The Ontology discussed in this paper is based on the theory of Chinese philosopher Mr. Zhao Tingyang. The Ontology of human explores the essence, meaning, methods, and particularly how to better survive human existence.

The name and definition of robot are constantly changing along with the development of technology. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the author finds that terms such as Automaton, Android, Robot, Cyborg have been used to name robot in literature. Among them, "Robot" is the most popular word.

Based on current technology and human cognitive ability, this article defines robot as one of the "artificial man", which is humanoid intelligent beings accomplished by mechanical means except pure organisms that involve methods such as cloning. In science fiction, the hierarchy of robot can be divided into two main categories, based on difference of Turing machines and super-Turing machines: the former are caught up in the mechanical algorithms of mathematics and are not yet self-aware; the latter have reached Descartes' criterion of I-thought, possessing the ability of self-awareness and reflectivity.

The robot ethics in science fiction is prospective. It is closely related to the evolution of personal views on technology, theology and philosophy. This paper identifies four ethical paradigms (theologism, anthropocentrism, non- anthropocentrism, post-humanism) in science fiction, and explores the ethical relationships between human and transcendent being, nature (objects), other (new "human"), the self (post-humanism).

In order to exist better, human beings need to properly handle four possible ethical relationships: human and new "god", human and new "thing", human and new "human", human and new "self". The luck of human Ontology theory is about to run out, and only by constantly solving new ethical issues can human beings realize the "becoming" and "bene-existence" in the future.

In Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Colson Whitehead’s The Intuitionist (1999), human beings’ utter trust for “the perfect machine” leads not only to the disasters which almost end the protagonists’ life or profession, but also to their subsequent exploration for future human-machine relationship in highly-developed technological society. Though respectively being located in the spaceship aiming to Saturn and the neighborhoods like those in New York and thus seemingly representing two different literary genres, these two novels express their common doubt about the possibility for the so-called perfect machine’s existence. Being made by human beings who are confident about the rational power in technological production and blind to their own class, gender, race bias in the process of making, these so-called faultless machines like the digital computer and the skyscraper’s elevator are doomed to fail and once again reveal their human makers’ inability to overcome human weakness. According to this paper, the bankruptcy of the plan of making “the perfect machine” results from the frustration in interpersonal relation, rather than from the machine’s imperfection. In consequence, the future of the so-called ideal human-machine relation in essence is still reliant on human beings’ capability to solve existent problems in human society.

To handle this topic, both novels revolve around René Descartes’ mind-body dualism for human beings and the designing concept for “the perfect machine” according to this binary. If the focus of Clarke’s scientific fiction is to criticize human mind’s overconfidence in the domineering rule over human body, Whitehead’s semi-scientific fiction’s criticism for humanity is more thorough when it presents the vulnerability for both human mind and body. And the two novelists’ answers for their questioning concerning the existence of “the perfect machine” are both negative. After all, being the product of humanity, the machine itself is more a mirror-image for humanity than an independent organism itself. Without the improvement for human nature and interhuman relation, the future for “the perfect machine” is unpredictable and may be doomed from the very start.

As a representative work of New Space Opera of the late 20th century, Dan Simmons’ science fiction Hyperion constructs a complex future universe of collision and conflict between technology and emotion: after the death of Earth, some humans began interstellar colonization movements, while others roamed in space. Artificial intelligence has evolved and parasitized in human society, seemingly a servant to humans while controlling them. The prediction of the ultimate war led the Church of Shrike to select seven pilgrims to return to Hyperion. Six pilgrims tell their own stories, picturing a world entangled with reason and irrationality.

The name Hyperion comes from Keats’ poetry, which originates from Greek mythology. Hyperion is the name of the Titan who is the personification of the sun, thus becoming the name of the planet. As the story progresses, characters and stories such as the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne, “The Burnt Offering of Issaac” emerge and become the mythological materials. Meanwhile, Simmons’ creation of the “Shrike”, which is a semi mechanical/semi divine image in the near-future, is full of postmodern mythological state, reflecting the anxiety of the era.

Mythology often exists as the material of epic poetry, and it is precisely Simmons’ mythological writing that some critics believe that Simmons’ writing is epic. Essentially, mythological writing indicates that when coming to the imaginative construction of the world, humans find it difficult to surpass the reality and existing spiritual heritage.

As a new space opera, Hyperion is not strictly following scientific logic to unfold fantasies. In the text, absurd writing may seem to blur the boundary between science fiction and fantasy, but it is actually writing about human fear of the undigested unknown, aiming to reflect the true spiritual world of humanity and emphasize attention to the irrational world beyond reason.

