Science fiction writer Liu Cixin, known worldwide for his Three Body trilogy, told his readers in a video clip to mark the 2020 World Book Day, which fell on Thursday, that reading will help ease the anxiety caused by the coronavirus outbreak, and knowledge they will gain through reading would banish the fear for the unknown.

To Liu, reading is a way to connect with the world's history, present and the future.

On top of his reading list are three titles: 2001: A Space Odyssey and Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke, and 1984 by George Orwell.