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Chinese Literature
Novels and stories (xiaoshuojia 小說家)
The literary type of novels and stories (xiaoshuojia lei 小說家類) is a sub-category to the literary category of masters and philosophers (zibu 子部) in the collectaneum Siku quanshu 四庫全書. The term xiaoshuo 小說 originally meant a shallow and trivial discussion, but from the beginning, it also designated a historical content, referring to stories and events not worth to be recorded in official annals or histories. It was stories people narrated on the streets and in the inns, often with exaggerating character and telling supernatural indicents. From the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) on, such stories were very popular, and there exists a large amount of collections assembling semi-historical and phantastic tales. The novel section in the Siku quanshu includes 123 books, divided into miscellaneous affairs (zashi 雜事, 86 books), strange tales (yiwen 異聞, 32 books) and trivial reports (suoji 瑣記, 5 books). The most famous are the anthology Shishuo xinyu 世說新語 and the pseudo-geography Shanhaijing 山海經. Many phantastic stories have an affinity to Daoist biographies.

書名 Title Author(s)
雜事之屬 zashi Miscellaneous affairs
燕丹子 * Yandanzi (Han) Anon.
趙飛燕外傳 * Zhao Feiyan waizhuan (Han) 伶玄 Ling Xuan
漢雜事秘辛 * Han zashi mixin (Han) Anon.
西京雜記 Xijing zaji (Han) 劉歆 Liu Xin; (Jin) 葛洪 Ge Hong (comp.)
笑林 * Xiaolin (Wei) Handan Chun 邯鄲淳
青史子 * Qingshizi (Jin) NN
裴子語林 (語林) * Peizi yulin (Yulin) (Jin) 裴啓 Pei Qi
妒記 * Duji (Liu-Song) 虞通之 Yu Tongzhi
郭子 * Guozi (Liu-Song) 郭澄之 Guo Chengzhi
世說新語 Shishuo xinyu (Liu-Song) 劉義慶 Liu Yiqing; (Liang) 劉孝標 Liu Xiaobiao (comm.)
殷芸小說 * Yin Yun xiaoshuo (Liang) 殷芸 Yin Yun
俗說 * Sushuo (Liang) 沈約 Shen Yue
啟顏錄 * Qiyanlu (Sui) 侯白 Hou Bai
朝野僉載 Chaoye qianzai (Tang) 張鷟 Zhang Zhuo
隋唐嘉話 Sui-Tang jiahua (Tang) 劉餗 Liu Su
唐國史補 Tang guoshi bu (Tang) 李肇 Li Zhao
因話錄 Yinhualu (Tang) 趙璘 Zhao Lin
明皇雜錄 Minghuang zalu (Tang) 鄭處誨 Zheng Chuhui
教坊記 Jiaofangji (Tang) 崔令欽 Cui Lingqin
玉泉子 Yuquanzi (Tang ?) Anon.
北里志 * Beilizhi (Tang) 孫棨 Sun Qi
唐摭言 Tangzhiyan (Wudai) 王定保 Wang Dingbao
金華子 Jinhuazi (Wudai) 劉崇遠 Liu Chongyuan
北夢瑣言 Beimeng suoyan (Song) 孫光憲 Sun Guangxian
歸田錄 Guitianlu (Song) 歐陽修 Ouyang Xiu
桯史 Tingshi (Song) 岳珂 Yue Ke
癸辛雜識 Guixin zashi (Song) 周密 Zhou Mi
歸潛志 Guiqianzhi (Jin/Yuan) 劉祁 Liu Qi
輟耕錄 Chuogenglu (Ming) 陶宗儀 Tao Zongyi
水東日記 Shuidong riji (Ming) 葉盛 Ye Sheng
異聞之屬 yiwen Strange tales
