the three body problem book review

ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM

From the remembrance of earth's past series , vol. 1.

by Cixin Liu ; translated by Ken Liu ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 11, 2014

Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.

Strange and fascinating alien-contact yarn, the first of a trilogy from China’s most celebrated science-fiction author.

In 1967, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, young physicist Ye Wenjie helplessly watches as fanatical Red Guards beat her father to death. She ends up in a remote re-education (i.e. forced labor) camp not far from an imposing, top secret military installation called Red Coast Base. Eventually, Ye comes to work at Red Coast as a lowly technician, but what really goes on there? Weapons research, certainly, but is it also listening for signals from space—maybe even signaling in return? Another thread picks up the story 40 years later, when nanomaterials researcher Wang Miao and thuggish but perceptive policeman Shi Qiang, summoned by a top-secret international (!) military commission, learn of a war so secret and mysterious that the military officers will give no details. Of more immediate concern is a series of inexplicable deaths, all prominent scientists, including the suicide of Yang Dong, the physicist daughter of Ye Wenjie; the scientists were involved with the shadowy group Frontiers of Science. Wang agrees to join the group and investigate and soon must confront events that seem to defy the laws of physics. He also logs on to a highly sophisticated virtual reality game called “Three Body,” set on a planet whose unpredictable and often deadly environment alternates between Stable times and Chaotic times. And he meets Ye Wenjie, rehabilitated and now a retired professor. Ye begins to tell Wang what happened more than 40 years ago. Jaw-dropping revelations build to a stunning conclusion. In concept and development, it resembles top-notch Arthur C. Clarke or Larry Niven but with a perspective—plots, mysteries, conspiracies, murders, revelations and all—embedded in a culture and politic dramatically unfamiliar to most readers in the West, conveniently illuminated with footnotes courtesy of translator Liu.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-7653-7706-7

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Tor

Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014

SCIENCE FICTION

Share your opinion of this book

DARK MATTER

by Blake Crouch ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2016

Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes poignant—provided the reader has a generously willing suspension of disbelief.

A man walks out of a bar and his life becomes a kaleidoscope of altered states in this science-fiction thriller.

Crouch opens on a family in a warm, resonant domestic moment with three well-developed characters. At home in Chicago’s Logan Square, Jason Dessen dices an onion while his wife, Daniela, sips wine and chats on the phone. Their son, Charlie, an appealing 15-year-old, sketches on a pad. Still, an undertone of regret hovers over the couple, a preoccupation with roads not taken, a theme the book will literally explore, in multifarious ways. To start, both Jason and Daniela abandoned careers that might have soared, Jason as a physicist, Daniela as an artist. When Charlie was born, he suffered a major illness. Jason was forced to abandon promising research to teach undergraduates at a small college. Daniela turned from having gallery shows to teaching private art lessons to middle school students. On this bracing October evening, Jason visits a local bar to pay homage to Ryan Holder, a former college roommate who just received a major award for his work in neuroscience, an honor that rankles Jason, who, Ryan says, gave up on his career. Smarting from the comment, Jason suffers “a sucker punch” as he heads home that leaves him “standing on the precipice.” From behind Jason, a man with a “ghost white” face, “red, pursed lips," and "horrifying eyes” points a gun at Jason and forces him to drive an SUV, following preset navigational directions. At their destination, the abductor forces Jason to strip naked, beats him, then leads him into a vast, abandoned power plant. Here, Jason meets men and women who insist they want to help him. Attempting to escape, Jason opens a door that leads him into a series of dark, strange, yet eerily familiar encounters that sometimes strain credibility, especially in the tale's final moments.

Pub Date: July 26, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-101-90422-0

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016

More by Blake Crouch

by Blake Crouch

Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

REVIEW: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Book Reviews
June 2, 2022
10,000 views
By John Mauro

Last Updated on February 12, 2024

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is the first entry in The Remembrance of Earth’s Past series and has become an international sensation since its original publication in Chinese in 2006 and subsequent English translation by Ken Liu in 2014.

Against this backdrop of the Cultural Revolution, Ye Wenjie’s father is a well-accomplished physics professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing. He is at the forefront of his field, teaching core theories of modern physics such as general relativity and quantum mechanics. His embrace of Western science—including the work of Einstein and Bohr—leads him to be accused of embracing reactionary ideologies. He is beaten to death by students from the Red Guard in front of his terrified daughter. Ye Wenjie herself later becomes persecuted and imprisoned for embracing Western thought. She is saved by two military scientists working at the Red Coast, a top-secret space program by the Chinese government, who recognize Ye Wenjie’s outstanding abilities as a physicist.

The core idea of The Three-Body Problem draws directly from Stanisław Lem’s 1961 sci-fi classic, Solaris , which considers whether a planet that orbits two suns can support the evolution of life. In Solaris , the two suns have vastly different intensities, causing the climate of the orbiting planet, Solaris, to vary drastically depending upon which of the two suns is currently closer. The resulting climatic fluctuations cast doubt upon whether Solaris has a climate consistent enough to support biological evolution, which requires relative climatic stability over millions of years.

In The Three-Body Problem , Cixin Liu ups the ante by introducing a third sun to the problem. The orbital path of a planet around three suns poses a complex mathematical problem that has eluded solution for hundreds of years. In The Three-Body Problem , the orbiting planet, Trisolaris, experiences periods of relative stability punctuated by periods of sudden climatic chaos.

Throughout its planetary history, Trisolaris has undergone hundreds of stable periods, where society has achieved varying levels of scientific and technological development, only to be wiped out by sudden climate changes. The Trisolarans have evolved the ability to dehydrate themselves to survive through these periods of chaos, but they have finally determined that the only way their society can survive in the long-term is to colonize another inhabitable planet with a more stable climate. Compared to Trisolaris, the pale blue dot we know as Earth looks rather enticing.

Beyond its excellent treatment of scientific principles, The Three-Body Problem raises several important philosophical questions, the deepest of these being: Is humanity worth saving? As Ye Wenjie becomes one of the leading scientists searching for extraterrestrial life, her experiences during the Cultural Revolution have molded her views on the value of humanity.

