Abstract
Almost simultaneously with the end of communism, the emergence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) has become a hallmark event of the post-communist upheavals for many Chinese citizens. Although most UFO enthusiasts have only scant knowledge of UFOs, in narratives they describe UFOs as a sign of radical hope. Drawing on public narratives and ethnographic fieldwork, the article discusses how and why the extraterrestrial imagination strikes resonance among China’s post-communist generations. Engaged with the concept of narrative hope, the article further examines how narrative practices produce hope through contesting linear temporality thereby playing with unfulfilled promises and alternative futures.
Recommended Citation
Li, Yadong
(2024)
"Talking about UFOs, Talking about Hope: Understanding Temporality and Narrative Hope in Chinese UFO Talks,"
Narrative Culture: Vol. 11:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/narrative/vol11/iss2/5