Wu Ming-Yi (b.1971) is a Taiwanese writer, painter, designer, photographer, literary professor, butterfly scholar, environmental activist, traveler and blogger. His literary reputation was first established by his nature writing. His debut novel, Routes in the Dream (2007) re-imagines Taiwan’s complicated history as a Japanese colony and examines the relationship between fathers and sons, memory and dreams. Hailed as a groundbreaking work of literary historical fiction, it was nominated for every major award and was chosen as one of the ten best Chinese-language novels of the year by Asian Weekly magazine.Wu was the only Taiwanese writer on the list. The Man with the Compound Eyes is his second novel but the first to be translated into English.