Although Solaris and The Three-Body Problem start with essentially the same premise, The Three-Body Problem succeeds in ways where Solaris falters. Whereas Solaris falls quickly into pseudoscience, The Three-Body Problem is built upon largely believable scientific principles. Cixin Liu injects the plot with heavy doses of realistic quantum entanglement, information theory, nanotechnology, and particle physics. One of the most interesting concepts proposed by The Three-Body Problem is a new subatomic particle called a “sophon,” which can change dimensionality as a way of storing information. Beyond the hard sciences, Cixin Liu also brilliantly handles questions of sociology, especially in relation to the Cultural Revolution and its impact on human psychology and the decisions made by individual characters.

The story itself is told from multiple points of view across several decades. Such drastic shifts in perspective and time frame could be disorienting in less capable hands, but Cixin Liu adeptly handles these transitions, using them as an effective way to build the greater narrative.

The Three-Body Problem is a nearly perfect sci-fi novel, translated vibrantly by Ken Liu. The translation also includes several helpful footnotes to help non-Chinese readers understand key aspects of Chinese history mentioned in the novel. Everything about this book is so well conceived and executed, earning my highest rating.

Read The Three-Body Problem

John Mauro lives in a world of glass amongst the hills of central Pennsylvania. When not indulging in his passion for literature or enjoying time with family, John is training the next generation of materials scientists at Penn State University, where he teaches glass science and materials kinetics. John also loves cooking international cuisine and kayaking the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

REVIEW: Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

August 7, 2024

REVIEW: A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons

August 5, 2024

Header Image for Lair of the Crystal Fang

REVIEW: Lair of the Crystal Fang by S. A. Sidor

August 3, 2024

Grimdark Magazine

TURN YOUR INBOX INTO A GRIMBOX

Quick links.

All Products
Subscriptions
Advertising
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy
Diversity and harassment policies
Review Guidelines

GET GRIT IN YOUR INBOX

Stay on top of all the latest book releases and discussions—join our mailing list.

Get a free magazine

Join our mailing list for a free issue, the latest book releases, and grimdark discussions.

Andrew Liptak

From the beginning to the end: Liu Cixin's Three-Body Trilogy

I dipped my toe into the world of Chinese science fiction over the course of this summer, as i did a bit work on my home . To keep myself on track and entertained, I began listening to a string of Clarkesworld Magazine ’s podcasts — their fantastic translations from China. (In particular, “ The Wings of Earth ” by Jiang Bo, “ Farewell Doraemon ” by A Que , “ Your Multicolored Life ” by Xing He, and “ To Fly like a Fallen Angel ,” by Qi Yue) I’ve read stories from the China before: I wrote a post for Barnes and Noble about the history of Chinese science fiction , and through Ken Liu’s anthology, Invisible Planets , and of course, Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem (which I reviewed for Lightspeed Magazine a couple of years ago .)

I’ve begun work on a new project for The Verge , and along with the stories that I had been listening to, I decided to go back to The Three-Body Problem and its sequels, which had been sitting on a shelf for a couple of years, books that kept telling myself that I’d pick up eventually. So, after I reviewed Liu’s novel Ball Lightning for The Verge , they were books that I picked up right away, to revisit that world. I blew through each of the three books in the trilogy, and I’m kicking myself for not reading them earlier.

The most impressive thing that I found with the trilogy as a whole was the scale that Liu was writing at. Reviews and blurbs for the series teased that it spanned the entire future: from the 1970s all the way to the heat death of the universe, and he manages to do that, in a really interesting way. Spoilers ahead.

The Three-Body Problem begins in the midst of China’s Cultural Revolution: a woman named Ye Wenjie watches as her father is killed during a riot. She’s sent first to a labor camp and then to an isolated scientific facility, where she’s able to put some of her astrophysics training to work. While there, she conducts some research, and ends up testing a way to amplify a radio signal to beam into the cosmos. She’s surprised, eight years later, when a representative of an alien civilization, the Trisolarans, contacts her, warning her not to respond to any further messages. Fed up with the human race, and with the treatment that she’s endured, she responds, allowing the Trisolarans to locate Earth.

Trisolaris, it turns out, is a harsh world: it orbits three stars in an unpredictable pattern, destroying civilizations over and over again. Now, the system knows where a stable, habitable planet is, and they’re bent on traveling to it. It’ll take them 450 years to reach Earth, however, and to prepare, they form a fifth column of like-minded Humans to prepare for their arrival. The Three-Body Problem jumps back and forth between various time periods, and in the present day, the Trisolarans send along a device called a sophon — a multidimensional supercomputer that interferes with advanced physics research, effectively stalling scientific progress to counter the Trisolarans.

In the first novel, humans uncover the Trisolaran plot, but are left with a conundrum: anything they do to prepare will be seen instantly by the Trisolarans. The next installment, The Dark Forest , we follow Earth’s various efforts as they work to counter the alien invaders, electing four individuals with immense resources to act as “Wallfacers,” who are tasked with formulating plans that only they know, in order to prevent the plans from falling into enemy hands. The book largely follows Luo Ji, a scientist who initially refuses, and after taking advantage of the resources, formulates a plan to “cast a spell” on a star — testing to see whether or not there are other observers in the galaxy. It turns out that there are, and it forms the basis for a sort of mutual self-destruction pact between Earth and the Trisolarans.

In the final book, Death’s End , the Trisolarans and Earth reach an uneasy balance during what comes to be known as the Deterrence era. This book largely follows a woman named Cheng Xin, who finds herself in the role of Swordholder — someone who maintains the deterrence that keeps Earth safe. When that fails, we follow as humanity prepares to take whatever means it can to ensure its survival.

That summary is just a tiny, thumbnail sketch of the entire series: Cixin covers an incredible amount of territory over the course of the trilogy. The Three-Body Problem is the most straight-forward of the trilogy. The Dark Forest and Death’s End each deal with incredible jumps in time as characters enter hibernation, and as society makes its own leaps and bounds technologically. Earth’s society swings between incredible austerity and poverty to utopian-like periods of high technology, and beyond. There’s really everything in this book, from massive space battles, political intrigue, and social commentary embedded in here. The books as a whole are a bit uneven: Cixin likes to devote a lot of time to exploring futuristic technologies and infodumps (which I don’t mind, but some people complain about), and there’s a lot of tangents that give me the impression that the entire trilogy could be tightened up quite a bit. But the adventure is in the ride, and that awesome scale really plays well here.

