Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Discovering Fiction |
2011 |
Buy |
| Three Brothers |
2020 |
Buy |
Short Stories/Novellas#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Marrow |
1998 |
Buy |
Short Story Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Years, Months, Days |
1997 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Lenin’s Kisses |
2003 |
Buy |
| Serve the People! |
2005 |
Buy |
| Dream of Ding Village |
2005 |
Buy |
| The Four Books |
2013 |
Buy |
| The Explosion Chronicles |
2013 |
Buy |
| The Day the Sun Died |
2015 |
Buy |
| Hard Like Water |
2021 |
Buy |
| Heart Sutra |
2023 |
Buy |
Yan Lianke is one of China’s most recognized contemporary novelists, with 12 books available in English translation spanning from 1997 to 2023. His novels are known for their satirical treatment of Chinese political history and social issues. Lenin’s Kisses (2003) tells the story of a rural village of disabled people exploited by local officials, while Dream of Ding Village (2005) deals with the AIDS epidemic in rural Henan province caused by a contaminated blood-selling scheme.
The Four Books (2013) takes on the Anti-Rightist Campaign and Great Leap Forward through interlocking narratives set in a re-education camp. The Explosion Chronicles (2013) satirizes the rapid urbanization and corruption in modern China. Serve the People! (2005) is a darkly comic novella about a forbidden affair during the Cultural Revolution. His more recent novels, Hard Like Water (2021) and Heart Sutra (2023), continue his focus on political and social themes through unconventional narrative approaches.
Beyond fiction, Yan Lianke has published the short story collection The Years, Months, Days, the novella Marrow, and two non-fiction works: Discovering Fiction and Three Brothers. His writing has been translated into many languages, and he has been a frequent candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Yan Lianke written?
Yan Lianke has written twelve books across four series.
What was Yan Lianke's first book?
Yan Lianke’s first book is The Years, Months, Days, published in 1997.
What genre does Yan Lianke write?
Yan Lianke writes literary fiction, often with strong satirical and political elements. His novels frequently use surreal or absurdist techniques to examine Chinese society, history, and politics. Several of his books have been banned in mainland China.