Gu Long
Xiong Yaohua, 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. At his funeral, his friends brought him 48 bottles of X.O. Cognac.
Personal life
While Xiong was still attending Tamkang University, he lived with a dance hostess, Zheng Yuexia, and they had a son, Zheng Xiaolong. Later, he started a relationship with another dance hostess, Ye Xue, with whom he had another son, Ye Yikuan. Shortly after that, he met a senior middle school graduate, Mei Baozhu, who became his first legal spouse and had a son, Xiong Zhengda, with him. His extramarital affairs caused him to break up with Mei eventually.Writing style
Xiong was influenced not only by earlier wuxia writers such as Wolong Sheng, Zhuge Qingyun and Sima Ling, but also by non-Chinese writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, John Steinbeck, and Friedrich Nietzsche. His novels are usually made up of short sentences and paragraphs, and mostly dialogues between characters – like a script for a play.In contrast with Xiong, other wuxia writers such as Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng incorporated Chinese history, culture, and philosophy in their works. Xiong initially intended to mimic them, but changed his decision after being exposed to the James Bond and The Godfather novels. The influence of these works, which relied on the idiosyncrasies of human life, razor-sharp wit, poetic philosophies, mysterious plots, and spine-tingling thrills to achieve success, enabled Xiong to come up with his unique style of writing wuxia novels.
List of works
Some of these works were co-written with other writers.;Standalone novelsDivine Sword of the Sky Poison of the Sword and Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Eerie Moon and Evil Star Consort Xiang's Sword Legend of the Orphaned Star Story of the Lost Soul Tale of the Wandering Swordsman The Flower-Guarding Bell The Tune of the Colourful Ring Broken Gold, Incomplete Jade Lingering Fragrance in a Rain of Swords Tale of a Remarkable Sword Journey of a Swordsman Cleansing Flowers, Refining the Sword Lover's Arrow The Legend of the Banner Heroes Unofficial History of the Wulin The Sword and Exquisiteness Legendary Siblings Happy Heroes The Celebrity Meteor, Butterfly, Sword The Seven Killers Sword of the Third Young Master The Jade Tiger Carved Jade Dragon Flying Eagle over the Great Land Full Moon and Curved Saber Heroes Shed No Tears The Seven Stars Dragon King The Sounds of the Saber Accompanied by Wind Chimes Furious Sword, Mad Flowers The Romance of that Sword Righteous Blood Cleansing the Silver Spear Thorn of the Chrysanthemum Iron Sword Beauty The Indignant Foal
;Little Li Flying Dagger series Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword Bordertown Wanderer Eagle Soaring in the Ninth Month Horizon, Bright Moon, Saber Flying Dagger, Flying Dagger Appears Again
;The Eleventh Son series The Eleventh Son To Destroy the Eleventh Son
;Chu Liuxiang series Fragrance in the Sea of Blood The Vast Desert The Thrush The Legend of the Bat Phantom Love and Heroic Romance The Legend of the Peach Blossom The Legend of the New Moon The Midnight Orchid
;Lu Xiaofeng series The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng The Embroidery Bandit Before and After the Duel The Silver Hook Gambling House Phantom Manor The Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens Laughter of the Sword God
;Seven Weapons series The Longevity Sword The Peacock Tassel The Green Jade Saber The Amorous Ring The Overlord Spear The Separation Hook The Fist
;Grand Era of Wuxia series Gamble, Wolf's Teeth, Pursue-and-kill Purple Fumes, Skulk of Foxes Silver Condor, Sea Deity
;The Six Shocking Tales series The Blood Parrot The Sky Demon Saber The Black Lizard The Crystal Man The Powdery Skeleton The Rakshasa Lady
- ''The Wingless Bat''