Cixin

Cixin is a Chinese given name used for males, formed from any pair of characters, with 慈欣 commonly used to convey mercy and joy. In Chinese, given names are typically two syllables; Cixin may appear in various personal names and is most widely recognized internationally in connection with Liu Cixin, the Chinese science fiction writer.

Liu Cixin (刘慈欣) was born in 1963 and is one of the leading figures in contemporary Chinese science fiction. He trained as an engineer and wrote fiction while working in China, publishing in science fiction magazines and anthologies starting in the 1980s. He rose to international prominence with the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, beginning with The Three-Body Problem. The English translation, by Ken Liu, helped bring his work to a global audience, and the novel won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2015, the first time an Asian author received the honor in that category. The sequels The Dark Forest and Death’s End completed the trilogy and further established his reputation.

His writing is characterized by hard science concepts, large-scale cosmic settings, and investigations of civilization, cooperation, and existential risk. The reception of his work contributed to a broader recognition of Chinese science fiction on the world stage, influencing both readers and subsequent writers.