Yinhe Award

Entry updated 7 August 2023. Tagged: Award.

["Galaxy Award"] A prestigious accolade awarded intermittently since 1986, annually since 1991, to Chinese authors, originally organized as a collaboration between the magazines Zhuihui Shu ["Tree of Knowledge"] and Kexue Wenyi ["Science Literature and Art"]. With the folding of the former and the renaming of the latter as the more famous Kehuan Shijie ["SF World"], the award has become the sole prerogative of China's leading genre magazine, occasionally leading to gripes regarding bias and log-rolling. Regardless, it remains a touchstone for tastes and rising stars of Chinese sf, as with the Seiun Award in Japan, affording non-specialists a tantalizing glimpse of a vibrant but often overlooked genre community. From 2004, the award has also recognized popular foreign authors in translation; presentations in this category are not for any particular work.

Changes in management, funding, policy and prizes at the Yinhe Awards have led to significant variation in the population of winners and the definition of "winning", with some years offering first, second and multiple third places, and others simply a grand prix with widely varying numbers of honorable mentions. By 2002, it was further split into multiple prizes decided upon by an editorial committee, and an equally large list of readers' nominations, often favouring entirely different authors, such as the popular but controversial Han Song. There is also a perennial problem with the Chinese use of the term xiaoshuo, a calque of the Japanese shōsetsu which usually means "novel" but can also simply mean "short story". As a result, breathless blurbs can sometimes make it appear as if every sf writer in China has a mantelpiece festooned with Yinhe Awards; the list below offers only the main winners, not all the authors who somehow edged their way to consolation prizes. [JonC]

