All of these authors are absolutely legendary and don’t require much of an introduction. I’m pretty sure many readers on Novel Updates has read at least a few of these authors novels.
Of course, for many readers, none of these authors may be their favorite, after all, their novels aren’t for everyone. Many of the best novels are made by new/one-novel/other ethnicity authors, but these four are by far the most well-known in the Chinese translation community.
My personal review and decision:
Er Gen: Probably the most well-known out of these authors. He’s written novels like Renegade Immortal (Flagship work), ISSTH (Fan favorite), Pursuit of the Truth (Black sheep), and A will Eternal (newest novel, not including A world worth protecting). His novels tend to shift from being somewhat lighthearted (AWE) to very serious (RI). I honestly can’t say more than this because I haven’t really gone in-depth reading with his novels.
Cocooned Cow: Both of CC’s works are fairly similar in nature, with both MW and TMW having somewhat weird pacing, fortunate encounter, etc. MW is essentially the classic xianxia novel, with TMW being little more unique. However, having finished both novels, they are easy to follow and are fairly enjoyable in my opinion.
I Eat Tomatoes: IET has written the most translated novels out of all the authors, ranging from sci-fi (Swallowed Star) to Fantasy Novels (Coiling Dragon). It is worth noting that I don’t really feel like his novels are xianxia, rather, following a more xuanhuan/fantasy approach. IET’s novels (especially coiling dragon) definitely have more western influences (such as magic academies), deviating from a typical xianxia. Because of this, his novels are definitely more unique than other authors.
Mad Snail: Have not read his novels, so I don’t feel confident to make a decision.
Personally, my vote goes to CC, primarily because I’m a sucker for the traditional, “trashy” xianxia novels. It just feels natural.
Author – ttooth