Short, Light, Free - Written by Let It Go and translated by _Irene
This collection of short stories is a gem in the mud; by the dirt I mean the literary genre known as Chinese Web novel Translations. This is a format of writing in which novellas, novels and even meganovels are uploaded, some anonymously, are uploaded by ******* authors around the world.
The sheer quantity of works that fall within this genre is overwhelming, so much so that the vast majority of them pertain a lacking quality in writing. This aspect of web novels may be even more applicable to Chinese web novels, in consideration that the Chinese language is so different from English that many of the textual nuances and literary techniques present in the raw version may be eliminated within a translation.
It is because of these factors that 'Short, Light, Free' may be considered a true gem in the mud; it succeeds despite all odds. The stories are riveting, thought-provoking and awe-inspiring. The author succeeds in incorporating various cliches in most stories and turning them into a blast of fresh air for the reader. More impressive is that this isn't a one-man job, but in collaboration with the wonderful work of the translator that has shifted entire characters, settings and concepts from two completely different languages. The fact that these works are translated and yet convey such a powerful message make me wish more than ever that I knew how to read Mandarin.
But I'm sure everyone has heard quite enough about how this work is translated, I'm sure you want to know what these stories are about. Right?
But of course you do.
I have noticed that throughout the stories the author appears to maintain a constant theme. All the stories are psychedelic in nature, exploring the limits of the human perspective and the morality of choices. The reason I would describe most of the stories as psychedelic is primarily that they all incorporate some element of shifting perspectives; I like to imagine them as some sort of warped and confusing version of the Aristotelian anagnorisis. The reason that this style of writing appeals to me is that it allows for the exploration of abstract concepts and it enables character development to noticeably take place extremely quickly; a feature that is critical for short stories.
Obviously, they are not all completely psychedelic in nature. Even if it is thought-provoking and ingenious in its usage, anyone would get tired of watching the Matrix seven times in a row.
This is why I love the other aspects explored in all the stories. I find that the author tends towards dystopian tragedies and romance stories every now and then, merging them with a wonderful but strange mixture of sci-fi and xianxia.
In summary, the stories detailed in 'Short, Light, Free' are all wonderful (Except maybe for Mountain and Sea, you would require ample amounts of background knowledge on the xianxia genre and Chinese culture to get it, like a few hundred hours of reading them, or maybe watching a couple Kung Fu films). I would strongly suggest anyone to read them, they serve as great writing prompts (Or as mid-day snacks if your hobbies align with mine). However, the best thing about it is that it's uploaded in a web novel format; this means a story is uploaded every now and then.
With all that said, I have provided the link to the website where it is posted right here: https://***.webnovel.com/book/9432183306002205/Short%2C-Light%2C-Free