Award winners

1986: Wu Xiankui, Yongshi-hao Chongxiang Taifeng ["The Hero Tacks Into the Typhoon"] (1985); Miao Shi, Bu Yao Wen Wo Cong Nali Lai ["Don't Ask Me Where I'm From"] (1985); Kong Liang, Daoqie Qingchun de Zei ["The Thief Who Stole Youth"] (1985); Yang Zhipeng, Qingchun de Juanlian ["Youthful Nostalgia"] (1985); Wei Yahua, Yuanfeng Laike ["Guest From Afar"] (1985).
1988-1989: Tan Xiaoke, Zai Shijian de Qian Mu Houmian ["Behind the Lead Curtain of Time"] (1988).
1991: Tan Li, Taikong Xiudaoyuan ["Space Monastery"] (1990).
1992: no first prize.
1993: Wang Jinkang, Yadang Huigui ["Adam's Regression"] (1992).
1994: Wang Jinkang, Tian Huo ["Heaven's Fire"] (1993) (Special Prize); He Hongwei, Pingxing ["Parallel"] (1993); Xing He, Chaosheng ["Pilgrimage"] (1993).
1995: Wang Jinkang, Shengming zhi Ge ["The Song of Life"] (1994) (Special Prize); Wu Yan, Cang Sang ["Dark Blue Mulberry"] (1994); Han Jianguo, Leisa Poyang Hu ["Tears in Poyang Lake"] (1994).
1996: Xing He, Xing+He," class="link-amazon" target="_blank">Juedou zai Wangluo ["Duel on the Internet"] (1995) (Special Prize); Wang Jinkang, Xinai Emeng ["Occidental Nightmare"] (1995); Su Xuejun, Huoxing Chenbao ["Martian Dust Storm"] (1995).
1997: Lu Yang, Heidong zhi wen ["Kiss of the Black Cave"] (1996) (Special Prize); Wang Jinkang, Qizhong Waike ["Seven Outer Casings"] (1996); Zhao Haihong, Huashu de Yanjing ["Eyes of the Birches"] (1996).
1998: Wang Jinkang, Bao ["Leopard"] (Special Prize) (1997); Zhou Yukun, Huihe Dishi Xingxing ["Encounter with the Tenth Planet"] (1997); Ling Chen, Mao ["Cat"] (1997).
1999: Zhao Haihong, Yi'ekasida ["Jocasta"] (1998) (Special Prize); Liu Cixin, Daishang Tade Yanjing ["Her Eyes on the Belt"] (1998); He Hongwei, Yi Yu ["Strange Land"] (1998).
2000: Liu Cixin, Liulang Diqiu ["Vagabond Earth"] (1999) (Special Prize); Li Xingchun, Chuchuang Li de Helan Dutu ["The Dutch Gambler in a Glass Case"] (1999); He Xi, Ai Bieli ["Love is Over"] (1999).
2001: Liu Cixin, Quan Pingdai Zuse Sai Ganrao ["The Complete Frequency Blocking Fortress"] (2000); Wang Jinkang, Titian Hangdao ["The Profession of Day Replacement"] (2000); Pan Haitian, Da Jue Kuai Pao ["Klaxon Sounds, Swift Retreat"] (2000); Zhao Haihong, Tui ["Exuviation"] (2000); Wang Yanan, Daomu ["Grave Robber"] (2000).
2002: He Hongwei, Liudao Congsheng ["Six Ways to the Multitude"] (2001); Liu Cixin, Zhongguo Taiyang ["The Chinese Sun"] (2001); Wang Jinkang, Suixing Bozhong ["Seeding Mercury"] (2001); Ma Yi, Shake Space (2001); Yang Mei, Riguang Zhen ["Pressing Sunlight"] (2001).
2003: He Hongwei, Shanxinzhe ["The Broken-Hearted"] (2002); Liu Cixin, Diqiu Dapao ["Earth's Cannon"] (2002); Luo Longxiang, Shisheng de Mo ["The Devil of Biology"] (2002) (Newcomer's Award); La La, Chun Ri Ze: Yun Meng Shan: Zhong Kun ["Spring Sun Spring: Yun Meng Mountain: Elder Brothers"] (2002) (Newcomer's Award).
2004: Liu Cixin, Jingzi ["Mirror"] (2003); Xia Jia, "Guan Yaojing de Pingzi" (April 2004 Kehuan Shijie trans Linda Rui Feng as "The Demon-Enslaving Flask" November 2012 Renditions); Qian Lifang, Tianyi ["Skywish"] (2003); Lois McMaster Bujold.
2005: Liu Cixin, Shanyang Renlei ["To Support Mankind"] (2004); He Xi, Tiansheng Wocai ["Innate Talent"] (2004); Xie Yunning, Shendu Zhuangji ["Deep Impact"] (2004) (Newcomer's Award); Douglas Adams.
2006: Liu Cixin, Santi ["Trinary"] (2005); Wang Jinkang, Zhongji Baozha ["Ultimate Explosion"] (2005); Chang Jia, Kunlun ["Kunlun Mountains"] (2005); Robert Sawyer.
2007: La La, Yongbu Xiaoshi de Dianbo ["The Perpetual Electric Wave"] (2006); Chang Jia, 674-hao Gonglu ["Highway 674"] (2006); Luo Longxiang, Zai Taxiang ["In a Strange Land"] (2006); Neil Gaiman.
2008: Chang Jia, Fusang zhi Shang ["Fusang's Wound"] (2007); Xia Jia, "Yongxia zhi Meng" ["Perpetual Dream"] (venue unknown 2007); Wang Jinkang, Huo Zhuo ["Live Contact"] (2007); Neil Gaiman.
2009: Jiang Bo, Shikong Zhuiji ["Time/Space Pursuit"] (2008); Wang Jinkang, Youguan Shikong Luxing de Malong Dinglu ["Marlon's Law of Space-Time Travelling"] (2008); He Xi, Shiyi-nian Hou de Laike ["The Traveller from 1,000,000,000 Years Hence"] (2008); George R R Martin.
2010: Liu Cixin, Sishen Yongsheng [literally "Death Immortal"; Chinese cover has the English title "Dead End"] (2009); He Xi, Rensheng Bu Xiangxian ["No Sign of Life"] (2009); George R R Martin.
2011: Wang Jinkang, Yuwu Tongzai ["We, Together"] (2011) (Grand Prize). Chen Qiufan, "Wujin de Gaobie" ["Infinite Goodbyes"] (November 2011 Kehuan Shijie); Yin Kemi, "Leifeng Ta" ["Thunder Peak Pagoda"] (December 2011 Kehuan Shijie), Liu Shuiqing, "Dijiu Zhan de Shiren" ["Poet of the Ninth Stage"] (September 2011 Kehuan Shijie); Paolo Bacigalupi.
2012: Yitai ["Ether"] by Zhang Ran; "Wangyang Zhanzheng ["War on the Seeping Sea"] (February 2012 Kehuan Shijie) by He Xi; "Zai Mingwangxing shang Women Zuo Xialai Guankan ["On Pluto We Sit Down and Watch"] (venue unknown) by Bao Shu; David Brin.
2013: Taochu Mu Yuzhou ["Escape from the Mother Universe"] by Wang Jinkang; "Qifeng zhi Cheng" ["The Windy City"] (2013 chap?) by Zhao Ran; "Mengxing Huanghun" ["Awaking at Dusk"] (September 2013 Kehuan Shijie) by Jiang Bo; Ken Liu.
2014: No award for long-form fiction; "Daji zhi Nian" ["The Years of Famine"] (venue unknown) by Zhao Ran; "Renren Dou Ai Cha'ersi" ["Everybody Loves Charles"] (September 2014 Kehuan Shijie) by Bao Shu; Ken Liu.
2015: Tian Nian ["Years of Heaven"] by He Xi; "Taiyang Zhuiluo zhi Shi" ["When the Sun Falls"] (venue unknown) by Zhang Ran, "Jiqi zhi Dao" ["The Way of Machines"] (venue unknown) by Jiang Bo; "Wan'an Youyu" ["Goodnight Melancholy"] by Xia Jia, "Balin" (venue unknown) by Chen Qiufan, "Yingxu zhi Zi" ["The Promised Son"] (venue unknown) as by "Qingru Xiaojie".
2016: Yinhe zhi Xin III: Zhu ying zhui guang ["Heart of the Galaxy III: Chasing Shadows and Chasing Light"] by Jiang Bo; "Shanyao" ["Shining"] (venue unknown) by Chen Zijun, "Dianhun" ["Electric Soul"] (venue unknown) as by Quanru Xiaojie; "Fusheng" ["Floating Life"] (venue unknown) by He Xi, "Tie Yueliang" ["Iron Moonlight"] (venue unknown) by Xia Jia, "Mobiwusu shikong" ["Moebius Space-Time"] by Gu Shi.
2017: No award for long-form fiction; "Hua Gu" ["Painted Bone"] (venue unknown) by Gu Di, "Siwang zhi Sen" ["The Forest of Death"] (venue unknown) by Peng Chao; "Tiantu" ["Starmap"] (venue unknown) by Wang Jinkang, "Pu Huo" ["Fighting the Fire"] (venue unknown) by Bai Lehan, "Yun Jing Ji" ["Tale of the Cloud Whale"] (venue unknown) by A Que.

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