The term shenmo xiaoshuo, coined in the early 20th century by the writer and literary historian Lu Xun, literally means "gods and demons novel".

[4] Plot elements like the use of magic and alchemy were derived from Chinese mythology and religion, including Taoism and Buddhism, popular among Ming intellectuals.

[6] The Four Journeys (四遊記, c. 16th century CE) is another early shenmo work composed of four novels and published during the dynasty as a compilation of folk stories.

[7] The Story of Han Xiangzi (韓湘子全傳, c. 17th century CE), a Daoist novel from the same period, also shares this supernatural theme but contains heavier religious overtones.

[12] In A Ridiculous Journey to the West (Wuli qunao zhi xiyouji) by Wu Jianwen, the protagonist Bare-Armed Gibbon, a more venal version of Sun Wukong, aids the Vulture King once he is unable to wring any money out of a penniless fish that the vulture had caught and dropped in a puddle.

The generation of writers following the May Fourth Movement rejected fantasy in favor of literary realism influenced by the trends of 19th-century European literature.

[15] Shenmo and other fantasy genres experienced a revival in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and, later, in Mainland China after the Cultural Revolution ended.

[16] The term shenmo xiaoshuo was coined by the writer and literary historian Lu Xun in his book A Brief History of Chinese Fiction (1930), which has three chapters on the genre.

In August 2024, a Chinese company released Black Myth: Wukong, a video game featuring characters based on Journey to the West.