Female images in the science fiction, The Three body problem trilogy, by Liu Cixin = 刘慈欣科幻小说《三体》部曲中的女性形象研究

Abstract

As a milestone work of Chinese science fiction, The Three Body Problem created by Liu Cixin has a large global readership. Its exquisite and bold technical imagination, profound literary quality, and the honor of winning the Hugo Award have all attracted widespread attention from the academic circles. On the basis of previous science fiction research perspectives, most of China's current scholarship on The Three Body Problem focuses on the areas of textual themes, philosophical thought, cultural dissemination, and translation studies. However, against the backdrop of the growing intersection of contemporary science fiction and feminism, in order to contemplate and respond to feminist trend and the breakthrough imagination of future gender politics, it is essential to criticize science fiction from a feminist standpoint. In addition, the diverse and distinctive portrayal of female figures in The Three Body Problem, as well as the emerging exploration of gender culture, also have made it a canonical example of science fiction gender study, which is worthy of in-depth analyses and research. To sum up, this paper intends to take the text of The Three Body Problem trilogy as the research material, and to interpret the complex female roles and the female “objects” that are intentionally or unintentionally shaped by the patriarchal culture, thus providing Chinese women in the transition of their social identities with an alternative perspective for writing and reading science fiction works.