(Photo : The former national volleyball player, Zhao Ruirui)

Recently, the shortlisted nominees for the 4th World Chinese Nebula Award, awarded by World Chinese Science Fiction Association, have been announced. Science fiction "Hero with Colorful Feathers", created by the former national volleyball player, Zhao Ruirui, has received significant attention and was nominated for the award this year. According to deputy chief editor of "Science Fiction World" Yao Haijun, this year's World Chinese Nebula Award has witnessed a few nominated writers who formerly worked in other fields. In the shortlist, Li Wuxun is the only writer from Hong Kong and Taiwan who gets nominated for the Best New Science Fiction Writer.

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The shortlist for the 4th World Chinese Nebula Award was finalized according to the votes and recommendations by members of World Chinese Science Fiction Association, the public and the expert committee. There are five shortlisted nominees for each award. The five shortlisted nominees include the top two candidates/works voted by members of World Chinese Science Fiction Association, the top two candidates/works voted by the public and one candidate/work recommended by the expert committee. Zhao Ruirui's "Hero with Colorful Feathers" gets nominated for the award as the top one work voted by the public.

According to Yao Haijun, Zhao Ruirui's creation "Hero with Colorful Feather" reflects the changes in science fiction creation. "It integrates various elements of fantasy. Actually, it is the same with science fiction creation in foreign countries. They are not as simple as before." In terms of the shortlisted nominees, Yao Haijun believes that this year's award witnesses more nominations of new writers, such as Bao Shu and Chen Qiufan. In addition, the nominations of writers including Zhao Ruirui and She Congge, who formerly worked in other areas, are also new for the World Chinese Nebula Award. "It reflects the openness and Inclusiveness of the World Chinese Nebula Award," said Yao Haijun. It is reported that the winners of the 4th World Chinese Nebula Award will be announced on October 4th, 2013.