Kevin Cazad, photo by Southern Weekly

A man in the U.S. managed to cast off his drug habit after he found something even more alluring: Chinese web novels. The books’ unique content and imaginative plots rejuvenated the troubled man's life, media reported.

Kevin Cazad, a software programmer, resorted to drugs to alleviate his pain after breaking up with his girlfriend. Severe drug addiction caused him physical and mental pain, even threatening his life at times. But things changed in 2014, when Cazad first came across online Chinese literature.

“In the past, whenever I went home, all my attention was on drugs. But when I go home now, the only thing that occupies my mind is Chinese web novels. Like drugs, they can also become an addiction, but the difference is that they can't harm your health,” Cazad told the Southern Weekly during an interview, adding that he used to finish five volumes of a popular Chinese web novel named "Coiling Dragon" in a single day.

Cazad’s story shocked the author of the book, who told the Southern Weekly that he never expected so much enthusiasm from a foreign reader.

“Many readers have written letters to me, saying that my web novel reshaped their understanding of life. Some even attribute their achievements to inspiration they got from my books. It was like, are you guys kidding me?” laughed the writer, who goes under the alias “I eat tomatoes.”

Cazad is not the only foreigner to become a diehard fan of online Chinese literature. In fact, Chinese web novels have recently been gaining in popularity among foreign readers, who enjoy the cultural elements contained within the unique works.

According to 2016 statistics from Novelupdates.com, a website that translates popular Asian novels for Western readers, Chinese web novels have created a reading frenzy among foreign consumers. Among the site's 10 most popular web novels, five were written by Chinese authors.

“As a Westerner, the traditional Chinese elements and strong plots really intrigue me. Outside of the Harry Potter series, I can't think of any other books with so much imagination and innovation,” Fernando Hernandez, a Spanish engineer, told People’s Daily Online.

Foreigners’ enthusiasm for the web novels has not escaped the notice of Chinese writers and entrepreneurs, who believe that the special genre is an emerging industry, which can serve as a channel to promote Chinese popular culture.

“In recent years, Marvel’s ideas of superheros and multi-space have prevailed around the world. Nowadays, scientific and imaginative elements better cater to young people’s needs. Chinese web novels not only satisfy readers’ needs in that regard, but also provide them with an Asian version of the Marvel stories,” Wu Wenhui, CEO of China Reading Limited, told the Southern Weekly.