Sci-fi author Taiyo Fujii. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Sci-fi spike

So far, the published stories have seen more online readers compared with those of last year, partially due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, says Liu Yao.

In order to stop the virus from further spreading during the world's busiest travel rush, most Chinese people have managed to reduce their outdoor activities and travel plans.

"The novel coronavirus has driven Chinese people into a sci-fi movie," says Liu Shuying. "The fast-spreading virus, panic and prevention measures have all been depicted in numerous sci-fi works, so readers may have a better understanding of the situation and the suffering of people on the whole, and panic less. Heroic characters in these fictional works can also inspire people to act and help others in reality."

Li shares the view. "Science fiction can accelerate the process for us to understand a complicated system using fictional experiments which are full of mistakes, repeated problems and difficulties," he says.

"When the virus broke out, people compared the reality to the plots of sci-fi stories. Thanks to science fiction, in which humans pay high prices for their mistakes, we may experience less failure and misfortune."

Ji Shaoting, founder of the FAA, says: "At the moment, we need the sci-fi spirit to reflect on the current situation and predict the future, since the function of science fiction is to help people to think about the guanxi among people and between people and their surroundings in new situations."