Author Sima Zhong-yuan (司馬中原), also known as the “Ghost Story Master,” passed away on Jan. 4 at the age of 90. Upon hearing this news, Culture Minister Shih Che expressed his deepest condolences. He commended Sima Zhong-yuan’s contribution to Taiwan’s literature by creating legends and ghost stories that are full of historical references and humanitarian concerns.
Sima Zhong-yuan, whose real name is Wu Yan-mei (吳延玫), was born on Feb. 2, 1933. He followed the Kuomintang army in China to Taiwan in 1949 and started writing after retiring from the military in 1962. His chefs-d'oeuvre, “Wasteland (荒原)” and “Dust Storm (狂風沙),” published in 1962 and 1967 respectively, established his position in the literary world. He began hosting television and radio supernatural shows in 1987, and that made him become the greatest ghost storyteller in Taiwan.
On account of his wartime experience in his early years, Sima was good at portraying the cruelty of the reality and vivid characters in his stories. His creations include novels, essays, and biographies, most of which are tainted heavily with colors of folk legends.
Due to his outstanding contributions, Sima Zhong-yuan was also recognized with several awards, including the Ministry of Education Literature and Arts Awards (教育部文藝獎), the United Daily News Prize (聯合報小說獎), and the National Award for Arts (國家文藝獎).