One of the biggest points that Cixin makes in this series is a grim answer to the nature of life in the universe: in all probability, there’s life beyond Earth — there’s just too many planets out there for us to be alone. Cixin’s world is teeming with life, and everyone is quiet. He likens the galaxy to a Dark Forest, in which there are many people, hidden from one another. The rise of one planetary civilization means a potential, existential threat others, and the moment that one becomes visible, they’re immediately in danger. The Trisolarans are certainly one threat, but Luo Ji realizes that there’s likely others, and that lighting up one’s location for the rest of the cosmos to see would mean a quick response from another, more powerful neighbor.

This actually happens — Death’s End has an gripping, and utterly horrifying example of what that looks like. It’s a brilliant scene, and it’s part of a larger culmination of the trilogy as a whole.

But what Cixin is doing is playing against the larger body of science fiction. There’s plenty of stories throughout the genre’s canon that imagines peaceful (and sometimes not so peaceful) coexistence with other aliens out there — the world of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War come to mind, but those don’t come close to the grim world that Cixin portrays. With a veneer of hard physics limiting the characters, everyone in the galaxy is essentially moving around this dark forest, trying to avoid being spotted, for fear of being wiped out. In many ways, I think this series helps set a tone for science fiction that will follow: a new way to look at and conceptualize the universe around us.

This, to me, is big. There’s always been a sort of argument between the hard-SF crowd and the softer space opera circles between how to realistically portray the harsh nature of space, and Cixin’s trilogy essentially finds a newish way to look at the cosmos, somewhere between awe and wonder, while also recognizing that we’re an incredibly small part of the universe.

three more from on high

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM: BOOK REVIEW

Some science fiction novels tackle the fully fantastic: strange technologies, daring expeditions, and alternate realities. Others, like Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem , stick closer to home. Originally published in China in 2008, the book received critical and audience acclaim. Ken Liu’s 2014 English translation won a Hugo award, becoming the first novel from Asia to do so.

Spanning decades and multiple narrators, The Three-Body Problem melds historical fiction and futuristic fantasy. It explores the real-life impacts of China’s Cultural Revolution on its scientific and intellectual life from the 1960s to the present day. At the same time, it spins an allegorical tale about an endangered alien species and the cult on Earth that will help it to take over our planet. The Three-Body Problem is a masterclass in sci-fi with a thesis, telling a complex story about the perseverance of intelligent life and the psychology of cultures in crisis.

On my ongoing quest to consume Hugo-winning novels and expand my reading outside the United States, The Three-Body Problem presented a great opportunity. I went in plot-blind but very hopeful, and it did not disappoint. The Three-Body Problem is a thoroughly inventive piece of literature, crossing genre boundaries to craft a strong thesis about human societies and their life cycles. It reframes the alien invasion — a thrilling sci-fi trope — into a bleak and existential disaster as real as civil wars and global warming. It uses high-level astrophysics and mathematical concepts as both plot devices and unique metaphors; it uses the real-life effects of China’s Cultural Revolution to inform its fictional events. The story spans many decades, characters, and political points of view. My reading was an educational and thought-provoking process. Although the plot moves at a thriller’s pace, it encourages readers to think long and hard about the theories and themes it presents.

The Three-Body Problem spans from China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s to an impending alien invasion in the present day. Ye Wenjie, an astrophysicist who loses her parents and career during the revolution, makes contact with the alien planet Trisolaris in her top-secret job as a technician on Red Coast base. Informed by the tragedies she has seen, Ye tells the Trisolarans to conquer Earth and improve it. She forms a human cult of supporters, the Earth-Trisolaris Organization, which recruits new members through a virtual reality game called Three Body . The game mirrors the struggles of Trisolaran society in a system with three suns which orbit each other unpredictably, causing devastating fluctuations in the planet’s environment. Wang Miao, a scientist in nanotechnology, infiltrates Ye’s organization through this game at the behest of world government agents. While Ye and her followers prepare to assist in the Trisolaran invasion, Wang and world leadership clamor to stop them.

The Three-Body Problem deals in large, philosophical questions. It asks what happens when societies fail, what sentient life will do to survive, and what the progress of science can create and destroy. It draws parallels between two primary scenarios: China’s political tumult during the Cultural Revolution, and Trisolaris’ environmental chaos between its three suns. It explores Ye’s unstable psychology within an ever-changing world, where her intellectual prowess and high-class background variably privilege and harm her. Liu explores human adaptability in the most extreme of circumstances. He concludes, ultimately, that life is resilient and progress is inevitable.

Large sections of The Three-Body Problem explore mathematical principles and scientific progress. The book takes its name from a real-life physics problem, which attempts to solve for the trajectories of three masses in an orbital system using Newton’s laws. The orbits are chaotic, so the problem has no closed-form solution. Much like the question of perfecting society, the three-body problem is ever-evolving and likely impossible. It forms the symbolic backbone of the entire novel. Many other physics and math principles also appear throughout the book. Liu explains them quite well to uninformed readers, often through an in-story expert, before he uses them to comment metaphorically on societal evolution.

The novel takes a hard sci-fi approach, explaining its imaginative technologies with as much detail and real-world grounding as possible. The long, in-depth explanations evoke other tech-focused works, including Andy Weir’s The Martian (2011) and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game (1985). Liu creates advanced versions of virtual reality and atomic technologies, taking science currently in development to the next level. I read far more soft sci-fi than hard, but I enjoyed Liu’s thorough approach and emphasis on relevant fields. His detail elevates the story instead of detracting; every new piece of technology supports an exciting plot point or thematic facet.

The Three-Body Problem also explores historical and sociological concepts. It describes China’s Cultural Revolution with a nuanced perspective. It explores the long-term political and psychological impacts of this period, and it examines how it stymied intellectual and scientific development. As someone who previously knew very little about this period, I’m curious to learn more. However, the book does a solid job conveying necessary information, especially given that Liu didn’t write it for a Western audience.

Ye’s story relates most directly to Liu’s theme of resilience, and she serves as the crux of comparison between China’s tragedies and Trisolaris’. The novel tells the majority of her life, from her father’s death in the revolution to her leadership of the ETO. Liu depicts Ye’s turn against humanity in sympathetic, believable strokes. She comes across less as a villain than as an inevitable product of society’s failings, and I found her far more interesting than any other character. In light of that, I wish the book had spent more time upon her. She features heavily in the introduction and conclusion, but the book’s middle section belongs mainly to Wang, who possesses fewer layers. He serves as a sort of reader proxy, unlocking the secrets of Three Body and the ETO alongside the audience. He reacts very little to the earth-shattering revelations around him, but his ignorance allows Liu to deliver exposition and build significant tension. Of Wang’s sections, I most enjoyed the ones within the Three Body game. His actions aren’t particularly notable, but the game environment is intriguing and ever-changing.

