Songling Pu

Born in 1640 in Zichuan, in present-day Shandong, Pu Songling was a Chinese writer of the Qing dynasty. He is most famous for Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai zhiyi), a collection of stories that blends the supernatural with wit, satire, and close attention to everyday life.

Although he pursued the civil service examinations for many years, he never achieved the highest success he wanted, and much of his life was spent working as a private tutor and teacher. That experience, along with his wide reading and deep interest in local storytelling traditions, helped shape a body of work that feels both learned and lively.

Pu Songling died in 1715, but his stories have lasted for centuries because they do more than tell ghost stories. Again and again, they use fantasy to explore love, corruption, injustice, ambition, and the oddness of human nature, which is why they still feel fresh to modern readers.