Taiwanese literature
Lin, a native of Taibao in Chiayi County, studied at Chiayi Normal College and Fu Jen Catholic University. In 1983 he began writing works in Taiwanese. His interest in the creation and promotion of a distinctively Taiwanese literature accompanied a growing interest in democratic reform and Taiwanese national identity. His treatment of taboo subjects such as the White Terror under Chiang Kai-shek led to his works being officially banned by the Kuomintang government from 1987 to 1989. Today his works from the 1980s are considered landmarks in the Taiwanese literature movement.