The Three-Body Problem is perfect for readers seeking genre-bending literature with pertinent themes. I’d recommend it to long-time sci-fi fans, but I could also see it converting nonfiction and historical readers to the genre. A background knowledge of physics and Chinese history would enhance the reading experience, but I wouldn’t call it necessary. As a soft sci fi fan and a humanities student, I felt that the book wasn’t for me — but it still delivered a fascinating story. I enjoyed the ride and picked up some new knowledge in the process.

CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN: BOOK REVIEW

This is how you lose the time war: book review.

Nick Wisseman

Author and barn hand.

Latest Release: Colors and Ghosts

Drafting: Excavating Armageddon

Jul 13, 2019

Book Review: The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu

Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem is the type of epic science-fiction novel that’s carried more by its science than its fiction. I don’t mean that uncharitably. The fiction in The Three-Body Problem is interesting—I just found it hard to get into.

Cover of The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu.

The story starts during the mass madness of China’s Cultural Revolution. We see one faction of Red Guards using the young soldier of another faction for target practice, and a professor being sentenced to die because he taught “reactionary” scientific theories like the Big Bang and the “black banner of capitalism represented by the theory of relativity!” Yet there’s no clear protagonist initially. And shortly after Liu seems to settle on Ye Wenjie (the professor’s daughter) and her exile to a secret radio facility in the mountains, the narrative skips ahead forty years to another character: Wang Miao. These threads come together eventually, but when the transition first happens, it makes the opening appear inessential.

Despite Wang’s penchant for photography, I never found him compelling on his own. But the mysteries he begins to investigate are: why are his fellow scientists starting to commit suicide? Not just in China, but all around the world? And why has a ghostly countdown suddenly appeared before his eyes? Wang’s pursuit of the truth draws him into a multinational effort to understand these incidents, an inquiry revealed to the reader through a variety of mediums: redacted government documents, transcripts of interrogations, and—most notably—an immersive video game that tasks Wang with determining why an Earth-like civilization is repeatedly destroyed by extremes of heat and cold. (The latter element feels like a sophisticated form of LitRPG, a relatively new genre wherein much of the story takes place inside the pseudo-reality of a video game.)

Again, this was all interesting. But at times the dialogue sounds forced. (Although to be fair, it’s hard to tell how much of this was a result of Liu’s original prose being translated; The Three-Body Problem still has some beautiful sentences. One of my favorites: “The line’s color became red, like a snake awakening after hibernation, wriggling as its skin refilled with blood.”) More significantly, the main characters often lack agency. In flashback, we see Ye make a choice with enormous consequences for humanity, and Wang exerts some influence over the Three Body video game. But for the most part, he’s just reacting to strange circumstances. And when the mystery is finally solved for him (by Liu, essentially; the final insights are more given by the author than earned by the protagonist), there’s no opportunity for him to apply that knowledge against the newly revealed antagonists—Book One ends without any real resolution other than setting up Book Two. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it did strike me as unsatisfying.

The science, though! The Three-Body Problem is chock full of imaginative technological exploits. One of the characters uses the sun to broadcast radio waves to the universe. An army of men work together to create a human motherboard by waving flags to mimic circuits. Nanofilaments form a deadly, invisible web. Two protons are coded on a global scale.

Could any of this really happen? Maybe, maybe not. But Liu makes it all seem possible. And the prospect of seeing more of these imaginative, intelligent spectacles is why I’ll be continuing on with the series.

Note: Since the translation uses the English versions of the author’s name and his characters’, I did the same in this review. For more like it, sign up for Nick’s monthly newsletter .

Cover of the historical fantasy novel Witch in the White City, by Nick Wisseman.

Millions of visitors. Thousands of exhibits. One fiendish killer.

Neva’s goals at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago are simple. Enjoy the spectacle—perhaps the greatest the United States has ever put on. (The world’s fair to end all world’s fairs!) Perform in the exposition’s Algerian Theatre to the best of her abilities. And don’t be found out as a witch.

Easy enough … until the morning she looks up in the Theatre and sees strangely marked insects swarming a severed hand in the rafters.

"... a wild ride sure to please lovers of supernatural historical mysteries." – Publishers Weekly

Book Review: ‘The Three-Body Problem’ by Cixin Liu

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Translated by Ken Liu Review Banner

The Three-Body Problem takes place in a dangerous Chinese climate

The Three-Body Problem opens in China during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Ye Wenjie sees her father beaten to death on stage by teenagers for refusing to disavow science. She watches her mother stand on the stage and participate in the “questioning” that preceded the beating. Her father is not the first or the last scientist to lose his life to the Cultural Revolution. Ye, a college physics student, goes into hiding, working a labor-intensive forestry job to ensure that no one can accuse her of thinking the “wrong” scientific thoughts.

However, China’s higher political actors know that science is needed for the country to move forward. So they quietly recruit scientists (who are always afraid of saying the wrong thing as they work) to be part of special hidden scientific projects around China. Ye is recruited for one such project. At Red Coast Base, the Chinese send signals and listen for incoming ones. At first, Ye thought the signals were related to other governments here on Earth. But she realizes that Red Coast Base is trying to find alien life!

Ye doesn’t think the base has the power to get a message far enough into space. But then she has an epiphany. She uses the sun to enhance the signal and sends a message into deep space. And it works! But the response she receives isn’t what she expected. The messenger warns her not to respond to the civilization ever again. They are looking for a new home and will destroy humans to get one if they discover where in the cosmos Earth is located. However, after everything Ye has been through, she decides to “Let them come” and contact them again.

Game over for Earth in The Three-Body Problem ?

It might seem like telling a technologically superior race where to find us is a terrible idea. But Ye had already seen what humans could do; she was sure that aliens could do better. She believed that more technology meant more morality.

I’m not sure why she would think this other than the belief her father thought technology could save China. In my experience, more intellect means less emotional savvy. Therefore, I would always expect a vastly technologically advanced race to be evil, or at least not benevolent to the less advanced civilization.

