Author Jiang Fangzhou. [Photo provided to China Daily]

By going through books on physics and astronomy, Jiang found that the astrologers face the world with a perception of time and space different from others, like the stargazers mentioned in the book who always jump out of the world they live in to observe from a higher and broader perspective.

Jiang's abundant literary accumulation is also reflected in her new outing. Shakespeare, Borges and Homer, all these great writers were not only what she admires, but also part of her writing. "I don't think classic works are something that exist only in the text or in the past. For me, it is not me going to them, but that they come to me on their own initiative, and become part of your works."

However, the writer is always eager to create something "refreshing and challenging".

Many readers on review platform Douban indicate their affection for Jiang, while some think the structures are still not good enough, or she has put too much in her novels.

"I struggled to try a new type of writing. It's difficult, but it gives me a lot of freedom to create. Most of my readers consider it sci-fi, but it's actually called speculative fiction."

"Speculative fiction first envisions a past, and then take it as a parallel world with our actual world, but with different directions of development. For example, you can write on what the world would be like if Germany won World War II in speculative fiction. It's just like you step into a different timeline." Jiang adds.

Writer Ban Yu finds Jiang's speculative fiction very touching. "The most impressive thing about the book is that instead of writing the stories of our age aimlessly, we'd better go to the broad future or seek gaps in history."

Following her dream to be a "free writer" like Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale, Jiang also plans to create a long speculative fiction, or try other types of writing in the future. She said that she had become more hard working since the pandemic, and would like to live a regular life.

"Atwood is a writer without burden. I want to be as dynamic and creative as her when I'm at her age. Besides, I hope she can stay healthy so that I can meet her in person one day." Jiang says, laughing.

Born in Hubei province in 1989, Jiang had her first book Open the Skylight published at the age of 9 and then shot to fame. However, her exceptional admission by Tsinghua University in 2008 has caused a firestorm of controversy. Graduating in 2012, Jiang became deputy editor-in-chief of the Chinese magazine New Weekly.

Jiang also loves to share her works and ideas with different writers and translators from all over the world. She had already peer writers from other countries at the beginning of her career. As one of the most well-known Chinese young writers, Jiang always cogitates on a global scale.

Talking about whether to translate her new book into other languages, Jiang shrugs her shoulders. "Finding a translator is just like registering in hospital, we need to wait in a long line. But I really look forward to bringing my work to readers from other countries."

She also plans to go to Germany in June for a workshop, hoping to communicate and create something new.