Spiritual Pollution in the Sewers: Towards an Aesthetic Theory of Chinese Netfic
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
- Venue
- SOAS Main Building
- Room
- RB01
- Event type
- Seminar
About this event
Chinese internet fiction, or netfic for short, tends not to be highly regarded for its aesthetic accomplishments.
Many of the terms used to describe web novels, such as YY fiction, ‘watery words’, and ‘writings for dummies’, imply that its main purpose is to churn out superficial pleasures and insubstantial content targeted to the lowest common denominator. But what happens if we take netfic aesthetics seriously? This talk explores the aesthetic functions of netfic from a premodern perspective, reappropriating a few age-old concepts to reconsider the ways that contemporary popular fiction exerts its powers over the minds of readers, by turns pleasing, frightening, and angering its audiences.
Registration
This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is taking place on campus and will not be recorded or live-streamed.
Organiser
This event is organised by the SOAS China Institute.
About the speaker
Heather Inwood is Associate Professor of modern Chinese literature and culture at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity Hall. She is the author of Verse Going Viral: China’s New Media Scenes (University of Washington Press, 2014) and is currently completing a book on Chinese internet fiction, entitled Netfic: China’s Other Worlds. She previously held positions at The Ohio State University and the University of Manchester and received her PhD from SOAS in 2008.
The event will be chaired by Dr Xiaoning Lu, Deputy Head of the School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics at SOAS.
Contact
Email: sci@soas.ac.uk.
Image source: https://huaban.com/pins/6208928062.
