劉亮雅 (Liang-ya Liou), editor. 多元新視界: 台灣青壯作家二十一世紀小説 (Twenty-first Century Taiwanese Fiction: Critical Perspectives), 臺北：國立臺灣大學出版中心 (Taipei: National Taiwan University Press), 2024.

Contributors: 曾秀萍 (Tseng Hsiu-Ping), 辜炳達 (Pingta Ku), 蕭義玲 (I-ling Hsiao), 李淑君 (Shu-Chun Li), 張雅蘭(Yalan Chang), 楊凱麟 (Kailin Yang), 詹閔旭 (Min-xu Zhan)

In the landscape of Sinophone literature, the generation of Taiwanese writers in the post-martial law era stands as a formidable force, as their works feature creative innovation, thematic audacity, and a profound engagement with the island’s complex history and culture. Curated and edited by Liang-ya Liou, the collection of essays in Twenty-first Century Taiwanese Fiction: Critical Perspectives (多元新視界: 台灣青壯作家二十一世紀小説) offers an intellectually rigorous assessment of this pivotal group. In her introduction, Liou defines the “young and middle-aged generation” (青壯世代) as those born between 1964 and 1981. The literary paths of these authors have paralleled Taiwan’s economic growth and democratic maturation. This compilation brings together a sophisticated range of modern critical theories, including post-structuralism, ecocriticism, trauma studies, and media studies, thereby shedding light on the aesthetic, ethnic, and political dimensions of contemporary Taiwanese fiction. The outcome is more than just an overview of a literary generation but a compelling case in response to the ongoing development of world literature, as Taiwanese authors actively redefine our perceptions of history, identity, and narrative.

The volume opens with Tseng Hsiu-Ping’s substantial analysis of the novel People of Confusing Homeland (惑鄉之人) by Chiang-Sheng Kuo (郭強生). Utilizing queer and postcolonial theories, Tseng contends that the novel fundamentally alters the national allegory by focusing on the homoerotic desires of its Wansei (灣生) protagonist. This perspective rethinks identity politics and delves into the intricate and evolving power dynamics between Taiwan and Japan during both the colonial and post-war periods. Tseng effectively illustrates how Kuo’s writing creates a “Queer Taiwan” story that adds complexity to overarching historical accounts. The chapter’s analysis goes further by highlighting the gendered constraints of this new allegory and questioning its potential to sideline female characters while prioritizing a male-focused queer narrative.

In his analysis of Luo Yijun’s (駱以軍) Tangut Inn (西夏旅館), Pingta Ku presents a spatial interpretation of this monumental but notoriously intricate novel. Ku describes the text as a “pseudo-baroque illegal structure,” linking its complex and abundant style to the tangible reality of Taiwan’s cityscape, which was shaped by Japanese colonial design and then layered with post-war illegal construction. By applying Michel Foucault’s idea of heterotopia and Giorgio Agamben’s notion of the “state of exception,” Ku argues that Luo’s novel transcends mere stylistic exploration and serves as a deep allegory for Taiwan’s current state from historical and legal perspectives. This architectural metaphor thus provides a new key to unlocking Luo’s intricate narrative.

In the following chapter, I-ling Hsiao examines Lai Hsiang-yin’s (賴香吟) Afterwards それからthrough the intertwined themes of death and survival. She presents the text not just as a tribute to those who have passed but as an ongoing reflection on the psychological dissonance experienced by those who live on. By reconstructing the scenes of the May incident and the loss of the father, Hsiao explores how the narrator navigates the precarious space between historical trauma and the continuous demands of existence. Hsiao’s investigation of the I-narrator’s internal reflections illustrates survival as both a burden and a profound dialogue between the past and the present. From a relational standpoint, Hsiao demonstrates how love, grief, and memory intertwine in the aftermath of survival, which is not a solitary endurance but is supported by a pressing, unwavering need for connection and recognition.