Besides, Ye was so hurt, I don’t think she was thinking straight. She reminded me of a character in The Eaters of Light by Rona Munro . A young girl is supposed to guard an interdimensional gate to keep out a monstrous alien. After watching her entire village be slaughtered, she decides to let the monster out. It’s the same principle: my world is gone, so let the whole world be gone.

Interestingly enough, neither girl thought the monsters would destroy everything. They thought these creatures would only destroy what had upset them; then they’d just stop. It shows how little we think things through when we’re in pain and how universal that feeling is.

A bouncing of timelines in Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem

So, while the evil (from our perspective) aliens are heading to Earth to conquer and destroy humanity, it hasn’t happened yet. Liu bounces between the 1960s and the present, where the problem of the Trisolarians is only becoming apparent to governments worldwide. Moreover, because of the distance between Earth and the Trisolarian home planet, there are still 450 years left before they get here.

That gives humans a chance to mount some defense. If only all our best scientists would stop killing themselves. Yeah, that seems fishy to the government, too. So, in a classic alien invasion move, the governments of the world team up to try and find out why scientists are killing themselves. That’s where our other main character, Wang Miao, comes into the story. He is a modern scientist with strange, almost supernatural, experiences. Finding out what’s causing them and what they mean might lead to the survival of the whole human race.

Great story by Cixin Liu, and hopefully a great Netflix adaptation

I enjoyed The Three-Body Problem . It was very scientific at times, but the nice thing is that an actual understanding of the science wasn’t necessary to understand the book’s plot. If your eyes begin to glaze over the little sciency stuff, skip that and keep going.

The philosophical questions of The Three-Body Problem are way more interesting than the physics problems. How would mere contact with an alien civilization change humanity? Would they be benevolent or cruel? Would humanity become more robust or fragmented due to contact? Would it even be our problem, or our children’s children’s problems? And that’s just the beginning.

Not only is The Three-Body Problem a great story, but it’s an excellent thought stimulator and conversation starter. Netflix is coming out with a limited series based on Liu’s story on March 21st, and I hope it is just as thought-provoking as the book.

Rating: 8/10

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is now available in most places where books are sold . Do you plan to read this sci-fi novel? Are you excited about the Netflix series? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or on The Cosmic Circus Discord!

Review: Netflix’s 3 Body Problem Premiere Episode An Intriguing Start

Book Review: A Feather So Black (Fair Folk 1) by Lyra Selene

A Feather so Black by Lyra Selene Review Banner

Luna Gauthier

I've always been a bookworm and fantasy is my favortie genre. I never imagined (okay, I imagined but I didn't think) that I could get those books sent to me for just my opinion. Now I am a very happy bookworm! @Lunagauthier19 on Twitter

Luna Gauthier has 232 posts and counting. See all posts by Luna Gauthier

The Three-Body Problem: A Masterpiece of Chinese Science Fiction

Depiction of.a scene from the three body problem

03 Apr The Three-Body Problem: A Masterpiece of Chinese Science Fiction

Introduction.

In the vast expanse of the literary cosmos, few works have captured the imagination of readers quite like Cixin Liu’s “The Three-Body Problem.” This groundbreaking novel, the first installment of the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, has taken the science fiction world by storm, earning critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2015. With its intricate blend of hard science, philosophical musings, and a gripping narrative, “The Three-Body Problem” invites readers on a mind-bending journey that transcends the boundaries of genre and culture.

Set against the backdrop of China’s tumultuous Cultural Revolution, the story follows the intertwined fates of Ye Wenjie, a disillusioned astrophysicist, and Wang Miao, a nanotechnology researcher caught in a web of cosmic intrigue. As Ye’s fateful decision to invite an alien civilization to Earth sets off a chain of events that could determine the fate of humanity, Wang finds himself embroiled in a race against time to unravel the mysteries of the “three-body problem” – a seemingly unsolvable conundrum that holds the key to understanding the universe’s most profound secrets.

Buy the book on bookshop.org

Plot Summary

In the midst of the Cultural Revolution’s chaos, Ye Wenjie witnesses the brutal murder of her father, a renowned physicist, at the hands of radical students. Disillusioned and seeking retribution, she seizes an opportunity to work at a secretive military base, where she inadvertently establishes contact with the Trisolarans, an alien civilization struggling to survive on a planet orbiting three suns. Unbeknownst to Ye, her actions have set in motion a cosmic game of chess that will span centuries and determine the fate of humanity.

Decades later, Wang Miao, a brilliant nanomaterials researcher, finds himself drawn into a mysterious countdown that seems to defy the laws of physics. His quest for answers leads him to the Frontiers of Science, a clandestine organization harboring a dark secret – the impending arrival of the Trisolarans, who seek to colonize Earth and escape their doomed world. As Wang delves deeper into the enigmatic virtual reality game “Three Body,” he uncovers a chilling truth: the game’s intricate mechanics mirror the Trisolarans’ struggle for survival, and its players are unwittingly aiding their cause.

With the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Wang and his allies must navigate a treacherous web of deception, betrayal, and scientific breakthroughs, all while grappling with the ethical dilemmas posed by the Trisolarans’ arrival. As the countdown ticks inexorably toward zero, the lines between ally and enemy blur, and the very fabric of reality itself is called into question.

Character Descriptions

Cixin Liu’s masterful storytelling is brought to life through a cast of richly drawn characters, each with their own complex motivations and inner struggles.

Ye Wenjie : The catalyst for the novel’s events, Ye Wenjie is a brilliant astrophysicist whose traumatic experiences during the Cultural Revolution shape her worldview and drive her to seek solace in the cosmos. Her decision to invite the Trisolarans to Earth sets the stage for a cosmic conflict of epic proportions, and her character arc explores the depths of human resilience and the consequences of our choices.
Wang Miao : The reluctant hero of the story, Wang Miao is a nanotechnology researcher whose curiosity and thirst for knowledge propel him into the heart of the three-body mystery. As he navigates the treacherous waters of interstellar politics and scientific breakthroughs, Wang’s character undergoes a profound transformation, evolving from a detached observer to a pivotal player in the fate of humanity.
Shi Qiang : A gruff yet determined police officer, Shi Qiang serves as Wang’s guide and protector throughout the novel. His unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth and his willingness to challenge authority make him a compelling foil to the more cerebral characters, injecting a dose of gritty realism into the narrative.

