Louis Cha

He's the world's largest-selling author of martial arts novels, with over 300 million copies of his works sold through 2004. Louis Cha or Cha Leung-yung (查良鏞, Pinyin: Zhā Liángyōng), novelists. He's known to most by his pen name Jin Yong (金庸) or Kam-yung - created by splitting the last character of his name. He is widely regarded as the finest Chinese Wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") writer. Born in mainland China, he is the founder of the popular Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao. He has published fifteen novels (mostly in Wuxia style), most of which first appeared on his newspaper.

His style, which contains some European elements, is widely derived from the classic style. The fantastical martial arts descriptions and profound meanings behind the interesting stories have earned incredible popularity in Chinese-speaking areas for decades. In the meantime, all of his novels has been adapted into films, TV and radio series on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. The important characters in his novels are so well-known to the public that they can be alluded to with ease between all four regions.

Jinology (金庸學) is used to term the study of his works. Louis Cha rewrote the Chinese Wuxia genre by adding history and popular culture to a previously formulaic genre. His novels are marked by strong characterizations and plot, and are classified as the "new school (xīnpài) Wuxia", as opposed to the fanciful "old school" (jiùpài). Some of his novels used to be banned in the People's Republic of China as they were thought to be a mockery of Mao Zedong, others were banned in the Republic of China as they were thought to be in support of the Chinese Communist Party, and some were banned by both Chinese governments. The popularity of his novels is not restricted to either China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. He was also one of the writers who drafted the Hong Kong Basic Law.

Novels

  1. The Book and the Sword (書劍恩仇錄) (first published on The New Evening Post in 1955)
  2. Sword Stained with Royal Blood (碧血劍) (first published on Hong Kong Commercial Daily in 1956)
  3. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳) (first published on Hong Kong Commercial Daily in 1957)
  4. Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain (雪山飛狐) (first installment appeared on the first issue of Ming Pao in 1959)
  5. The Return of the Condor Heroes (神鵰俠侶) (1959)
  6. Other Tales of the Flying Fox (飛狐外傳) (1960)
  7. Swordswoman Riding West on White Horse (白馬嘯西風) (first published on Ming Pao in 1961)
  8. Blade-dance of the Two Lovers (鴛鴦刀) (first published on Ming Pao in 1961)
  9. Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre (倚天屠龍記) (first published on Ming Pao in 1961)
 10. A Deadly Secret (連城訣) (first published on Southeast Asia Weekly 《東南亞周刊》in 1963)
 11. Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (天龍八部) (1963)
 12. Ode to Gallantry (俠客行) (1965)
 13. The Smiling Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖) (first published on Ming Pao in 1967)
 14. The Deer and the Cauldron (鹿鼎記) (1969–1972)
 15. Sword of the Yue Maiden (越女劍) (1970)