Cao Yuxuan
Cao Yuxuan, 2018 undergraduate student of The New Transmission Institute of Nanjing Normal University, amateur network fan writer, and the first prize winner of the 3rd Jiangsu Youth Science Fiction Essay Contest. Very ordinary writers who want to be able to have fun in word games.
College Science Fiction: When was your first exposure to science fiction? How has this affected your life?
Cao Yuxuan: Probably Nolan's "Interstellar", he used light and shadow to explain the meaning of three dimensions and high dimensions, whether it is conception, shooting, or image features, it is shocking. The sci-fi world he constructed was probably an enlightenment for me. The impact should have been to change some of the stereotypes of science fiction works, from thinking that they were too rational and respectful, to accepting the existence of such genres and intentionally paying attention.
College Science Fiction: What are your favorite science fiction works? What do you like?
Cao Yuxuan: Interstellar and The Wandering Earth, if Ghost in the Shell are also counted, they can probably be included. Interstellar was my enlightenment, and it has a very grand and shocking narrative and many novel concepts. In my opinion, "The Wandering Earth" is a perfect combination of humanities and science fiction themes. Combining an epic narrative with a personal small destiny is especially an important step for Chinese films to go global, so it is also very memorable. Ghost in the Shell, I like its cyberspace elements, similar to cyberpunk 2077, high-tech low-quality cyber life, that kind of pompous electronic sense fascinates me.
College Science Fiction: What was the original intention of your jiangsu provincial science fiction essay contest winning work "Robot Phobia"?
Cao Yuxuan: Because in my news review class last year, there was a picture, which probably means that some elderly people can't scan the QR code, can't take the bus, order food, and can't easily complete socializing. My comment at the time was that "the wheels of history are rolling by, and the times are carrying us forward, but occasionally we look back at those who have not kept pace." "So the reason for its writing is probably only that people who want to be vulnerable and abandoned by the times say something and do something, and I hope that while everyone is moving forward, they can look back."
College science fiction: The main contradiction in "Robot Phobia" is the contradiction between the stubborn old man and the daughter who pursues the new trend, do you think this is the most important contradiction between the elder and the child in reality? What are the other possible contradictions? How should we resolve these contradictions?
Cao Yuxuan: I think that elders and children do have concepts, contradictions in the three views. Especially when the children's horizons are opened, the contradictions with their parents will become more and more intense. This point me and my parents will also have, before the quarrel was very serious, and then maybe in school, the distance will produce beauty, but it will be better. We will feel that we still have to be tolerant, and when we look at the parents in some senses, we have an obligation to help them accept something new. Including new culture, new ideas, including how to use QR codes, VR, because that's how they taught us back then. Other contradictions, there are issues related to marriage, (I'm Dink). Regarding the issue of work (whether to take the civil service examination), whether to have children, and even how to dress conservatively, whether it is possible to order takeaway, if it is not handled properly, it is indeed a contradiction everywhere. Because everyone is different, people of the same age do not understand, let alone the previous generation.
College Science Fiction: Robot Phobia depicts a future society that uses a lot of robots, how far do you think robots (or artificial intelligence) will develop in the future?
Cao Yuxuan: I personally feel that the personification of robots and the legalization of cloning have the same meaning. When robots have human qualities, we (humans) sometimes have uncanny valley effects, so we naturally deliberately suppress similarities in this regard. I think the difference between robots and people will probably be whether they can think for themselves and whether they have the ability to love, in the alpha dog we have seen the possibility of robot thinking and learning, and the latter, I can only say, as far as I am concerned, I am very much looking forward to the development and breakthrough of the robot, but I can not judge the achievements it will achieve, can only say that the future can be expected.
College Sci-Fi: Your thinking is very detailed and objective, so how do you think humans should deal with their relationship with robots (or artificial intelligence) in the future?
Cao Yuxuan: Peaceful coexistence, following nature, I personally look forward to the emergence of moss and jarvis.
College Science Fiction: Do you have any creative plans for the future?
Cao Yuxuan: (Covering my face) This question does feel like I'm very professional. In fact, I have been writing, but I did not participate in the more public essay. Whether it is to generate electricity for love or write for money, I am writing, and I hope that I can always write what I like in the future, and I hope that the pen will not stop.
College Science Fiction: Do you usually participate in science fiction club activities? What are your comments and suggestions on the development of the science fiction community?
Cao Yuxuan: I actually don't, I'm from the film company because my profession is biased towards the film side. It is suggested that science fiction clubs can be associated with popular, fresh, wide-ranging film, television, novels and other themes while organizing activities, so as to be able to open up their own audiences and expand the scope of influence.
College Science Fiction: The popularity of Chinese science fiction has grown in recent years, from your professional point of view, where will the future of Chinese science fiction go?
Cao Yuxuan: The Wandering Earth has become a good beginning to the world, I think it is indeed like "China, the world", this sentence said, if we can delve into research, calm production, Chinese science fiction to the world, is an inevitable trend, because we have this technology, but also this ambition.
College Science Fiction: The soft and hard dispute of science fiction has always been an enduring topic, how do you think about the relationship between soft science fiction and hard science fiction?
Cao Yuxuan: I am personally a writer who prefers soft science fiction themes. I think that the root of both is the same kind, so it is only the premise of one subject that is more inclined to the contradiction of rational thinking or humanistic feelings, and its creative essence is the same theme, the same origin. Therefore, I think that soft science fiction and hard science fiction are both created from the same theme, which can learn from each other and develop together.
College Sci-Fi: One last question, what would you like to say to your readers?
Cao Yuxuan: Thanks for liking, I also hope that everyone can live a good life at the same time, within the scope of their ability to help a group of vulnerable people who have not kept up with the trend of the times~
Interview | Wu Zhangyu
Text Editing | Yi Wenting
Typography | Coco
Audit | Wang Yuxuan