The file photo shows Chinese female writer Hao Jingfang. Her novel "Folding Beijing" has been included in this year's shortlist of the Hugo Award for Best Novel. [Photo: weibo.com]

"Folding Beijing", a science fiction written by Chinese female writer Hao Jingfang, has been included in this year's shortlist of the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

However, "The Three-Body Problem II" by Liu Cixin, who won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel with "The Three-Body Problem I", failed to enter the shortlist, according to the preliminary results of the 74th Hugo Award released on Wednesday.

Responding to the announcement, Hao updated her Weibo account, saying she was surprised by the nomination since the novel was first published in a newly founded online magazine.

The writer especially thanked the translator of the novel, whom she accredited for the increased popularity of her work.

She also expressed regret for Liu Cixin's exclusion from this year's list and praised him for boosting the export of Chinese sci-fi works to foreign countries.

Liu was the first Asian writer to win the Hugo Award, which is widely seen as the highest honor for science fictions, along with the Nebula Awards.