When he started writing Huang Yuan at age 19, Sima was four years younger than the famed Eileen Chang when she published her first novel.
開寫《荒原》那年，司馬中原才 19 歲，不過大學 2 年級的年紀，比起傾城才女張愛玲發表〈沉香屑：第一爐香〉的 23 歲還小了 4 歲。