山海經 Shanhaijing (Jin) 郭璞 Guo Pu (comm.)
穆天子傳 Mu tianzi zhuan (Jin) 郭璞 Guo Pu (comm.)
神異經 Shenyijing (Han) 東方朔 Dongfang Shuo (?); (Jin) 張華 Zhang Hua (comm.)
海內十洲記 Hainei shizhou ji (Han) 東方朔 Dongfang Shuo (?)
漢武故事 Han Wudi gushi (Han) 班固 Ban Gu (?)
漢武帝內傳 Han Wudi neizhuan (Han) 班固 Ban Gu (?)
洞冥記 Dongmingji (Han) 郭憲 Guo Xian (?)
拾遺記 Shiyiji (Han) 王嘉 Wang Jia; (Liang) 蕭綺 Xiao Qi (comp.)
曹毗志怪 * Cao Pi zhiguai (Han) 曹毗 Cao Pi
殖氏志怪記 * Zhishi zhiguai ji (Han) 殖□ Zhi N
異聞記 * Yiwenji (Han) 陳寔 Chen Shi
列異傳 * Lieyizhuan (Wei) 曹丕 Cao Pi (?)
搜神記 Soushenji (Jin) 干寶 Gan Bao (?)
搜神后記 Soushen houji (Jin) 陶潛 Tao Qian (?)
靈鬼志 * Lingguizhi (Jin) 荀□ Master Xun
神異記 * Shenyiji (Jin) 王浮 Wang Fu
玄中記 (元中記) * Xuanzhongji (Yuanzhongji) (Jin) 郭璞 Guo Pu (?)
甄異傳 * Zhenyizhuan (Jin) 戴祚 Dai Zuo
祖台之志怪 * Zu Taizhi zhiguai (Jin) 祖台之 Zu Taizhi
孔氏志怪 * Kongshi zhiguai (Jin) 孔□ Kong N
異林 * Yilin (Jin) 陸□ Lu N
神僧傳 * Shensengzhuan (Jin) 法顯 Faxian
錄異傳 * Luyizhuan (Jin) NN
異苑 Yiyuan (Liu-Song) 劉敬叔 Liu Jingshu
齊諧記 * Qixieji (Liu-Song) 東陽無疑 Dongyang Wuyi
幽明錄 * Youminglu (Liu-Song) 劉義慶 Liu Yiqing
宣驗記 * Xuanyanji (Liu-Song) 劉義慶 Liu Yiqing
古異傳 * Guyizhuan (Liu-Song) 袁王壽 Yuan Wangshou
冥祥記 * Mingxiangji (Southern Qi) 王琰 Wang Yan
續齊諧記 Xu qixieji (Xu qixie ji) (Liang) 吳均 Wu Jun
續異記 * Xuyiji (Liang) NN
祥異記 * Xiangyiji (Liang) NN
神怪錄 * Shenguailu (Nanchao) NN
還冤志 Huanyuanzhi (Northern Qi) 顏之推 Yan Zhitui
集靈記 * Jilingji (Northern Qi) 顏之推 Yan Zhitui
旌異記 * Jingyiji (Sui) 侯白 Hou Bai
水飾 * Shuishi (Sui) 杜寶 Du Bao
集異記 Jiyiji (Tang) 薛用弱 Xue Yongruo
博異志 Boyizhi (Tang) 谷神子 Gushenzi (鄭還古 Zhen Huangu)
杜陽雜編 Duyang zabian (Tang) 蘇鄂 Su E
傳奇 * Chuanqi (Tang) 裴鉶 Pei Xing
前定錄 Qiandinglu (Tang) 鐘輅 Zhong Lu
劇談錄 Jutanlu (Tang) 康駢 Kang Pian
宣室志 Xuanshizhi (Tang) 張讀 Zhang Du
唐闕史 Tangqueshi (Tang) 高彥休 Gao Yuanxiu
甘澤謠 Ganzeyao (Tang) 袁郊 Yuan Jiao
異聞集 * Yiwenji (Tang) 陳翰 Chen Han
玄怪錄 * Xuanguailu (Tang) 牛僧孺 Niu Sengru
續玄怪錄 * Xu xuanguailu (Tang) 李復言 Li Fuyan
獨異志 * Duyizhi (Tang) 李冘 Li Yin
續幽明錄 * Xu youminglu (Tang) 劉孝孫 Liu Xiaosun
太平廣記 Taiping guangji (Song) 李昉 Li Fang (et al.; imp. ord.)
夷堅志 Yijianzhi (Song) 洪邁 Hong Mai
瑣記之屬 suoji Trivial reports
博物志 Bowuzhi (Jin) 張華 Zhang Hua (?)
述異記 Shuyiji (Liang) 任昉 Ren Fang
酉陽雜俎 Youyang zazu (Tang) 段成式 Duan Chengshi
續博物志 Xu bowuzhi (Song) 李石 Li Shi
博物志補 * Bowuzhi bu (Ming) 游潛 You Qian

* not included in the imperial collectaneum Siku quanshu 四庫全書
Chinese literature according to the four-category system

July 24, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald · Mail