Xiong Yaohua (7 June 1938 – 21 September 1985), better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Taiwanese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. Born in Hong Kong and educated at Cheng Kung Senior High School and Tamkang University in Taiwan, he is best known for writing wuxia novels, among which his best known works are Juedai Shuangjiao, the Xiaoli Feidao Series, the Chu Liuxiang Series, the Lu Xiaofeng Series, and The Eleventh Son. Some of them have been adapted into films and television series. In the 1980s, he started his own film studio to produce film adaptations of his works.

Background

Xiong was born on 7 June 1938 in Hong Kong, with ancestry from Nanchang, Jiangxi. He lived in Hankou, Hubei in his childhood before moving to Taipei, Taiwan in 1952 with his parents, who divorced in 1956. With help from his friends and using the money he earned from part-time work to fund his education, Xiong graduated from the Foreign Language Department of Tamkang University.

Career

In 1960, Xiong published his first wuxia novel, Cangqiong Shenjian (), under the pen name "Gu Long". From 1960 to 1961, he published eight novels but they were not particularly successful. He moved to Ruifang District and lived there for three years, after which he adopted a new writing style.

Between 1967 and the late 1970s, Xiong rose to prominence as a modern wuxia writer due to the success of his works, being named alongside Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng as the "Three Legs of the Tripod of Wuxia".

Death

In the later part of his life, Xiong suffered from depression and the quality of his works declined rapidly. He had to employ ghostwriters to co-write many of his later works because of his ailing health.

On 21 September 1985, Xiong died at the age of 48 due to illness wrought by alcoholism – namely cirrhosis and oesophageal haemorrhage.

Television

  • Luk Siu-fung 陆小凤 (1976), Lu Xiaofeng Series
  • Juedai Shuangjiao 绝代双骄 (1977), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • The Romantic Swordsman 小李飞刀 (1978), Xiaoli Feidao Series
  • Siu Sak Yaklong蕭十一郎 (1978), The Eleventh Son Series
  • Chor Lau-heung 楚留香 (1979), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • The Twins 绝代双骄 (1979), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • Wan Fa Sai Kim Luk (1979), Wanhua Xijian Lu
  • The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung 楚留香之蝙蝠传奇 (1984), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • Chor Lau-heung 楚留香新传 (1985), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • Xin Juedai Shuangjiao 新绝代双骄 (1986), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • The Return of Luk Siu-fung 陆小凤之凤舞九天 (1986), Lu Xiaofeng Series
  • Fury Of The Dragon 冷月剑无言 (1987), Happy Heroes
  • Two Most Honorable Knights 绝代双骄 (1988), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • The Black Sabre (1989), Xiaoli Feidao series
  • Against the Blade of Honour 圆月弯刀 (1994), Yuanyue Wandao
  • Chor Lau-heung 香帅传奇 (1995), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • The Romantic Swordsman 小李飞刀 (1995), Xiaoli Feidao Series
  • Fan ren Yang Datou (no english title) (1996), 大人物
  • Mission of the Warriors 武林外史 (2001), Unofficial History of the Wulin
  • Master Swordsman Lu Xiaofeng 陆小凤之决战前后 (2001), Lu Xiaofeng Series
  • Master Swordsman Lu Xiaofeng 2 陆小凤之凤舞九天 (2001), Lu Xiaofeng Series
  • The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung 新楚留香 (2001), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • The Legendary Siblings 绝代双骄 (2002), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • The Legendary Siblings 2 绝世双骄 (2002), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • Treasure Raiders (2002) (CTV version), 蕭十一郎 (Xiao Shi Yi Lang)
  • Treasure Raiders (2005) (TVB version), 蕭十一郎 (Xiao Shi Yi Lang)
  • Flying Daggers 飞刀又见飞刀 (2003), Xiaoli Feidao Series
  • Meteor, Butterfly, Sword 流星‧蝴蝶‧劍 (2003), (Liu Xing, Hu Die, Jian)
  • The Proud Twins 小鱼儿与花无缺 (2005), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • The Tearful Sword 淚痕劍 (2006), Heroes Shed No Tears (英雄無淚)
  • The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng 陆小凤传奇 (2006), Lu Xiaofeng Series
  • The Legend of Chu Liuxiang 楚留香传奇 (2007), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • The Banner Heroes (2007), Da Qi Ying Xiong Zhuan
  • Da Ren Wu (Big Shot) (2007), The Celebrity(大人物)
  • The Spirit of the Sword (2007), Wanhua Xijian Lu
  • The Legend of Brown Sugar Chivalries 黑糖瑪奇朵 (2008)
  • Meteor, Butterfly, Sword 流星‧蝴蝶‧劍 (2010), (Liu Xing, Hu Die, Jian)
  • Kong Que Ling 七種武器系列 (2011) (Qizhong Wuqi)
  • The Legend of Chu Liuxiang 楚留香新传 (2012), Chu Liuxiang Series
  • Full Moon Scimitar 新圆月弯刀 (2012), Full Moon Curved Saber
  • The Magic Blade 天涯‧明月‧刀 (2012), (Tianya Mingyue Dao - Horizon, Bright Moon, Sabre), Xiaoli Feidao Series (Fu Hong Xue)
  • Detective and Doctors 陆小凤与花满楼 (2015), Lu Xiaofeng Series
  • Xin Xiao Shi Yi Lang 新萧十一郎 (2016), Xiao Shi Yi Lang series
  • Border Town Prodigal (2016), Xiaoli Feidao Series (Ye Kai & Fu Hong Xue)
  • The Legend of Flying Daggers 小李飛刀系列 (2016), Xiaoli Feidao Series (Li Huai)
  • The Lost Swordship 飄香劍雨 (2017), Lingering Fragrance in a Rain of Swords
  • Handsome Siblings 絕代雙驕 (2020), Juedai Shuangjiao
  • The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng 凤舞九天 (2026), Fengwu Jiutian

Translations of works

Xiong's works have been translated into many languages such as French, English and Vietnamese:

  • The Eleventh Son, English translation of Xiao Shiyilang, .
  • Les quatre brigands du Huabei, French translation of Huanle Yingxiong,

See also

  • Jin Yong
  • Liang Yusheng

Notes

References

Further reading

  • Stateless Subjects: Chinese Martial Arts Literature and Postcolonial History, Chapter 5. Petrus Liu. (Cornell University, 2011)
  • 《傲世鬼才一古龙：古龙与武侠小说国际学术研讨会论文集》林保淳 （学生书局出版，2006）
  • HKMDB - Database of works.
  • Gu Long Reading Room – A webpage of fan translations.
  • Wuxia Translations Forum – Wuxia translations forum by fans.
  • Qiqi.com – Gu Long's works in Chinese