Alec Ash
@alecash.net
Writing about China. Editor, ChinaBooksReview.com. Senior fellow, Asia Society. Author, ‘Wish Lanterns’ and ‘The Mountains Are High’. alecash.net
Read my translation of Fei Dao's sci-fi story "The Storytelling Robot" (plus a Q&A with the author) @chinabooksreview.com chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/18/s...
The Storytelling Robot | China Books Review
A science fiction story by Fei Dao, translated by Alec Ash — plus a Q&A with the author on the importance of Chinese sci-fi.
chinabooksreview.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Read my translation of Fei Dao's sci-fi story "The Storytelling Robot" (plus a Q&A with the author) @chinabooksreview.com chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/18/s...
Last chance to register to listen to @danwwang talking about Chinese Engineers vs. US Lawyers and his NYT bestselling book "Breakneck" at @AsiaSocietyNYC tonight, I'm introducing for @chinabksreview! asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...
Dan Wang on Engineers vs. Lawyers
Join technology specialist Dan Wang to discuss his new book, in conversation with Julian Gewirtz, a former senior official in the Biden administration.
asiasociety.org
September 16, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Last chance to register to listen to @danwwang talking about Chinese Engineers vs. US Lawyers and his NYT bestselling book "Breakneck" at @AsiaSocietyNYC tonight, I'm introducing for @chinabksreview! asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...
Thrilled to be featured in an interview on《大理一年》(Chinese edition of Mtns Are High) for the excellent 界面世界: jiemian.com/article/1322... and first podcast recording in Chinese for 忽左忽右 which was a treat: ximalaya.com/sound/909478...
从北京到“大理福尼亚”：一个英国作家在中国的十五年|界面新闻 · 文化
从城市逃离的人过着平静而丰富的生活，却也面临着各自的心灵困境。
jiemian.com
September 11, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Thrilled to be featured in an interview on《大理一年》(Chinese edition of Mtns Are High) for the excellent 界面世界: jiemian.com/article/1322... and first podcast recording in Chinese for 忽左忽右 which was a treat: ximalaya.com/sound/909478...
This was a real question in the New York state pre-licensing course quiz to get a driver's license. There was no other information on the page. I'm stuck in the twilight zone.
July 23, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This was a real question in the New York state pre-licensing course quiz to get a driver's license. There was no other information on the page. I'm stuck in the twilight zone.
A filthy archive pick from Paul French @chinarhyming.bluesky.social https://chinabooksreview.com/2025/07/22/archive-old-filth/
Jane Gardam: The Old Filth Trilogy | China Books Review
A clever skewering of British colonials in pre-handover Hong Kong became a best-seller for its portrait of imperial ruin and class jockeying.
chinabooksreview.com
July 22, 2025 at 2:54 PM
A filthy archive pick from Paul French @chinarhyming.bluesky.social https://chinabooksreview.com/2025/07/22/archive-old-filth/
“You cannot live in the world acting like the world is going to end in five years, even if it is, in fact, going to end in five years,” they said. “You’re just going to go insane.” great piece by @jcbeam www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/b...
She Wanted to Save the World From A.I. Then the Killings Started.
www.nytimes.com
July 7, 2025 at 2:42 PM
“You cannot live in the world acting like the world is going to end in five years, even if it is, in fact, going to end in five years,” they said. “You’re just going to go insane.” great piece by @jcbeam www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/b...
For those in DC, come next Friday to JF Books to hear me talk about my Dali book (and upcoming Chinese edition of it) with Emily Feng
May 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
For those in DC, come next Friday to JF Books to hear me talk about my Dali book (and upcoming Chinese edition of it) with Emily Feng
"The Chinese typewriter as an exotic impossibility is but one cultural manifestation of the long, charged debate over the relationship between modernity and the Chinese script."https://chinabooksreview.com/2025/04/17/chinese-type/
April 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
"The Chinese typewriter as an exotic impossibility is but one cultural manifestation of the long, charged debate over the relationship between modernity and the Chinese script."https://chinabooksreview.com/2025/04/17/chinese-type/
Prodigy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TURkB9zqxa0
April 7, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Prodigy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TURkB9zqxa0
dammit nobody is being fooled by my photoshop skills
April 1, 2025 at 12:45 PM
dammit nobody is being fooled by my photoshop skills
Did you wake up this morning wondering what Pontius Pilate has in common with Mao Zedong? Sure you did! Come to this @asiasocietyny event on Weds to feed the brainworm https://asiasociety.org/center-us-china-relations/events/pontius-pilate-chairman-mao-religion-and-politics
March 31, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Did you wake up this morning wondering what Pontius Pilate has in common with Mao Zedong? Sure you did! Come to this @asiasocietyny event on Weds to feed the brainworm https://asiasociety.org/center-us-china-relations/events/pontius-pilate-chairman-mao-religion-and-politics
Reposted by Alec Ash
🔔🔔🔔Alert for those in NYC! Don’t miss @alecash.bsky.social's upcoming book talk at @asiasociety.org with @npr.org's @emilyzfeng.bsky.social about her new book “Let Only Red Flowers Bloom”
For more info visit: chinabooksreview.com
Link to tickets: asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...
