The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories is a collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories translated from Chinese and a couple of essays translated by translators. It is an assortment of stories inspired by Chinese history, ancient Gods and mythology, and technological advancements. The book is written, edited, and translated by a female and nonbinary team. There are around 20 stories, and each has its quirks. Here are a couple that stood out to me.

What Does the Fox Say brilliantly explores novel writing using artificial intelligence and expands upon the nuances of humans and machines in art. Fun fact, the author's first novel is published in Nature. How cool is that!

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Tai-Chi Mashed Taro merges time travel/multiverse with Chinese cooking and literature. It is a beautiful and imaginative short story about being a fool: losing yourself entirely in something you love.

The Futures of Genders in Chinese Science Fiction is a thought-provoking essay on the history of sci-fi in China and the rise of writers of marginalized genders. The author reflects on performative activism from cis-male writers assuming a female voice in the early days and, unfortunately, that which propagates modern sci-fi, such as the wildly successful The Three-Body Problem Trilogy. This assay encourages the readers to think not just about the protagonists but also the voices behind them.

A Brief History of Beinakan Disasters as Told in a Sinitic Language reminds me of The Three-Body Problem but told from the alien's perspective. The story involves aliens, space colonization to save one's dying planet, and introspection of humanity through the lens of a Beinakan.

I highly recommend this book to those looking to read more diversely, especially in the usually cis-white-male-dominated SSF genre!