EMERGING THEMES IN CONTEMPORARY EAST ASIAN SCIENCE FICTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1067.2026-0028Keywords:
East Asian science fiction, ecological crisis, memory control, data surveillance, posthumanismAbstract
This article identifies key thematic trends in contemporary East Asian science fiction through an interdisciplinary analysis of representative works from Taiwan - China, Japan, South Korea. It outlines four major thematic axes: ecological crises in post-industrial contexts; the emergence of posthuman bodies; the expansion of data-driven surveillance; and the figure of robots and AI, which not only anthropomorphize technology but also expose a deepening sense of loneliness in modern life. By contrasting these themes with Western science fiction traditions, the study highlights the distinctive socio-cultural anxieties of East Asian societies while opening up critical reflections on the ecological, ethical, and human limits of scientific progress. The article argues that East Asian science fiction is becoming an important imaginative space through which societies in the region confront and negotiate the transformations of the technological age.
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