Liu’s deft characterization extends beyond the central figures, with a diverse cast of supporting characters that add depth and nuance to the story. From the enigmatic Mike Evans, a wealthy industrialist with a hidden agenda, to the members of the Frontiers of Science, each character plays a vital role in shaping the narrative and exploring the novel’s central themes.

“The Three-Body Problem” is a tour de force of literary craftsmanship, seamlessly blending hard science fiction with philosophical musings and cultural commentary. One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to tackle complex scientific concepts, such as the titular three-body problem and the intricacies of nanotechnology, without sacrificing narrative momentum or accessibility.

Liu’s masterful use of literary devices, including vivid imagery, metaphor, and foreshadowing, elevates the novel beyond mere science fiction, transforming it into a work of art that resonates on multiple levels. The juxtaposition of the Cultural Revolution’s brutality with the cosmic grandeur of the Trisolarans’ plight creates a powerful contrast that underscores the novel’s exploration of humanity’s capacity for both destruction and transcendence.

Moreover, “The Three-Body Problem” serves as a poignant commentary on the intersection of science, politics, and ideology. Through the lens of the Cold War and the Cultural Revolution, Liu examines the ways in which scientific progress can be both a catalyst for societal change and a tool for oppression, raising thought-provoking questions about the ethical implications of scientific discovery.

Themes and Motifs

At its core, “The Three-Body Problem” is a meditation on the human condition, exploring themes of survival, sacrifice, and the pursuit of knowledge. The novel’s central conflict – the impending arrival of the Trisolarans – serves as a metaphor for the existential threats facing humanity, from environmental degradation to ideological extremism.

The concept of the “three-body problem” itself becomes a recurring motif, symbolizing the inherent unpredictability and complexity of the universe. Just as the gravitational interactions between three celestial bodies defy precise calculation, the novel’s characters grapple with the uncertainty of their circumstances, forced to make decisions based on incomplete information and ever-shifting allegiances.

Liu’s exploration of the Trisolarans’ culture and their struggle for survival also raises profound questions about the nature of civilization and the lengths to which a society will go to ensure its perpetuation. The novel invites readers to ponder the ethical dilemmas posed by the Trisolarans’ arrival, challenging us to consider the value we place on human life and the sacrifices we are willing to make for the greater good.

Writing Style and Tone

Cixin Liu’s writing style is a masterclass in blending scientific rigor with literary artistry. His prose is at once precise and evocative, seamlessly weaving complex scientific concepts into a narrative that captivates and enthralls. Liu’s command of language is evident in passages such as this:

“The universe is a dark forest, and every civilization is a hunter with a gun, stalking through the trees like a ghost, trying to spot others from the hints of their thermal radiation or industrial emissions while concealing itself from their sights.”

This haunting metaphor, which serves as the foundation for the “dark forest” theory of cosmic sociology, exemplifies Liu’s ability to imbue scientific ideas with poetic resonance, inviting readers to ponder the deeper implications of his narrative.

Throughout the novel, Liu maintains a tone that oscillates between the cerebral and the visceral, seamlessly transitioning from intricate scientific explanations to heart-pounding action sequences. This deft balance ensures that “The Three-Body Problem” remains both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging, a rare feat in the realm of hard science fiction.

Evaluation and Conclusion

“The Three-Body Problem” is a masterwork of science fiction that transcends genre boundaries and cultural divides. Cixin Liu’s deft storytelling, coupled with his profound insights into the human condition and the mysteries of the cosmos, has earned him a well-deserved place among the literary giants of the genre.

While the novel’s dense scientific concepts and occasional forays into philosophical abstraction may challenge some readers, those willing to embrace the intellectual rigor and depth of Liu’s narrative will be rewarded with a reading experience that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

For fans of hard science fiction, “The Three-Body Problem” is an essential addition to any reading list, offering a fresh perspective on the genre and a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Chinese science fiction. For readers seeking a literary work that transcends cultural boundaries and challenges preconceived notions, this novel is a must-read, a testament to the power of storytelling to bridge divides and inspire wonder.

Favorite Quotes

“The universe is a dark forest, and every civilization is a hunter with a gun, stalking through the trees like a ghost, trying to spot others from the hints of their thermal radiation or industrial emissions while concealing itself from their sights.” – This quote encapsulates the “dark forest” theory of cosmic sociology, a central concept in the novel that explores the inherent hostility and mistrust that may exist between civilizations in the vastness of space.
“Weakness and ignorance are not barriers to survival, but arrogance is.” – This quote speaks to the novel’s exploration of the human condition and the importance of humility in the face of the universe’s mysteries.
“The laws of physics are not absolute truth, but a set of rules that work within certain limits.” – This quote challenges the notion of scientific certainty and underscores the novel’s theme of the pursuit of knowledge and the ever-expanding boundaries of human understanding.

FAQ Section

What is the “three-body problem” in the novel, is “the three-body problem” part of a series, what is the significance of the cultural revolution in the novel, how does the novel explore the relationship between science and politics.

Cixin Liu’s “The Three-Body Problem” is a literary tour de force that defies genre conventions and transcends cultural boundaries. With its intricate blend of hard science, philosophical musings, and a gripping narrative, this novel has rightfully earned its place among the most celebrated works of science fiction.

Whether you are a seasoned reader of the genre or a newcomer seeking an intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant reading experience, “The Three-Body Problem” is a must-read. Prepare to have your mind expanded, your assumptions challenged, and your sense of wonder reignited as you embark on a cosmic odyssey that will leave an indelible mark on your literary journey.

So, fellow explorers of the literary cosmos, brace yourselves for a journey like no other, and let Cixin Liu’s masterpiece transport you to realms where the boundaries of imagination are pushed to their limits and the secrets of the universe await your discovery.

Spoilers/How Does It End?

In the climactic finale of “The Three-Body Problem,” the fate of humanity hangs in the balance as the Trisolarans’ invasion draws near. Wang Miao and his allies, armed with the knowledge gleaned from the “Three Body” game and their understanding of the sophons – advanced particles used by the Trisolarans to disrupt Earth’s technological progress – devise a daring plan to counteract the alien threat.

Through a series of ingenious maneuvers, they manage to deactivate the sophons and expose the Trisolarans’ presence to the world. However, this victory is short-lived, as the Trisolarans reveal their true nature – a ruthless and technologically superior civilization driven by the “dark forest” theory of cosmic sociology.