Both myth and the absurd are ways created by humans over history to balance the rational and irrational worlds. Since ancient Greece, people have been advocating the use of reason. Through the Enlightenment movement, humans gradually regarded reason as the criterion for social life. However, humans still created spiritual products such as religious beliefs, Romanticism, and Absurdism. These are the means by which people face the expanding rational world and preserve the irrational world to prevent falling into meaninglessness.

In Simmons’ writing, it is precisely the use of the two spiritual products from myth to the absurd, that attempts to elevate the height of the irrational world in SF novels that usually emphasize the physical world. Mythology and absurdity are not only symbols, but also methods for characters to seek help when facing specific conflicts. Hyperion invents a comprehensive path of emotional comfort in the technology-led SF world, promoting the suspension of reason and the return of irrationality.

Ian McEwan depicts a highly developed world of artificial intelligence in Machines Like Me (2019). The intelligent robot Adam not only possesses complex human emotions, but also has a high degree of moral consciousness. Intelligent robots are depicted as creatures with empathy and cognition. McEwan further expands the concepts of self, soul, and human consciousness through this novel, and contemplates ethical issues such as what traits make human become human and whether it is possible to incorporate these traits into intelligent robots. In contrast, the intelligent robots in Xiao Jianheng’s Professor Shalom’s Confusion (1980) are still in their early stages. Although the functions of intelligent robots are not yet complete, professor Shalom can no longer distinguish between intelligent robots and humans based on their appearance. Intelligent robots can play the role of personal mentors, nurses, housekeepers, or secretaries in households. Professor Shalom questions whether entrusting so many household and work tasks to intelligent robots was a wise behavior. Professor Shalom is concerned that artificial intelligence may to some extent jeopardize or even replace human dominance in society. Both novels discuss the serious topic of intelligent robots intervening in human moral life. Previous research has mostly been based on the plot development of novels, emphasizing the antagonistic relationship between robots and humans. This article aims to break through the analysis mode of the binary opposition between humans and intelligent robots, turn its attention to the details and contradictions of the novel narrative, examine the individualization process of intelligence robots, and explore the mutual influence relationship between individual emotions and social structural rigidity hidden behind the ethical selections of intelligent robots. Therefore, on the one hand, this article analyzes the ethical differences between the intelligent robots in these two novels from the perspective of ethical literary criticism, and the underlying reasons for these differences. On the other hand, this article calls for humanity to construct the ethical community between humans and intelligent robots from the perspective of postmodern Western ethics in the face of the arrival of the artificial intelligence era.

Mars, Earth's nearest solar neighbor, has long been a central destination in science fiction imagination. Our visions of Mars extend beyond literature, engaging in a complex interplay with technological advancements, socio-cultural dynamics, and historical contexts to form a cultural discourse on science and imagination. A unique case in China's Mars narrative emerged around the second decade of the 21st century with the development of Lenghu Mars Town in Qinghai's Mangya. Originally a barren Gobi desert area within the Qaidam Basin, Lenghu briefly flourished in the 1950s due to petroleum discoveries but was later abandoned as resources depleted. In August 2017, the "Lenghu Mars Town" project was launched, leveraging the area's resemblance to Mars to integrate science fiction culture and Martian themes into its cultural and tourism development. In 2018, the Lenghu Science Fiction Literature Award was established, becoming a significant force in contemporary science fiction creation and intellectual property development.

From a science fiction anthropology perspective, Lenghu's Mars imagination and discourse exhibit several creative characteristics. Firstly, the town relies on unique resources—China's largest Yardang landform cluster, optimal dark skies for stargazing in the Eastern Hemisphere, and petroleum industrial relics—to construct a Mars narrative with a strong "Chinese dreamcore" aesthetic. This localized narrative offers visitors and students an embodied science fiction experience, simulating a journey from a resource-depleted Earth to a new Martian home.

Secondly, the Lenghu Science Fiction Literature Award incorporates local landmarks and place names into writing contests and invites renowned authors to draw inspiration from the region. The interplay of awe-inspiring landscapes, abandoned petroleum towns, and humanity's uncertain future endows award-winning works with depth and richness. These novels continue the construction theme of classic Chinese science fiction while introducing new creative features, using science fiction as "fictional ethnography" to reflect on humanity.

Thirdly, Lenghu leverages science fiction narratives to brand itself as the "Mars Town" and develop its industry through "technology + science popularization + science fiction." This process highlights the potential of imagination as a practice across time, creating a cyclical relationship between real-world technological practices and fictional discourses. Imagination thus emerges as a driving force and discursive resource for constructing reality.