"This book is phenomenal as it captures the complexity of Taiwanese identities through an analysis of different genres of literature, but ultimately the arguments connect back to the postcolonial and multicultural contexts of Taiwan’s history. By adopting the framework of the Sinophone, Wu is able to expand his angles of examination beyond locality...Remapping the Contested Sinosphere is a comprehensive and comparative survey of Taiwanese literature through transcultural and translocal frameworks...focuses on five literary trends in Taiwanese literature through the Japanese colonial period, the Kuomintang regime, to the present day. Wu provides exceptional analysis of each literary genre against the backdrop of Taiwan’s colonial and authoritarian histories and presents an overview of Taiwan’s literature that is reflective of Taiwan’s multicultural and hybrid identity." —International Journal of Taiwan Studies
"In Remapping the Contested Sinosphere, Dr. Chia-rong Wu situates Taiwan in the ever-evolving Sinosphere as both a historical entity and a narrative construct. He identifies indigenous and diasporic contestations, introduces multiple genres and discourses, and ponders the consequences of literature as a unique manifestation of the island as it encounters the world. Historically informed and methodologically engaged, Wu’s book is sure to be an invaluable source for anyone interested in the cultural dynamics of Taiwan in the Sinophone and global contexts." —David Der-wei Wang, Harvard University
"Literary scholars nowadays are having difficulties identifying an overarching frame of reference for their historiographical works where contemporary Taiwanese literature is concerned. Remapping the Contested Sinosphere offers a felicitous, alternative approach to this conundrum. Examining trends and transformations that go up against rigidly conceived, monolithic cultural ideologies and the distinctive achievements of a new generation of Taiwanese writers in various literary subgenres, this book engages in dialogue with critical issues raised by Sinophone Studies and is at the same time a welcome new addition to the Taiwanese literature scholarship in the English-speaking world."—Sung-sheng Yvonne Chang, The University of Texas at Austin
“Remapping the Contested Sinosphere takes issue with the prevalent Sinophone or post-loyalist criticism by considering a rich diversity of works ranging from historical novels to aboriginal discourse, science fiction, nature writing, and Taiwanese American literature. It offers the most comprehensive and sensible interpretive accounts of contemporary Taiwan literature that are not only theoretically sophisticated and geopolitically engaged but also contextually revealing, with nuanced textual analysis. This monograph is an invaluable primary resource for scholars in Asian studies, comparative literature, and Sinophone studies.” —Ping-hui Liao, University of California, San Diego
