "Descartes' Evil Genius" and Hai Ya's "Spring Outside the Earthen Building" taking home Best Short Story.

Other award winners included "Honor of Kings - Amber Era" for Best Science Fiction Video Game Script and "The Wandering Earth II," which won Best Sci-fi Film and Television Script. "The Three-Body Problem, Part One," a comic book adaptation of Liu Cixin's sci-fi trilogy, won Best Sci-fi Comic Book. Writers He Shan, Liu Ziheng, Pang Yujie, Long Teng and Ren Keye all received the award for best young sci-fi writers. Science Fiction World magazine was named the best sci-fi literature organization. The award for best new sci-fi writer was won by Liu Maijia.

Ten international sci-fi works were also honored at the ceremony with the Tianwen Special Award. These international works included Frank Herbert's "Dune," Arthur C. Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama," Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Found and the Lost" and Robert L. Forward's "Dragon's Egg: A Novel," and represented the top translated works in China over the past decade, as voted by members of last year's World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Chengdu and this year's Tianwen members.

Supported by the China Writers Association and hosted by the Chengdu municipal government, the contest received 1,162 submissions from both domestic and international sci-fi writers and practitioners, with submissions ranging from novels, short stories and comic books to films, TV series and games. The jury stated that the first Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest advocated for diverse and widespread participation. 

"Last year at Worldcon, we launched the Tianwen Program to inspire sci-fi creators and stimulate the creation of high-quality works, promoting the exchange and integration of Chinese-language sci-fi with the rest of the world," said Shi Zhanjun, a secretary of the secretariat of the Chinese Writers Association. "The launch of the Tianwen Program and this contest aim to foster cross-disciplinary integration in sci-fi literature, leading to a more fascinating and diverse sci-fi world."

During the award ceremony, a camp for young sci-fi writers was also initiated under the Tianwen brand as an important component to the Tianwen Program. The camp aims to provide a series of professional creative training sessions for young writers with potential.

Launched last year during the 81st Worldcon in Chengdu, the Tianwen Program is named after a poem composed over 2,300 years ago by the esteemed poet Qu Yuan that explores the principles of the cosmos and probes the origins of the universe. In English, the Chinese term "Tianwen" means "questions to heaven."

"'Tianwen' embodies traditional Chinese culture and a modern exploratory spirit, which is about how we advance into the universe and explore the future of humanity," said Qiu Huadong, vice chairman and a secretary of the secretariat of the China Writers Association at the award ceremony for the Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest. "As a foundation for sci-fi films and television, launching superior sci-fi literary works is crucial. With these high-quality works, the growth of sci-fi animation, film, television and other adaptations will flourish."

Award winners and performers pose for a group photo during the Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest award ceremony held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oct. 18, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest Organizing Committee]

In the past year, the national sci-fi industry has advanced from the "ten billion level" to the "hundred billion level," achieving a revenue of 113.29 billion yuan ($15.94 billion), according to the 2024 China Science Fiction Industry Report.