Gods and demons fiction

Gods and demons fiction or Shenmo fiction () is a subgenre of Chinese fantasy fiction that revolves around the deities, immortals, demons and monsters of Chinese mythology. The term shenmo xiaoshuo, coined in the early 20th century by the writer and literary historian Lu Xun, literally means "gods and demons novel". Classical works of shenmo fiction include the novels Journey to the West and Investiture of the Gods. Shenmo first appeared in the Ming dynasty as a genre of vernacular fiction, a style of writing based on spoken Chinese rather than Classical Chinese. The roots of the genre are found in traditional folktales and legends. Plot elements like the use of magic and alchemy were derived from Chinese mythology and religion, including Taoism and Buddhism, popular among Ming intellectuals. The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt (三遂平妖傳, 14th century CE) is an early gods and demons novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. In the story, Wang Ze begins a rebellion against the government with the aid of magic. The Four Journeys (四遊記, 16th century CE) is another early shenmo work composed of four novels and published during the dynasty as a compilation of folk stories. The Story of Han Xiangzi (韓湘子全傳, 17th century CE), a Daoist novel from the same period, also shares this supernatural theme but contains heavier religious overtones. The most well known examples of shenmo fiction are Journey to the West (西遊記, 16th century CE) and Investiture of the Gods (封神演義, 16th century CE). Journey to the West in particular is considered by Chinese literary critics as the chef-d'œuvre of shenmo novels. The novel's authorship is attributed to Wu Cheng'en and was first published in 1592 by Shitedang, a Ming publishing house. The popularity of Journey to the West inspired a series of shenmo copycats that borrowed plot elements from the book. Later works of gods and demons fiction drifted away from the purely fantastical themes of novels like Journey to the West. Shenmo novels were still ostensibly about monsters and gods, but carried more humanistic themes.