As a staff member at the HKUST Library and a devoted fan of The Three-Body Problem since my student days, I never imagined that one day I would meet Liu Cixin (劉慈欣) in person, and right here at my workplace.
From Ancient Maps to Galactic Orbits
On October 18, HKUST held its Congregation 2025, awarding an honorary doctorate to Mr. Liu Cixin, the first Asian writer to win the prestigious Hugo Award. The same afternoon, Dr. Liu came to our library for a talk. I had the privilege of accompanying him together with a few of my colleagues as he explored our exhibitions, rooftop garden, and special collections. He showed genuine curiosity and appreciation, particularly towards our displays of ancient Chinese maps.
A Dialogue on Technology, Human Civilization, and the Future
The highlight of the library visit was of course the talk, held in dialogue-format and moderated by Professor Liu Jianmei. The venue was packed. As an “insider”, I firsthand knew how overwhelming the demand was: Over 700 registered for just over a hundred available seats. It was harder to get than concert tickets.
The discussion covered a broad range of topics from how AI is shaking up creative writing, to the future of virtual worlds, and to the sociological implications of the Dark Forest theory.
When asked about AI’s growing ability to write fiction, Dr. Liu candidly admitted that even he had experienced a decline in creative passion. AI-generated texts now often surpass human writing in fluency and style, making it difficult to evaluate student work or feel unique as a writer. Yet he also pointed out that human cognition itself is data-driven, much like large language models. As a science fiction author, Dr. Liu remains calmly optimistic. He doesn’t see AI as a threat, but as a potential guide for humanity’s future. “If one day we can’t leave the solar system, but artificial intelligence can,” he said, “then perhaps it can carry our dreams into the stars.”
One of the final questions of the talk came from an audience member who asked how Dr. Liu comes up with such vast and original ideas. I was particularly interested in this question myself. His answer was refreshingly honest: most people assume that sci-fi writers effortlessly generate ideas like “laying eggs,” but in truth, it is extremely difficult. Even with intense effort, he said, it can take more than a decade for a good idea to surface.
As both a reader and a librarian, I was deeply moved. It reminded me that true creativity isn’t the product of calculation, but of vulnerability of being shaken by the unknown and daring to imagine beyond it.
As a Three-Body fan, I was most eager to hear his thoughts on the Dark Forest theory. Dr. Liu clarified that it’s not a metaphor for human society, but an extreme hypothetical model for cosmic sociology. When civilizations are separated by light-years and unable to communicate, “shoot first to survive” becomes a plausible strategy. He emphasized that humans, unlike alien civilizations in such scenarios, can communicate and cooperate. Applying the Dark Forest model directly to humankind is a misinterpretation.
Dr. Liu’s visit to HKUST not only created waves within the library walls but also sparked an outpouring of excitement on social media. So I want to highlight three posts on Xiaohongshu that captured the spirit of the day:
Lastly, we are thrilled to share that Dr. Liu has graciously granted us permission to publish the full recording of his talk. It is now available on the HKUST Library YouTube Channel!
Jennifer Gu
Senior Librarian (Research Support)
lbjennifer@ust.hk
Views: 106
