About this list

What’s on Weibo, 26 Books

The "Top 25 Modern Fiction Works on China" compiled by What’s on Weibo is a curated list designed to provide insights into modern-day China through contemporary literature. This selection follows a previous compilation of non-fiction works, now focusing on literary fiction that reflects the societal changes and cultural nuances of the People's Republic of China since the pivotal year of 1978, marking the start of China's "Reform and Opening Up." The list exclusively features works available in English, excluding those centered on Hong Kong and Taiwan due to space limitations. The selection emphasizes modern fiction rather than historical texts, aiming to enhance understanding of China's recent past and its rapid evolution. Notable older works by authors like Lu Xun and Eileen Chang are acknowledged as deserving their own focused list.

This list was originally published in 2018 and was added to this site almost 2 years ago.