For more info visit: chinabooksreview.com
Link to tickets: asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...
March 20, 2025 at 10:41 PM
🔔🔔🔔Alert for those in NYC! Don’t miss @alecash.bsky.social's upcoming book talk at @asiasociety.org with @npr.org's @emilyzfeng.bsky.social about her new book “Let Only Red Flowers Bloom”
For more info visit: chinabooksreview.com
Link to tickets: asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...
For more info visit: chinabooksreview.com
Link to tickets: asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...
Reposted by Alec Ash
Don't miss our upcoming book talk with NPR correspondent Emily Feng, discussing her book "Let Only Red Flowers Bloom," identity in Xi Jinping's China, and her own journey as a journalist – in conversation with China Books Review editor Alec Ash. Register now to secure your seat!
buff.ly/r73hVTg
buff.ly/r73hVTg
Emily Feng on Identity in Xi Jinping's China
buff.ly
March 17, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Don't miss our upcoming book talk with NPR correspondent Emily Feng, discussing her book "Let Only Red Flowers Bloom," identity in Xi Jinping's China, and her own journey as a journalist – in conversation with China Books Review editor Alec Ash. Register now to secure your seat!
buff.ly/r73hVTg
buff.ly/r73hVTg
Reposted by Alec Ash
We've updated our comprehensive listings of China books! Browse our lists of recent, upcoming and bestselling books, and editor's picks from the pack.
RECENT: buff.ly/GoD7XfJ
UPCOMING: buff.ly/kXWHeeJ
BESTSELLING: buff.ly/LN9brus
EDITOR'S PICKS: buff.ly/IGy1mGH
RECENT: buff.ly/GoD7XfJ
UPCOMING: buff.ly/kXWHeeJ
BESTSELLING: buff.ly/LN9brus
EDITOR'S PICKS: buff.ly/IGy1mGH
March 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
We've updated our comprehensive listings of China books! Browse our lists of recent, upcoming and bestselling books, and editor's picks from the pack.
RECENT: buff.ly/GoD7XfJ
UPCOMING: buff.ly/kXWHeeJ
BESTSELLING: buff.ly/LN9brus
EDITOR'S PICKS: buff.ly/IGy1mGH
RECENT: buff.ly/GoD7XfJ
UPCOMING: buff.ly/kXWHeeJ
BESTSELLING: buff.ly/LN9brus
EDITOR'S PICKS: buff.ly/IGy1mGH
"According to Fulda, Germany’s relationship with China was shaped by decades of flourishing trade at the expense of its values." Michael Laha weighs in on Germany's China strategy at this critical moment, in our new review essay at @chinabksreview chinabooksreview.com/2025/03/06/g...
Can Germany Find a Better China Strategy? | China Books Review
Under Merkel and Scholz, Germany was criticized as being soft on China. Three new books explain the backstory to Berlin’s relationship with Beijing, and how — with a new Chancellor incoming — the pros...
chinabooksreview.com
March 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM
"According to Fulda, Germany’s relationship with China was shaped by decades of flourishing trade at the expense of its values." Michael Laha weighs in on Germany's China strategy at this critical moment, in our new review essay at @chinabksreview chinabooksreview.com/2025/03/06/g...
Discovered Zhang Chu's 1991 rock version of the 1957 red tune "Socialism is Good!" (社会主义好) - think Johnny Rotten - thanks to my conversation with Lijia Zhang on the China Books Podcast (ht @alexludoboyd.bsky.social):
www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Sk4...
