Chapter 53

Li Wenyuan had never known that Lin Han's English was so strong, capable of directly translating a novel into English. He was too busy to marvel at it, saying, "If only I had your level, I could translate my own books and save myself from being criticized by foreign readers."

The novel *Rushing Out of the Solar System* had also been taken by the publishing house for translation, but the translator's skills were limited, reducing the quality of the classic Chinese science fiction novel. As a result, its reputation on the internet was not as good as expected.

"I can only translate my own works because I understand them. I think about how to express them in English while writing. We have always been introducing foreign science fiction classics, but this time I want to counterattack abroad. We'll have to let the market test how far we can go."

The English version of *I, Robot* had not received any publicity. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be lost in the sea of books on Amazon. It would depend on whether there were any methods to change this.

Lin Han leaned back on the sofa. He used to be an office worker, busy with work and life every day, and would watch novels, dramas, and movies after work. Now, as a full-time writer, he was often bored, not knowing what to do, which made him feel a bit anxious.

"Actually, you could become a translator just by translating novels for others. Who knows how much the science fiction world needs someone like you. Whether it's translating from English to Chinese or from Chinese to English, the best translators are those who understand the essence of science fiction novels."

Li Wenyuan said this jokingly. It was indeed a good suggestion, but Lin Han clearly did not agree. He could write more books, which would be better than translating classics.

"Leave the translation to the professionals. I just need to write my own novels well. I can't handle so much. Only the capable can benefit the world, and I'm far from that!"

After a while of chatting and laughing, they returned to the main topic. Li Wenyuan yawned and said, "Didn't you come to talk about your new book, you workaholic? We need to rest and accumulate after writing a book. Your book has been on the market for less than a month, and you're already writing a new one. The publishing house must be very happy to see such a productive writer."

"I can't stay idle. I hope to keep myself busier. I'm not sure about the theme of the new book yet. I want to write a serious science fiction about exploring space, but I also want to try depicting a future society. I can't decide which one to write."

Lin Han had too many science fiction novels and movies in his mind. These were the essence of the entire planet, and any one of them could cause a sensation. However, he didn't know which one to choose, as there were too many options, a happy dilemma.

Li Wenyuan stroked his chin and asked, puzzled, "It depends on you. I can only say that depicting a future society involves a very broad range of content. You need to shape it from political, economic, cultural, social, and other aspects, creating a complete virtual world. Achieving such a comprehensive description is very difficult, while depicting space exploration is slightly simpler."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. If our country is flat, and everything, including people and rivers, is a flat shape, with isosceles triangles being the most humble and circles the most noble, this is a world with only two dimensions. Depicting such a country."

"It sounds interesting, but I suggest you write it later. I'm more concerned about your control. Or you can start setting it up now and write it after the setting is complete. Don't rush into it. Impatience is the last thing a writer wants. Every word must be carefully crafted."

Li Wenyuan didn't know what Lin Han meant by *Flatland*, but he gave advice based on his experience. To build a vast and complete worldview, a fleeting inspiration is clearly not enough to sustain it to the end.

Lin Han nodded. He knew that the novel describing a strange country was very attractive, but he decided to leave it for later. "Then I'll write about space exploration. I don't want to write a high-tech space war or a horror story about alien monsters. I want to write about a person, someone who wants to go home. This might be a hard science fiction, requiring a lot of scientific support, based on current or near-future technology, with less fantasy and more emphasis on the feasibility of the plot in our reality."

"The whole novel is about one person?"

Li Wenyuan suddenly became curious and wanted to know what Lin Han's novel was about.

"Do you know the American Phoenix Mars Lander? I want to write a modern version of *Robinson Crusoe*. An astronaut is left alone on a distant and desolate Mars. How will he survive, endure the trials, and return to Earth, creating a true Mars survival guide?"

The novel Lin Han wanted to write was *The Martian*, a book that was adapted into a movie and achieved great success in both box office and reputation. The movie won the Golden Globe for Best Picture and helped the lead actor, Matt Damon, win the Golden Globe for Best Actor and a nomination for the Oscar for Best Actor.

The original author of the book was also an inspiring figure. He spent three years writing the novel on his personal website and then published it on Amazon for $0.99 per copy. Eventually, the traditional publisher Random House bought the rights to *The Martian* and the film adaptation rights, turning the unknown new author into a globally popular best-selling writer.

The reason for choosing this book was very simple. It was not a cold, highbrow novel. It didn't require much deep thinking or understanding of complex theories and worldviews. Instead, it was a gradual and accessible introduction to some basic knowledge.

The novel was filled with cheerful comedy elements, more like a daily life sketch. Under the premise of respecting science, there were always fresh and interesting plots. The story was very attractive, making it one of the most educational and entertaining science fiction novels.

*The Martian* was a space version of *Robinson Crusoe* or "The Life of Pi" in science fiction. The lone protagonist had to survive on a barren, distant planet, find ways to feed himself, and figure out how to return to Earth.

Readers could follow the protagonist's journey step by step, seeing how he used his intelligence to grow potatoes for food, modify machines to obtain water, and gradually explore Mars to establish communication channels, with the whole world watching his struggles and curses.

Most importantly, this was probably the most accessible science fiction novel, with no incomprehensible formulas or theories. It was all straightforward and smooth narration, described by some as "science fiction lite."

It was a simple, straightforward story, but it was filled with a lot of real science. In the novel, various knowledge from physics, astronomy, chemistry, and agriculture impressed experts in those fields.

Lin Han did a lot of scientific research and calculations. NASA engineers and scientists were impressed by the "hardness" of the book. Many details, such as fuel production, potato cultivation, and oxygen generation, were meticulously calculated. The author even wrote a program to calculate the flight path of the Hermes spacecraft.

This down-to-earth novel was considered the best science popularization text and was regarded as the hardest science fiction novel after 2000, as well as an extremely entertaining science fiction movie, making it convenient for Lin Han to expand the novel's copyright.

After listening to Lin Han's explanation, Li Wenyuan could only exclaim in amazement, "I don't know what to say. This idea is amazing. Is it called *Mars Survival Guide*?"

"No, it's called *The Martian*!"