Subsequently, Shu-Chun Li’s contribution conducts a penetrating examination of Hu Shu-wen’s (胡淑雯) 18-chapter collection The Sun’s Blood is Black (太陽的血是黑的) as a potent critique of Taiwan’s White Terror. The chapter delves into the survivors’ dilemma over speaking out by illustrating how victims are silenced not only by governmental repression but also by trauma that invalidates their testimony through madness or silence. Another central intervention by Li is the conceptualization of political victims as “redundant” figures who are excluded from the standard structures of both the state and the family. Li’s approach illuminates Hu’s steadfast attention to the most marginalized individuals affected by historical violence, thereby giving a voice to the political mental patients who linger on the fringes of Taiwan’s official memory.

The fifth chapter, by Yalan Chang, is centered around Wu Ming-yi’s (吳明益) globally recognized novel, The Man with the Compound Eyes (複眼人), which positioned Wu as an iconic figure in the field of environmental humanities. Through the lens of affective ecocriticism, the chapter moves beyond a straightforward thematic exploration of environmental devastation to study the emotional and psychological aspects of eco-trauma in the Anthropocene era. Chang skillfully investigates ideas such as “solastalgia,” which refers to the anguish stemming from environmental changes in one’s home, and considers how interactions with the non-human world can provide eco-therapy as part of the healing process. The strength of the chapter is showcased in the examination of compound eyes from a non-anthropocentric, ethical perspective that challenges human-centered narratives in response to Wu’s ecological vision.

The next chapter, by Kailin Yang, presents a dense, philosophical analysis of Tong Wei-Ger’s (童偉格) minimalist and metafictional writing, framing it as both an ontological and ethical-aesthetic practice. Drawing on such theorists as Maurice Blanchot, Michel Foucault, and Gilles Deleuze, Yang identifies “the death of the other” as a double inaccessible origin that leads to a unique form of lyricism and shapes Tong’s fragmented, non-linear temporality. Yang’s analysis accentuates a distinctive literary “Cogito,” as I exist because I mourn and contemplate another’s death. In this light, Tong’s embedded parables and reflexive structures transform grief into an “unwounded” presence, which translates to a profound meditation on mortality, memory, and literary creation in contemporary Taiwanese literature.

The final chapter, by Min-xu Zhan, identifies a generational transformation in Taiwanese historical fiction by examining The Contents of the Times (文藝春秋) by Huang Chong-kai (黃崇凱). Employing media memory studies, Zhan contends that Millennial authors like Huang engage with Taiwan’s history not through firsthand experience but via the mediated memories found in popular culture, such as encyclopedias, pop songs, films, and comics. This approach fosters a historical awareness that is both intensely personal and globally interconnected through transnational media channels. Zhan’s analysis further emphasizes how Huang’s narrative reflects on the afterlife of literature, questioning its function as a medium in an era saturated with new visual and digital technologies.

To sum up, Twenty-first Century Taiwanese Fiction: Critical Perspectives is an anthology that serves as an essential guide to the literary landscape of contemporary Taiwan. The collection’s primary strength is its application of critical theories in producing new and engaging interpretations of literary works. Similar efforts appear in The Afterlife of Taiwan Literature (台灣文學的來世, 2023) and Taiwan Literature in the 21st Century: A Critical Reader (2023), both of which investigate the past, present, and future of Taiwan literature through a critical lens. It is important to note that this collection, under Liang-ya Liou’s design, excels in its goal to underscore the creative capacity and international significance of the writers who have shaped Taiwanese fiction writing in recent years. This anthology’s timely intervention is particularly significant when situated within the current trends of Taiwan literary studies. For decades, scholarship has been gradually moving away from a Sinocentric framework, seeking to articulate a distinct literary subjectivity rooted in Taiwan’s unique historical and cultural geography. By pairing Taiwanese authors with theoretical frameworks, the collection bypasses outdated national literature paradigms and places Taiwanese fiction directly into urgent global conversations. It demonstrates that Taiwanese literature is not merely an object of area studies but a critical site for theoretical innovation. In doing so, it reflects the field’s growing emphasis on multiethnic and multicultural narratives, which challenge monolithic interpretations of Taiwanese identity and open up new avenues for understanding the island’s complex sociopolitical context. In conclusion, this anthology is a vital resource for academics and students aiming to grasp the dynamic literary culture that continues to evolve in Taiwan, ensuring its place in cutting-edge debates in the Sinophone world.