Translation and reception of French-language science fiction literature in China, from the late Qing (1860–1911) to date

Chinese science fiction has acquired a sudden visibility in recent years, notably thanks to the recognition provided twice by the Hugo Award, for the best novel in 2015 (《三体》 The Three-Body Problem, by 刘慈欣 Liu Cixin) and for the best novelette in 2016 (《北京折叠》 Folding Beijing, by 郝景芳 Hao Jingfang). Science fiction literature in China has nonetheless more than a hundred years’ history in which it has experienced tumultuous development. The Chinese were first introduced to SF through several translations of Western and Japanese works, which had a great impact on promoting and supporting the rise and flourishing of the genre in the country.
It is well known that throughout the 20th century successive translation waves occurred in China in line with the political climate of the time. Indeed, the Maoist period was marked by the massive influx of productions from the Soviet Union, including science fiction novels and short stories. Concurrently, since the end of the 19th century, the English-written SF works have been the most prevalent in the Chinese polysystem.
But what about French-language science fiction literature? Apart from Jules Verne, who was the first Western SF writer introduced in the Middle Kingdom, which French-speaking authors have been translated in Chinese, and what significance have they had in China since the late Qing? That is what this paper aims to clarify, by looking at authors from the nineteenth century (such as Jules Verne and J.-H. Rosny aîné) to the twenty-first century (such as Elisabeth Vonarburg and Alain Damasio). We will try to find out the proportion and the importance of French-language science fiction works in the literary SF landscape in China, including productions from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, and other French-speaking countries.