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Get to know the people behind your favorite Danmei!
Or well... There is actually not that much known about them, not even their real name... (ᵕ—ᴗ—)
Still! Stick with me to learn what is known, what they have written and what their pseudonyms actually mean (..◜ᴗ◝..)
Why is This Useful?
Why is This Useful?
Maybe you're wondering: Why would I need to know the authors? They have long complicated Chinese names that I can't even remember! I can just look at genres or tropes that I like.
Well... I actually thought a similar thing when I started reading Danmei. I started my first one after watching the donghua (Chinese anime) adaptation because the series had a high rating and nice aesthetics. It took me a while to realize that the source material was a book and had no idea who had written it.
For my next few series, I mainly went for what I knew was popular or for what just felt appealing after reading the synopsis. And I could not remember the authors names at all!
After a while however, as I started reading more and more, I payed more attention. And I became very aware of how some authors have a very distinctive style, preferred genres and character types. So, if I liked a book, I looked up what other works were written by the same author and began reading those as well. At one point I even started noticing how the strenghts and styles of certain authors evolved and improved over time ( ☆0☆)‼
You don't need to go that far, of course (ᵕ—ᴗ—). But knowing the author of a work you like can definitely help you find your next favorite. Likewise, if you don't enjoy one authors' writing style, you can avoid them in the future. Or maybe give them a second chance and check out their later books. I can confirm that you can definitely see progress and improvement if you compare early and later works.
Below, you'll find a short comment on pen names and then a list of a few established Danmei authors whose works received official English translations. This can help you search for their works or also remembering their names if you happen to forget...
Cheers!
✺◟(＾∇＾)◞✺
If you want to know why I mainly focus on official English translations, please visit:
Pen Names/Pseudonyms
Pen Names/Pseudonyms
The Danmei books we all love and enjoy mostly start as serialized webnovels on Chinese online platforms. Chinese webnovel authors tend to keep a low profile. They write under a pseudonym/pen name and generally do not publicize any personal information.
It is very similar to manga artists in Japan who rarely appear in public and if they do, they cover their face with a book or a funny mask .·°՞(≧ᗜ≦)՞°·.
Generally, it is not a bad thing that they remain mysterious. In my opinion, it makes you focus on their writing in the first place before thinking about the person behind them.
Their pen names are expressions that usually convey the author's writing style and interests. Therefore, some authors even have different pen names for different genres or media.
Down below, I have compiled a small list of well-known Danmei authors whose works have already received multiple official English translations. Their profiles contain basic information about their pen names, their English bibliography and their writing style accompanied by an illustration that visualizes the meaning of their pen name.
Have Fun! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ
Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX)
Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX)
Chinese: 墨香铜臭
Meaning: Ink in one hand, copper in the other
-> An idiom that acknowledges both creativity and business as part of writing as a profession.
Real name: Yuan Yimei (袁依楣)
Bibliography: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and Heaven Official's Blessing.
Arguably the most well-known Danmei author to international audiences and one of the first to have her works licensed in English. Official translations also exist for many other languages including Thai, Russian and German.
Her writing style is very visual and some people describe it as: It reads as if you were watching a movie or show.
Her strong suit is writing complex, multidimensional characters who struggle to make the right decisions in morally grey situations.
She can write arcs with deep emotional impact as well as light-hearted, funny scenes, making her writing versatile and impactful.
After facing legal trouble relating to the marketing and distribution of her work and due to stricter censorship in recent years, she has been on a hiatus since 2020.
I sincerely hope she will continue writing! (੭ ˊ^ˋ)੭ ♡
There is a Wikipedia article about her with slightly more detailed information:
If you want to know more about cencorship, please check out:
Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (Meatbun)
Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (Meatbun)
Chinese: 肉包不吃肉
Meaning: Meatbun doesn't eat meat
-> Lol, someone was hungry when they chose their pen name. Or rather, tired of meatbuns... ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)
Bibliography: The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, Remnants of Filth and Case File Compendium
Another very well known author of the genre, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou was among the first to have her work officially licensed for English along with Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.
Her works are known for featuring intense sexual tension and longing between the characters as well as detailed, explicit sexual encounters.
Aside from that, she also writes elaborate plots full of unexpected and surprising twists with subtle foreshadowing. All of her works are long, epic tales with 7 or more volumes in the English release.
