"A singular masterpiece in Chinese fantasy literature."
——Ma Boyong (Author of "The Longest Day in Chang'an", renowned Chinese writer)

"The absolute pinnacle of contemporary Chinese fantasy."
——Reader Review

"Bizarrely gorgeous imagination that illuminates the unimagined depths of silence. Possesses both rare mystical qualities and exceptional literary merit — yet remains supremely entertaining."
——Reader Review

★ ​​China’s renowned fantasy author​​, ​​leading figure in speculative fiction​​, and ​​pioneer of long-form wuxia fantasy​​
★ ​​Dubbed the "China's 'Kafka'"​​ – His works appear in The Big Book of Modern Fantasy (World Fantasy Award-winning anthology), alongside ​​Gabriel García Márquez​​ and ​​Haruki Murakami​​
★ ​​Praised by authors Ma Boyong & Jiang Nan​​, and recognized by Hugo/WFA/BFA-winning editors Ann & Jeff VanderMeer​​ as "a defining voice in Chinese fantasy"
★ ​​Blending wuxia and fantasy​​, bridging ​​Chinese mythology and modern storytelling​

​​Featured Works (10 volumes):​​
Spring in Dongke Monastery (Selected for The Big Book of Modern Fantasy)
Songs of the Four Seasons (Qitongren’s only self-curated fantasy anthology)
Novo Land: Dragon Assassin (A key Jiuzhou universe novel)
Aranya in Clouds (Short story, original novel behind the "Aranya in Clouds" comic by Zhang Xiaoyu, winner of the "Golden Elephant Award" at France's Chambéry International Comics Festival)
The Frog’s Ballad (Short story, original novel behind the ​​Chambéry Comics Festival "Golden Elephant Award"​​-winning adaptation)
The Dreamweaver King (Douban 9.2, multi-time "Fantasy Novel of the Year")
Annals of the Flowing Maple (A wuxia-fantasy masterpiece with Tang-Song dynasty style)
Serenity: The Highest Joy of Life (A biographical fantasy decoding Eastern spirituality)
The Leviathan and the Insect (Explores Chinese mythology and intellectual history)
Biographies of Eight Sages (An epic of mortal transcendence)

Who could imagine a tale like this: A blue-eyed, curly-haired monk from distant lands arrives in a whirl of dust, singing wildly atop a hill about the far western realms. The Queen Mother of Kunlun dwells in her white-jade tower, drinking immortality from emerald cups beneath sky-piercing pillars, while the mist parts to reveal the world's roof is actually the colossal back of a golden toad. It sounds absurd — yet Qitongren's stories venture far beyond such absurdity.
This collection gathers twenty-two masterpieces of Qitongren’s fantasy fiction, including "Tooth of Spring", "The Abyss", "Jian's Silhouette", "Twin Hair Buns", and "House of Joy and Fortune". Drawing inspiration from ancient myths like "Tang Legends", "In Search of the Supernatural", and "Classic of Mountains and Seas", each story constructs a uniquely mesmerizing world where archaic culture and modern fantasy seamlessly intertwine.

"The Abyss" explores an unfathomable void between reality and illusion
"The Head-Seeking Beast" follows a creature (Xiao Chu)'s surreal journey of self-discovery
"Goldfish" builds a metaphorical universe through aquatic fantasy
"Baptism of Nine Nights" delivers an otherworldly rite of passage
"Ah Zhi" radiates with whimsical warmth
...

Qitongren (b. 1972), pen name inspired by Kafka’s "The Bucket Rider", is a celebrated Chinese short-story writer and fantasist, regarded as one of contemporary China’s most literary fantasy creators.
He began writing while studying Chinese literature at Guangxi Normal University and gained prominence after publishing online in 2000. Former editor of "Fly Fantasy World" and executive editor of "Novo land Fantasy", he founded the e-magazine "Nine Songs" and edited "The Anthology of Chinese Fantasy".
Renowned for his visionary imagination and philosophical depth, he is a two-time "Douban Outstanding Author" and a defining figure in Chinese fantasy. His story "Spring in Dongke Monastery" was anthologized alongside works by Gabriel García Márquez, Angela Carter, George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, and Haruki Murakami in "The Big Book of Modern Fantasy" (World Fantasy Award-winning anthology).
His stark prose has earned him the moniker "China's 'Kafka'"

1.Tooth of Spring
2.The Abyss
3.Jian's Silhouette
4.Twin Hair Buns
5.The Baseless Child
6.The Head-Seeking Beast
7.Nadi’s Search for Hell
8.House of Joy and Fortune
9.Dew on Shallots
10.Dragon
11.Goldfish
12.Dream Slave Zhuzhu
13.The Dreamhunter
14.Moniah
15.Baptism of Nine Nights
16.Pear Blossom Courtyard
17.Kumbum Monastery
18.Record of Kuairan Pavilion
19.Ah Zhi
20.The Monk of Flower Temple
21.Spring in Dongke Monastery
22.Yaksha