Abstract
Crossing the binary of utopia and dystopia, this article reads Hao Jingfang's (1984–) novel Vagabonds as a critical ecotopia. I explore configurations of social worlds and eschew the politics of purity by highlighting the complexities of building a utopia while navigating entangled complicity and ambiguity between utopia and dystopia. The Mars Republic in the novel represents an ecotopia built through advanced technologies, where Martians adapt to the arid environment in contrast with the environmentally degraded earth. The novel portrays encounters, shocks, and mutual critiques between two planets. In general, the novel articulates the multicultural and multiracialism on Mars and the coming-of-age narrative of young Martians. Their self-realization rests on the assumption that humans must engage with and appropriate from nature while changing their inner nature.