Original: www.youtube.com/watch?v=By9n...
www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Sk4...
Original: www.youtube.com/watch?v=By9n...
红色摇滚欣赏 |《社会主义好》 张楚 1991_哔哩哔哩_bilibili
令人心潮澎湃的年代, 视频播放量 102022、弹幕量 128、点赞数 2656、投硬币枚数 684、收藏人数 1727、转发人数 1282, 视频作者 锅炉房秦大爷, 作者简介 土木搬砖狗，业余剪辑师，相关视频：《歌唱祖国》摇滚版|核弹加成，【𝟰𝗞𝟲𝟬𝗙𝗣𝗦】崔健-《新长征路上的摇滚》（Music Video）无敌画质！全网最清晰！没有之一！，伴随着国际歌的歌声 回忆一下 94香港红磡演出的中国...
www.bilibili.com
March 5, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Discovered Zhang Chu's 1991 rock version of the 1957 red tune "Socialism is Good!" (社会主义好) - think Johnny Rotten - thanks to my conversation with Lijia Zhang on the China Books Podcast (ht @alexludoboyd.bsky.social):
www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Sk4...
Original: www.youtube.com/watch?v=By9n...
www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Sk4...
Original: www.youtube.com/watch?v=By9n...
When I left China I was looking forward to not needing to show my ID and answer a hundred pointless questions whenever I entered a university campus. Now I live in America and have to do the same every time I enter Columbia University campus.
February 25, 2025 at 9:05 PM
When I left China I was looking forward to not needing to show my ID and answer a hundred pointless questions whenever I entered a university campus. Now I live in America and have to do the same every time I enter Columbia University campus.
Finally giving up on X and trying to post more here, if only occasionally or cross-posted. Will mostly be a read account, to see if it can capture that magic of early Twitter
February 12, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Finally giving up on X and trying to post more here, if only occasionally or cross-posted. Will mostly be a read account, to see if it can capture that magic of early Twitter
Thrilled to make it onto NPR's list of their fave books of 2024. "In this beautifully written book, Ash introduces us to [the urban escapees who] fittingly call Dali “Dalifornia,” for its chilled vibes." More press at alecash.net/the-mountain...
apps.npr.org/best-books/#...
apps.npr.org/best-books/#...
Books We Love
Here are 350+ great reads from 2024 hand-picked just for you by NPR staff and trusted critics.
apps.npr.org
February 12, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Thrilled to make it onto NPR's list of their fave books of 2024. "In this beautifully written book, Ash introduces us to [the urban escapees who] fittingly call Dali “Dalifornia,” for its chilled vibes." More press at alecash.net/the-mountain...
apps.npr.org/best-books/#...
apps.npr.org/best-books/#...
yep. didn’t hear about the farm exploits. always wondered why he had it in for me, i’m just a freelancer not a big journo or bestseller
February 9, 2025 at 2:03 AM
yep. didn’t hear about the farm exploits. always wondered why he had it in for me, i’m just a freelancer not a big journo or bestseller
The same author (I'm 90% sure who it is) also posted a short story about me being raped by Xi Jinping, tho that got deleted from Reddit. "Xi Jinping pushed the boy's face into the jaws of the lion statue, grunting in exertion. ... "Come on you dirty little foreign expert. Give it to me.' "
February 8, 2025 at 5:46 PM
The same author (I'm 90% sure who it is) also posted a short story about me being raped by Xi Jinping, tho that got deleted from Reddit. "Xi Jinping pushed the boy's face into the jaws of the lion statue, grunting in exertion. ... "Come on you dirty little foreign expert. Give it to me.' "
Recently discovered this (pretty funny, if bitter and stalkery) 2017 piss-take of me and some of my friends, “Beijing’s Expat Brat Pack”. "Ash, who is only five foot two (157 cm), nonetheless stands as a vivid prototype of the expats he seems to lead." www.reddit.com/r/China/comm...
From the China community on Reddit: “Beijing’s Expat Brat Pack” | a long-read satire of the China Writer scene
Explore this post and more from the China community
www.reddit.com
February 8, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Recently discovered this (pretty funny, if bitter and stalkery) 2017 piss-take of me and some of my friends, “Beijing’s Expat Brat Pack”. "Ash, who is only five foot two (157 cm), nonetheless stands as a vivid prototype of the expats he seems to lead." www.reddit.com/r/China/comm...