In a shocking twist, it is revealed that the wealthy industrialist Mike Evans has been in secret communication with the Trisolarans, acting as a double agent and facilitating their invasion plans. As the novel reaches its climax, Wang and his team must confront not only the looming threat of the Trisolarans but also the betrayal of those they once trusted.

Ultimately, the novel ends on a bittersweet note, with humanity’s survival hanging by a thread and the characters forced to grapple with the profound implications of their choices. Ye Wenjie, the catalyst for the cosmic conflict, finds herself torn between her disillusionment with humanity and her newfound understanding of the Trisolarans’ true nature, setting the stage for the next installment in the trilogy.

About the Author

Cixin Liu is a renowned Chinese science fiction author whose works have garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following both in his home country and around the world. Born in 1963 in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, Liu’s early life was shaped by the tumultuous events of the Cultural Revolution, an experience that would later inform his writing and provide a rich tapestry for his narratives.

Before embarking on his literary career, Liu worked as a computer engineer, a background that imbued his writing with a deep understanding of scientific concepts and a keen eye for technological detail. His breakthrough came with the publication of “The Three-Body Problem” in 2006, which quickly became a sensation in China and paved the way for international recognition.

In addition to the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, Liu has authored numerous other works of science fiction, including “Ball Lightning,” “The Wandering Earth,” and “Supernova Era.” His novels have been praised for their ambitious scope, scientific rigor, and thought-provoking exploration of humanity’s place in the cosmos.

Liu’s influence on the genre extends beyond his literary works, as he has played a pivotal role in promoting and elevating the status of science fiction in China. Through his advocacy and mentorship of aspiring writers, he has helped to cultivate a vibrant and diverse community of Chinese science fiction authors, ensuring that the genre continues to thrive and evolve.

Publication History and Reception

“The Three-Body Problem” was first published in serialized form in the Chinese magazine “Science Fiction World” in 2006, before being released as a standalone novel in 2008. The English translation by Ken Liu was published by Tor Books in 2014, marking the first time an Asian novel had won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Novel.

The novel’s initial reception in China was overwhelmingly positive, with readers and critics alike praising its ambitious scope, scientific accuracy, and thought-provoking themes. As the book gained international recognition, it garnered widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers marveling at Liu’s ability to blend hard science fiction with philosophical depth and cultural commentary. The novel’s success paved the way for the English translations of the subsequent installments in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, “The Dark Forest” and “Death’s End.”

In addition to the Hugo Award, “The Three-Body Problem” has received numerous other accolades, including the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. It has been praised by luminaries in the science fiction community, such as Kim Stanley Robinson and George R.R. Martin, and has been credited with introducing a new generation of readers to the rich tapestry of Chinese science fiction.

The novel’s impact has extended beyond the literary realm, with plans for a television adaptation currently in development. This adaptation, spearheaded by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of the acclaimed HBO series “Game of Thrones,” promises to bring Liu’s visionary world to life on the small screen, further cementing the novel’s status as a cultural phenomenon.

Bibliographic Details

Author(s): Cixin Liu
Title: The Three-Body Problem
Applicable Genres: Science Fiction, Hard Science Fiction, Philosophical Fiction
Bisac Categories: FICTION / Science Fiction / Hard Science Fiction, FICTION / Science Fiction / Alien Contact
Publisher: Tor Books
Place of publication: New York, USA
Year of publication: 2014 (English translation)
ISBN: 978-0765377067
Series information: Remembrance of Earth’s Past, Book 1
Page count: 400 pages
Translator(s): Ken Liu
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book
Language: English (translated from Chinese)
Subject/Genre: Science Fiction, Hard Science Fiction
Library of Congress Classification (LCC): PS3619.U8 T5713 2014
Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC): 813/.6 – Fiction, American

Where to Buy

You can purchase “The Three-Body Problem” by Cixin Liu on Bookshop.org using this affiliate link.

Other Reviews

The New York Times (4/5 stars) – “A milestone in Chinese science fiction, a novel astonishing in its ambition and execution.”
The Guardian (5/5 stars) – “A breakthrough book… a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation.”
NPR – “A stunning work of imagination and a fascinating exploration of the human condition.”
Tor.com (9/10) – “A landmark achievement in speculative fiction, and Cixin Liu is a genius.”

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (Translated by Ken Liu) Book Review

The Three-Body Problem Book Review

Liu Cixin is one of the most influential writers in science fiction, penning classic novels such as The Ball Lightning (2004), and The Supernova Era (2003). In 2008 he brought us one of his seminal works, The Remembrance of Earth’s Past series, a hard science fiction series that begins with The Three-Body Problem.

The Three-Body Problem begins in 1967, during a cultural shift in China. Ye Wenjie is a young astrophysicist who watches the death of her father at the hands of a radical group called the Red Guard. Branded a traitor, she then spends the next few years in a labour brigade in Inner Mongolia. Unfortunately, she encounters Bai Mulin, a reporter who blames her for a controversial letter, he wrote, resulting in her being arrested and placed in jail. Her fates seems to take a turn for the better when she is recruited to be part of a small scientific team run by two military physicists Yang Weining and Lei Zhicheng called the Red Coast. However, a chance encounter while working on radio waves, results in Wenjie making a decision that places humanity on a road where there is no way back.

Forty years later we follow Wang Miao, a nanomaterial researcher, who was recruited alongside detective Shi Qiang to investigate the deaths of several scientists including Ye Wenjie’s daughter, Yang Dong. During their investigation, they came across a virtual world called Three Body. A game that presents players with a planet with a climate that randomly flips between what is called Stable and Chaotic Eras. During the Chaotic Eras the weather becomes extremely hostile and impossible to predict. Players are represented with the Three-Body Problem and try to solve it.

This is the basic framework for The Three-Body Problem, but there is so much more going on between these pages. This is one of those books that is worth going in blind without any information, beyond the basics of the plot. Be prepared for a lot of scientific speech and analysis, but don’t worry, while it is used to explain a lot of things within the book, it is done in a way that is easy to understand.

The pacing of the plot is very well done, even as it flips back between different timelines, but it’s done in the story in a way that is natural. Most importantly, this book doesn’t really come out and tell you everything. It does explain what is happening in the narrative, especially at the end, but it only explains it to you. It never outright tells what is happening; it’s up to you to figure it out for yourself. There is nothing more refreshing than a book that doesn’t hold your hand, but presents you with the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and allows you to put those pieces together.