Her characters tend to have tangled, emotionally ambiguous relationships that develop very naturally as the characters grow and mature alongside each other. Even the side characters receive backstories and their own arcs, adding more facets.
She has been on a long hiatus as well since 2022 but fans hope that she will return soon.
Meng Xi Shi
Meng Xi Shi
Chinese: 梦溪石
Meaning: Stone in a river of dreams
-> Paints a dreamy and refined picture
Bibliography: Thousand Autumns and Peerless
Meng Xi Shi is known for writing political fiction in ancient china, meaning that the settings and political landscape in her novels are very strongly inspired in actual time periods. Famous historical figures regularly make an appearance!
Her storytelling features mysteries and intrigue that need to be unraveled by the main characters' collaborative investigation.
Meng Xi Shi has a penchant for writing the main couple as two people with very distinct and strong personalities who seem incompatible at first. The resulting friction and banter make the story interesting, sometimes funny and leaves the reader hooked for the development in their relationship.
Aside from the two works licensed in English mentioned above, there are many other finished works by Meng Xi Shi that haven't received a translation yet.
I think we can look forward to new works becoming available to an international audience soon!
Priest
Priest
Chinese: Priest
Meaning: Priest
-> Priest, obviously (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ
Bibliography: Guardian, Stars of Chaos, Silent Reading, Faraway Wanderers, Coins of Destiny, Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire and The Defectives
One of the big names of Danmei and also one of the most prolific authors of the genre, Priest's bibliography is vast. Several of her works have already received live action drama adaptations in China, the most famous ones being Guardian and Word of Honor (adaptation of Faraway Wanderers).
She has explored a wide variety of genres including Wuxia, Xianxia, Modern Supernatural, Crime/Thriller and Science Fiction
However, she does not exclusively write Danmei. Other works centered on female protagonists have also widely garnered praise and attention.
She has received multiple awards for her work and is one of the most successful writers in the Chinese web novel scene.
Her writing is known to revolve around big ideas and existential questions. Her protagonists struggle to find their own identities and to achieve their goals in turbulent and changing worlds.
Her strong suit is world building. She excels at creating awe inspiring universes filled with their own rules and mysteries just waiting to be unraveled by the characters.
In my personal opinion, her weak point is plot progression and resolution. It is especially clear from her earlier work that she is amazing at setting up the world, characters and plot but struggles to connect and resolve everything as the story nears its end. As a result, the ending becomes confusing and underwhelming. This is an issue that is particularly prominent in her earlier works but that improves later on as her writing develops and matures.
She is one of the authors who has currently received most official English adaptations of her work. Thus, we can look forward to many more English releases to follow!
If you want to know more about Priest's writing, awards or adaptations of her work, you can check out the Wikipedia article:
Fei Tian Ye Xiang
Fei Tian Ye Xiang
Chinese: 非天夜翔
Meaning: Demon soaring through the sky
-> Scary \(”˚☐˚)/
Other Pen Names: Gu Xuerou (顾雪柔), Arise Zhang, Zhu Feng Tian Di (逐风天地) and Lian Qing Feng (敛青锋)
Bibliography: The Legend of Exorcism, Dinghai Fusheng Records, Twin Jades of Jiangdong, Riverbay Road Men's Dormitory, To Rule in a Turbulent World, Astrolabe Rebirth, Joyful Reunion, Seizing Dreams and Golden Assistant
Another famous Danmei writer with a vast bibiography and many official English translations, Fei Tian Ye Xiang has written novels in many different genres. He is especially well known for his epic Xianxia novels The Legend of Exorcism and Dinghai Fusheng Records.
His world building, plots, and writing style can be described as well constructed, logical and elaborate. However, prose, imagery and emotional character development are never lacking.
Overall, Fei Tian Ye Xian's works offer well-built and immersive stories with logical, smooth progression and lovable characters.
It is very likely that more of his works will be licensed soon! (˶>⩊<˶)
Credit where credit is due! As someone with refined artistic tastes but very much not up to par artistic skills, I have used generative AI to create the graphics on this site. To be precise:The site banner was generated with CapCut.The animated GIF of the reading girl was generated by CapCut and Gifify.The other illustrations were generated by Google Gemini, CapCut and Upscayl.
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