author
active 11th century Shizheng Zhang
Best known for Kuoyi zhi (Records of the Strange), this Song-dynasty writer gathered unusual tales that mix curiosity, moral reflection, and glimpses of everyday life. Although biographical details are scarce, his work has remained a notable example of early Chinese anomaly literature.
1 Audiobook
括異志
by active 11th century Shizheng Zhang
About the author
A writer and scholar-official active in the 11th century, Zhang Shizheng is chiefly remembered for Kuoyi zhi (括異志), a collection of strange and anecdotal tales from the Song period. Library and catalog records consistently attribute the work to him, and Project Gutenberg lists him under the active 11th century dates often used when exact birth and death years are uncertain.
His surviving reputation rests less on a full personal biography than on the character of his writing. Kuoyi zhi belongs to the long Chinese tradition of recording the unusual — stories of odd events, marvels, and moral consequences — while also preserving bits of social and historical atmosphere from its time.
Because information about his life is limited and reliable modern portraits do not appear to be available on the sources checked, he is best approached through his book itself: a lively window into Song-era storytelling and belief.