Chapter 66

(Seeking recommendations, seeking collections!)

No one could have imagined that a forwarded Weibo post would spark such a heated discussion. Even Lin Han himself underestimated the spiritual needs of people in the internet age. The book hadn't even been published, but it was already a hit.

On Earth, the popularity of "The Martian" was even higher, but that was because the sci-fi movie had a series of promotional strategies when it was released. Soft and hard advertisements for "The Martian" could be seen all over the internet.

Once the hype built up, these internet trolls quietly faded away, their contributions and fame deeply hidden.

"The Martian" received excellent reviews and box office results globally. It scored 8.4 on Douban, with over 240,000 people participating in the reviews. This result was better than 91% of sci-fi films and achieved a box office of nearly 600 million RMB.

In its home market, North America, it also performed exceptionally well, with a North American box office of 2.2 billion RMB, winning the box office champion for four weeks. Its IMDb rating was 8.1, and it received a media score of 80.

While the attention generated by a topic might not match the real movie promotion, it at least increased the number of potential readers. These netizens who participated in the discussion might buy a physical copy of the book.

Many fans who were not Lin Han's readers also became aware of this author through this incident. He had won three important awards at the Galaxy Awards, and the 8 million readers were not a small number. As long as a small portion of them developed an interest in sci-fi novels, the goal was achieved.

Moreover, as the number of forwards increased, the number of readers was rapidly growing. Some people started recommending Lin Han's previous novels in the comments.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'll definitely buy a copy when it's released. But are there any similar novels you can recommend for now?"

The replies naturally increased: "Lin Han's first two novels are both excellent. You can check out 'I, Robot' and 'The Country Teacher.'"

"'I, Robot' is highly recommended. It's the most impressive setting in domestic sci-fi novels, and even foreigners are amazed!"

"His movies aren't great, but his novels are very good. 'I, Robot' is relatively easy to understand and suitable for beginners."

"Personally, I think Lin Han's sci-fi style has changed a lot. From 'The Country Teacher' to 'I, Robot,' and now this book about Mars, he hasn't relied on his past success. He keeps innovating, which I think is great. I hate it when an author writes a series from 1 to 5 or even more."

Seeing this comment, Lin Han couldn't help but laugh. As a new author in the sci-fi world, his current style was largely influenced by the original authors on Earth. Although he was trying to change, the results were minimal.

But starting with "The Martian," he made efforts to incorporate his own elements, truly making the other sci-fi classics his own, rather than just copying them.

He had always been very clear-sighted. Now, he was feeling his way forward, gradually finding a style that suited him, so he didn't start by bringing out "The Three-Body Problem" or even more powerful sci-fi novels.

The first two books were of high quality, and even better ones were waiting for Lin Han to write!

...

Returning from Shanghai to Beijing, Lin Han particularly missed the warmth of his home. Although the hotel in Shanghai had heating, it was from an air conditioner, and the warm air it blew out was different from the central heating.

Lin Han took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, then slumped onto the sofa. Although he had only been away for a few days, he felt the house was a bit messy and couldn't resist the urge to clean up.

Sweeping the floor and mopping it, this mild obsession with cleanliness gave Lin Han a sense of familiarity.

A short and urgent knock on the door interrupted the peace in the room. Lin Han put the mop against the wall and went to open the door. He knew that no one else would come to see him except Chen Jiaxuan.

Sure enough, Chen Jiaxuan, who was munching on a red apple, walked in casually. She took a bite of the apple and said, "I heard you close the door, so I came to check. You're back so soon. Why didn't you stay in Shanghai for a couple more days? After all, you won so many prizes."

"Shanghai is nice, but I'm eager to get back and write the new book. With all the online buzz, if I don't write quickly, I might receive a lot of complaints."

Lin Han turned off the vinyl record player, and the soothing and melodious music abruptly stopped. This was one of the original owner's cherished items.

"Other authors are always being urged by their agents to write, but I don't need to urge you. Your self-discipline is commendable," Chen Jiaxuan threw the apple core into the trash can and smiled. "Yesterday's discussion was very successful. It's rare to see so many people care about the same issue. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right. If we had done this before the new book was released, the sales would have been great. In a few months, when the buzz cools down, it's hard to say if the promotion will still be effective."

"Gain is a blessing, loss is a fate. This was an unexpected event, and it should be considered a pleasant surprise."

Lin Han shrugged, holding the mop and gesturing for Chen Jiaxuan to lift her feet. He couldn't let her step on the wet floor, or he would have to mop again.

Chen Jiaxuan obediently took her feet out of her slippers, revealing cute fuzzy slippers and light yellow duck socks. Despite her tough exterior, she had a girlish heart.

Curling up on the sofa, Chen Jiaxuan watched Lin Han busily mopping the floor. She said, "Actually, the impact of this nationwide discussion is quite significant. At least the sales of 'I, Robot' published today have reversed the trend. Not only have physical sales increased, but the e-book sales are also doing well."

"What do you mean?"

"The sales data from the People's University Press shows that before yesterday, the sales of 'I, Robot' were steadily decreasing, selling only about 5,000 copies a day. But after yesterday's incident, today's sales reached 30,000 copies. They are monitoring the market response and preparing to print more."

From 5,000 to 30,000, the reversal was indeed astonishing. Even Lin Han couldn't help but be surprised. This was just one day's sales.

Chen Jiaxuan hugged a cushion, gently combing her hair with her other hand, and continued, "The synergy effect this time was very good, and the e-book sales increased even more. Perhaps because it spread widely online, it's about to enter the weekly charts, and it has climbed back to seventh place."

Netizens couldn't see Lin Han's new book about Mars, but a quick search revealed that his short story collection had only been on sale for less than a month, so they went to check it out.

A surge in sales is good, but whether it can be sustained depends on the novel's appeal.

...