I supposed every last one of this country’s 1.3 billion inhabitants all had their own obsessions with the giant germ cell. In the ninety eighth episode of the Translated Chinese fiction podcast I am joined by two fine fellows, Shi Yifeng and contributing translator Carson Ramsdell. All a-puff with imperial gusto, we leaf through The Book of Beijing to discuss three of the stories collected within: Han Song’s Reunion ( 北京西站，春节之前 - běijīng xī zhàn, chūnjié zhīqián - tr. Ramsdell 先生), Xu Kun’s Dogshit Football (狗日的足球 - gǒurì de zúqiú), and Mr Shi’s own Is Mr Zhang Home? (张先生在家么 - zhāng xiānshēng zàijiā me). Prepare to shiver, to snicker, and to squeal – but not necessarily in that order. - // NEWS ITEMS // My Cat Hates Me bags gold graphic novel prize in the 2023 IBPA Benjamin Franklin AwardsTaiwanPlus News speaks to Jenna Tang about First Love ParadiseChengdu Worldcon happened – seems to have gone well!- // WORD OF THE DAY // (复杂 – fùzá – complexity) (壮美 – zhuàngměi – magnificent) - // MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE // Parallel episode on Mu Ming’s Express to Beijing West Railway StationShanghai’s strange ‘foreign towns’Mark Fisher’s The Weird and the Eerie- // Handy TrChFic Links // Help Support TrChFic // Episode Transcripts INSTAGRAM🏙️TWITTER🏙️DISCORD