Ideology and the Reconfiguration of Science Fiction Translation in 1950s China: A Paratextual Approach

Abstract

Science fiction (sci-fi) translation in 1950s China received significant state support as part of broader efforts to promote scientific development. This resurgence was not merely driven by the diversity of literary forms but also by alignment with a state-led scientific agenda, which increasingly infused sci-fi with a distinct political dimension shaped by Cold War conditions. To examine how ideological and institutional forces shaped the process of sci-fi translation, this study adopts a paratextual approach, drawing on Gérard Genette’s concept of paratexts to analyse genre labels, prefaces, and editorially produced content summaries. The findings show that paratexts functioned as key sites where sci-fi was redefined, positioning the genre in relation to scientific development, social values, and ideological priorities. Through this analysis, the study shows how ideological priorities, enacted through the regulation of translated sci-fi in 1950s China, actively reconfigured the genre’s function.