French science fiction maestro Bernard Werber revealed in an exclusive interview with our newspaper that he is interested in creating a science fiction work set in Hong Kong. "Writing a sci-fi novel set in Hong Kong is a good idea," said the author. A writer who was already discussing the artificial intelligence revolution as early as 1994, he remains optimistic about the future of sci-fi writing in the age of AI – he does not believe that AI is the end of science fiction. Instead, he believes sci-fi writers should be like lookouts on a ship, gazing toward a more distant future. He has a deep interest in Hong Kong's history and the convergence of Eastern and Western cultures, believing that the city's unique status and economic achievements are worth pondering for both Europeans and the Chinese.
Invited by the Alliance Française in China, Werber embarked on a 12-city tour across the country from July 6 to 25, 2026, visiting Hangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Kunming, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Tianjin, and Beijing. The events focused on his new work La Voix de l'arbre (The Voice of the Tree), taking readers on a journey between reality and imagination, sparking dialogue around science, ecology, and human civilization.
As one of the most internationally influential contemporary French authors, Werber counts millions of readers in France. His works have been translated into 57 languages and have sold over 35 million copies worldwide. He received the Prix de la Fondation News du meilleur jeune reporter (News Foundation Best Young Reporter Award) in 1983, the Prix des lecteurs de Science et Avenir (Science et Avenir Readers' Award) in 1990, and the Prix Jules Verne (Jules Verne Award) in 1999. His magnum opus, the Empire of the Ants trilogy (Les Fourmis), is regarded as a classic of French fantasy literature. The trilogy reconstructs human society from the unique perspective of ants and won the Grand prix des lectrices de Elle (ELLE Magazine Readers' Grand Prize), among other international accolades. Thanks to its rigorous depiction of the insect world, it has been adopted as supplementary reading for biology classes in some French and European schools.
Werber's interest in Hong Kong is long-standing. In his eyes, Hong Kong is "a place where Western culture and Eastern culture continuously converge," and its status as an economic hub and commercial center, along with the remarkable achievements of its people, "is clearly something worth contemplating for both Europeans and the Chinese". He said the collision and fusion of East and West that Hong Kong embodies provides him with rich imaginative material.
When it comes to artificial intelligence, Werber's stance is cool and resolute. "Artificial intelligence is not the end of science fiction," he said bluntly. He offered an analogy: sci-fi writers are like lookouts on a ship – "we must look very, very far ahead, and then tell those below – what I see over there, is it a continent, or a dangerous reef?" For him, imagining the human condition three thousand years, a hundred thousand years, or even a million years from now is precisely the greatest joy of sci-fi writing. As long as humanity retains the ability to look into the distance, science fiction will never run out.
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