The authors and creators of donghua
The master of the online-game novelBorn in 1983, Wang Dong, known as Hu Dielan, is the author of The King's Avatar and the undisputed master of the Chinese online-game novel.
Career
A Qidian author, Hu Dielan specialised early in online-game novels. He made his mark with Near-Combat Mage (网游之近战法师), before writing The King's Avatar (全职高手) from 2011 to 2014.
With The King's Avatar he brought esports into online literature. The novel became a phenomenon, adapted into a donghua, a drama, an animated film, a manhua and a stage play. In 2024 it entered the British Library's collections.
He went on with Tian Xing Zhi Lu (天醒之路) and remains a benchmark of the genre, ranked among the "hundred great authors" in the second vote for the kings of web fiction in 2017.
Life and behind the scenes
His readers affectionately call him "Papa Bug" (虫爹), a pun on his pen name, which means "blue butterfly". He keeps his deadpan humour even in his statements: "I'm just a storyteller, how could you believe everything I say?"
Style and themes
Hu Dielan is famous for his humour: readers say his novels have "no shame and no limits". He depicts gaming precisely, but always in the service of the characters and team spirit. Each novel has a clear theme, and the dialogue hits home.
Their works on Donghua Fan
The donghua adapted from Hu Dielan's novels, with their guides, characters and watch orders.
Other works
- Near-Combat Mage (网游之近战法师)
- Tian Xing Zhi Lu (天醒之路)
Trivia
- His pen name means "blue butterfly".
- Every 29 May, fans celebrate the birthday of his hero, Ye Xiu.
- The King's Avatar entered the British Library's collections in 2024.
Donghua Fan's take
Hu Dielan is the funniest author on this list. The King's Avatar proves you can write a great novel about video games, and his characters stay endearing years later.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan