Books and Movies

Midnight Stories （Sinoist， November 29）

Originally published in Chinese in 2018， Midnight Stories， a short story collection by one of China’s most celebrated modern writers， Su Tong， is now available to English readers. This latest collection brings together 10 darkly comic tales of small-town life. From a business scheme featuring a Madonna lookalike to a disastrous roof repair and a gruesome murder over a mis-sold watermelon， Su Tong masterfully weaves cruelty and kindness into surreal narratives that are both nightmarish and lyrical.

Born Tong Zhonggui， Su Tong is often referred to as China’s “King of the Novella，” and describes the short story form as “fairy tales for adults.” - Hayley Zhao

Sinophagia： A Celebration of Chinese Horror（Solaris， September 24）

While ancient China boasts a rich tradition of horror folklore， with classics like Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio， the modern Chinese horror genre remains largely unfamiliar to Western audiences. Curated by acclaimed writer Xueting C. Ni， Sinophagiapresents 14 captivating horror stories that explore the darker facets of contemporary Chinese life， which prove to be just as chilling as ancient tales. This anthology features renowned authors such as bestselling horror writers Cai Jun and Xu Lei （better known as Nanpai Sanshu， author of the grave-robbing series Daomu Biji）， alongside bold emerging voices like Fan Zhou and Chuan Ge. For the very first time， these works are made accessible to English-speaking readers.– H.Z.

Connie： A Memoir （Grand Central Publishing， September 17）

A New York Times bestseller， Connie： A Memoir chronicles the life of legendary Chinese American journalist Connie Chung. As the first Asian woman to break into the overwhelmingly white， male-dominated television news industry， and the first woman to co-host CBS Evening News， Chung became a household name in the 1980s. Her relentless pursuit of good reporting not only made her a trailblazer in journalism but also inspired a generation of Asian women to name their daughters after her. In this sharp， witty， and brutally honest memoir， Chung recounts intimate details of her life beyond her professional career， from her family’s journey from war-torn China to the US in the 1940s to her relationship with her husband， TV host Maury Povich. – H.Z.

The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru （September 6）

Dubbed the “Dunkirk of the East，” director Fang Li’s documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru uncovers the long-forgotten story of the WWII “ship of death.” In October 1942， the Lisbon Maru， a vessel used by the Japanese army to transport over 1，800 British prisoners of war， was torpedoed by a US submarine near Zhoushan. Despite immense danger， local Chinese fishermen risked their lives and saved 384 survivors.

The documentary spares no effort in tracing key figures and descendants from Britain， the US， Japan， and China to piece together this remarkable story. It currently holds a glowing 9.3 rating on Douban， China’s largest review platform. With box office earnings exceeding 44 million yuan， the film has also broken a five-year record for the highest-grossing domestic documentary. While selected as China’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars， the film was ultimately deemed ineligible by the Academy for not having “a predominantly non-English dialogue track.” – H.Z.

Cesium Fallout （November 1）

Directed by renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Anthony Pun， Cesium Fallout follows the story of a sudden leak of radioactive material at a waste treatment plant， threatening to contaminate all of Hong Kong within 24 hours. Environmental expert Fan Weili （Andy Lau） and acting Chief Executive Cecilia （Karen Mok） clash over how to handle the crisis， uncovering a dark web of interests tied to imported foreign waste in the megacity.

The story is inspired by a real news report from 2016， when an American environmental expert discovered that a large amount of illegal electronic waste had been dumped in Hong Kong， yet the issue received little attention. While Hong Kong cinema has hit a low point in recent years， this high-investment film has been praised for its top-notch special effects and outstanding performances from the cast. As of this writing， the film has earned 254 million yuan at the box office. – H.Z.

Her Story （November 22）

The long-anticipated"Her Story"is a slice-of-life comedy about two women and their day-to-day struggles. Wang Tiemei （Song Jia） is a determined and strong single mother of a daughter who moves into her new home and befriends her optimistic neighbor Xiao Ye （Zhong Chuxi）. The two vastly different women deal with the chaos created by their respective romantic and family lives， but are ultimately united in their understanding of each other’s pains and struggles.

The film is praised for its unconventional yet insightful portrayal of womanhood and female friendship， making it the highest-rated film of the year on China’s major review platform Douban， earning a score of 9.1 out of 10. The film has also drawn comparison to Greta Gerwig’s"Barbie"for its biting but comedic commentary on modern womanhood， while using a grounded approach centered on flawed yet sincere women. – Zhang Ruiwen

Video Games

Minds Beneath Us（Bear Bone Studio， July 31）

Trapped in a foreign body in a futuristic city where society is fully controlled by advanced AI， players must navigate and survive in Minds Beneath Us. In this chaotic world， a new industry has risen， replacing the hardware needed for AI systems with human brains， forcing people to become the very machines that power the future. The game has received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam， with players praising its vast amount of text， which makes them feel as though they are reading a Chinese sci-fi novel.– H.Z.

Strinova（iDreamSky， November 22）

A third-person shooting game developed by Shenzhen developer iDreamSky， Strinova stands out for its finely crafted Japanese anime art style and its unique ability to seamlessly switch between 3D and 2D forms. The game quickly rose to the top of both the New Releases and Popular Free Games charts on Steam on its release day. Its peak concurrent player count has surpassed 30，000， making it the top new shooting game of the week. This achievement marks the best performance of any Chinese domestic competitive shooting game in the international market.– H.Z.

Zero-Sum Heart（Citreat Studio， November 1）

Developed by Citreat Studio， an all-female studio founded in May， Zero-Sum Heart is a visual novel that tells the coming-of-age story of an 18-year-old girl navigating love and sacrifice. The studio’s debut title， this two-hour narrative features multiple endings， blending romance， teen drama， horror， and magical realism. Created in just 150 days by the two founders， the game currently holds a 93 percent positive rating on Steam. – H.Z.