Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 798 797 “I write fiction, but it’s also history!”

According to the tradition of the Hugo Awards, there is a segment every year to pay tribute to deceased people - those who have made significant contributions to popular science and science fiction.

This year's tribute is to Carl Sagan, an American astronomer, astrophysicist, and science fiction writer. In addition to his outstanding achievements in astronomy, he also made remarkable achievements in popular science. He wrote "Broca's Brain" and "Forgotten Shadows of Our Ancestors", and the science fiction novel "Contact", which was adapted into a movie last year (1997).

The most amazing thing is that in the American Pioneer and Voyager planetary probe programs, Sagan proposed that the probes should carry metal plates and golden turntables engraved with human greetings. The latter is the well-known "Sounds of the Earth" record!
In 1994, he was awarded the first Asimov Science Award and died in 1996.

The host also read out a classic line from the novel Contact with great emotion: "For tiny creatures like us, the vastness of the universe can only be endured with love."

There was a burst of warm applause in the theater.

Fang Minghua also clapped politely, but
Just based on this sentence, more than ten years later, Carl Sagan would be slapped in the face by a novel written by a younger generation from China.

After the previous ceremony, the award ceremony will follow.

The Hugo Awards are divided into "Best Novel", "Best Novella", "Best Novella" and "Best Short Story". Later, more than ten awards were added, including "Best Related Work", "Best Graphic Novel", "Best Long Editor" and "Best Semi-professional Magazine".

But in 98, there were only the first four items, which are also the four most important items.

The awards began with the best short story, which was awarded to "Forty-Three Antarctic Dynasties" written by American writer Mike Resnick.

The "Best Short Novel" was awarded to "We'll Sing with the Fishes..." written by Bill Johnson, and the "Best Novella" was won by "The Menace of Angel Fear" written by serious science fiction writer Alan Steele.

The most important "Best Novel" award was given at the end. When the host read out "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", the whole audience burst into warm applause.

As expected.

No fantasy novel in the past year has come close to this one!

Even "A Song of Ice and Fire" promoted by Bantam Company is not a good idea!

Fang Minghua walked up to the stage with ease, took a rocket trophy with fins from the host with a smile, and held it high to accept everyone's congratulations.

After the award ceremony, there was a routine group photo session. The four authors who received the trophies stood together and took a precious photo.

Of course I have to be interviewed by reporters.

This time the security personnel did not stop them and allowed the reporters to find interviewees. Fang Minghua undoubtedly had the most interviewees, and the questions everyone asked were all about the novel "Harry Potter".

"How many more are there to be written?"

"As the author and screenwriter of the recently released movie Harry Potter, what do you think of it?"

Of course, there are also some rather speechless questions: Harry Potter and Ron, who does Ruifang like? Who will she be with in the future?"

At first glance, she is obviously a young female reporter who just graduated from school. Maybe she is also a Harry Potter fan.

Fang Minghua looked at the slightly childish female reporter.

He smiled and replied, "This is a story about the subsequent plot, I'm sorry I can't spoil it."

Of course, Fang Minghua couldn't help but say a few more words during this opportunity. He will hold a reader meeting at the largest Barnes & Noble bookstore in Baltimore tomorrow, and will also answer questions from reporters at that time.

The next day at noon, the other two actors and their agents also arrived in Baltimore on time, and the reader meeting was held on time in the afternoon. Barnes & Noble was converted from a 100-year-old power plant next to the harbor, so it is called Baltimore Barnes & Noble-Power Plant Store;

Because of the four large chimneys standing side by side on the top of the building, it is also known as the "Bookstore with Four Chimneys". The four large chimneys sticking out from the top of the Barnes & Noble building are black, and the reddish-brown guitar logo is very eye-catching. This distinctive Barnes & Noble bookstore - Power Plant Store can be seen from a distance, and its appearance may be unique in the world.

Today, the third floor, which was usually very quiet, seemed very lively. A meeting between Minghua, the author of the Harry Potter novels, and readers was held here.

Harry Potter fans from all over the country shared their personal insights and experiences with Fang Minghua. Three young actors who played major roles in the movies suddenly appeared, bringing the entire readers' meeting to a climax.

After the nearly one and a half hour meeting, Fang Minghua answered questions from reporters, followed by a book signing event - there was already a long line downstairs.

Fang Minghua suddenly discovered that the young reporter who asked questions yesterday came again today, and the questions he asked were still so unreliable.

"Mr. Minghua, why don't you continue writing the Twilight trilogy? Is it because you don't have the energy to write Harry Potter?"

Fang Minghua was speechless. This was a Q&A session with reporters about Harry Potter, why did it bring up Twilight?
But now the fans are looking at him with concern, especially the female fans.

I like Harry Potter and I also like the handsome and elegant vampire Edward in "Twilight".

It's sad not to see the ending.

I really don’t want to write anymore.

Fang Minghua indeed thought so.

But the other party had already given him the answer - he had no time to care about it, so he was ready to take advantage of the situation.

Suddenly I thought of the encounter with the young woman and her son on the train.

This was an opportunity for him to speak up.

"No, no, although writing Harry Potter takes a lot of time and energy, as a professional writer, I still have time to conceive other novels. However, I don't want to write the sequel to Twilight for the time being. I want to write another story."

Fang Minghua is going to write a new novel!
This is very influential news!
The reporters immediately became interested.

"Allow me to tell you a story first. It's about what happened when I took a train from San Francisco to Yancheng two days ago."

Fang Minghua briefly recounted the story of a mother and son he met on a train and a small argument he had with the mother over his attempt to tell the child the history of the Pacific Railroad.

"I want to write a story about Chinese workers building railways." Fang Minghua finally expressed his thoughts.

The reporters present understood immediately.

Fang Minghua is Chinese!
Why did he write this history?
Isn’t it just because of the dispute with that mother?

Although quite a few reporters present also doubted the story told by Fang Minghua, it is her freedom and you have no right to interfere.

"Mr. Minghua, let me ask you, is what you wrote history or fiction?!" The somewhat childish reporter suddenly asked this sharp question.

Fang Minghua looked at her and said word by word: "I write novels, but also history!"

(End of this chapter)