The characters are also refreshing, and while there is a clear villain, they are represented in a sympathetic manner, in such a way that you can barely call them a villain. You can completely understand why they would do what they do, and if you are so inclined, you may even side with them. However, in the term of the story, while you sympathise with their plight, you still understand that what they did was wrong, but it is left up to you whether or not you would choose to do the same. Liu clearly had a message with the novel, but it is up to you whether or not you agree with him.

So, The Three-Body Problem ends on a heavy note, contemplating humanity and its place in this soon-to-be new reality. You can choose to stop there with that bit of existential dread or venture into The Dark Forest.

Overall, The Three-Body Problem is a fantastic piece of science fiction literature that is worth reading and discussing with others. It will have you sitting back and contemplating our current place within our scientific development. Asking questions, like has our technological development stagnated? With our current political climate, are we ready for anything that comes our way? What will be the next major scientific breakthrough, and have we evolved enough to maintain our current existence if something were to happen to prevent us from developing any further?

You can check out more book reviews here!

Verdict - 9/10 9/10

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Books of Brilliance

The latest book reviews and book news.

Book Talk , Classic Novel , News

The Three-Body Problem: Book Review

The Three-Body Problem Netflix show book review

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

Today, we will be reviewing the popular sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem by Lu Cixin. Keep reading to find out what we thought of the novel and if you should read it next!

The Three-Body Problem Summary

Wang Miao, a nanotechnology professor, is approached by detective Shi Qiang to investigate the suicide of many of the world’s best scientists. Miao is surprised that many governments have come together to solve the problem at hand which he isn’t told of. But he can tell that they are preparing for war.

Soon after, Wang starts to see hallucinations that start to drive him crazy. Nobody else can see them and he is warned to stop his work. He also comes across a virtual reality game called Three-Body and enters this virtual world where he experiences extreme weathers that wipe out civilizations.

Wang wonders how all of this connected and what is happening to him and the world he is living in. Why are all the governments coming together and preparing for war. Why are the world’s best minds killing themselves? And what is Three-Body? The answer lies in the game and Wang is determined to complete it and find out who is behind it all.

Three-Body Problem History

Like many sci-fi novels, The Three-Body Problem was first serialized as a short story by Cixin in the Science Fiction World in 2006. The short story went on to win the Galaxy Award for Chinese science fiction . Two years later, Cixin published it as a standalone novel and the English translation was published in 2014 by Tor Books.

The translation became the first novel by an Asian writer to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel as well as being nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel. And it has been one of the most successful Chinese novel of the past decade.

The Netflix Adaptation

In 2024, Netflix released the show 3-Body Problem, an adaptation of the novel and brought a lot of attention to this classic sci-fi book. Netflix went all out as it let David Benioff, D. B. Weiss and Alexander Woo direct the show and the results were incredible. This makes the second adaptation of the novel, one of them being in Chinese.

The show was great for the first half of the season and then fell apart. Too many elements that aren’t in the novel are brought into the mix and make it feel more like a drama than a sci-fi series. Still, I am glad that I was able to discover the series because of the show.

My Thoughts on The Three-Body Problem

I enjoyed the novel a lot and it is easily better than the Netflix show. The changes made for the show don’t make sense but that isn’t a problem in the book Everything is connected and fits the plot well. This is a brilliant sci-fi book with its own spin on the alien invasion trope. But unlike most novels, the aliens aren’t the sole focus in this novel, even though I imagine they will be in the next couple of books.

I will be reading the rest of this series and can’t wait to read what happens. Cixin has piqued my curiosity and I am hooked. If you like alien novels, then this is a must read. Happy reading!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Share this:, 3 thoughts on “ the three-body problem: book review ”.

Add Comment

I have reading Sci-fi for over 50 years and I found the three body problem the most contrived and unbelievable story I ever read. The idea that an advanced civilization could arise on that planet is absurd, after each return to the stone age the climb up again, only to fall, would keep the civilization barely functional. As a minor note no explanation how one might handle the nano wire is given thus making it perhaps possible but hardly usable. Making the aliens practically omnipotent was the last straw. I would not recommend wasting you time. Pick up anything by Alfred Bester and save yourself $16.

Pingback: My Five Favorite Books of 2024 So Far - Books of Brilliance
Pingback: Books I Read in April - Books of Brilliance

Novel Notions

Book review: the three-body problem ((remembrance of earth’s past, #1), november 2, 2019 ts chan comments 4 comments.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu , , (Translated by: Ken Liu )

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Remembrance of Earth’s Past (Book 1 of 3)

Genre: Hard science fiction

English translation published: 2014 by Tor Books (US), 2015 by Head of Zeus (UK)

This critically well-acclaimed science fiction novel certainly deserves its laurels.

“Wildly imaginative, really interesting..” so proclaimed Barack Obama about this trilogy. From what I can gather after reading this book, I already wholeheartedly agree. The Three-Body Problem is a truly unique and original science fiction within the realm of plausibility. Melding real-world science, history, philosophy, religion and fantastical ideas, this novel delivers a beautifully-written (and translated) narrative which engages the mind, heart and soul. The story starts against the backdrop of the brutal Chinese Cultural Revolution, which afforded a highly relatable and realistic basis for its central plot. The narrative combines both present time events and flashbacks to provide the backstory of a major character who suffered through that bloodshed period. Characterisation might take a slight backseat to the plot development, but I enjoyed the unfolding of the story together with the scientific exposition so much that it did not become an issue for me. But then again, I’ve always been a bit of a geek when it comes to popular science topics, and especially astrophysics.

It is also actually quite frightening how much I identify with the ideology presented in this thought-provoking novel. Is humanity worth salvation with the destructiveness it presents to this wondrous planet?

Even if God were here, it wouldn’t do any good. The entire human race has reached the point where no one is listening to their prayers.

I opted to write a shorter review for this simply because part of my enjoyment was derived from knowing as little as possible. It was timely that I recently had the impetus to read up on theoretical and astrophysics as this helped my (little) understanding of the science in the novel. Having said that, one does not need to really know or fully comprehend the technical details to appreciate the story. However, if you are a fan of science, fiction or otherwise, who will love to see the application of these fundamental theories in a captivating story, do yourself a favour and pick up this book sooner than later.

Review originally written in 2018

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

View all my reviews

4 thoughts on “ Book Review: The Three-Body Problem ((Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) ”

I’ve been looking at this book for what feels like forever! I must pick it up – great review.

Thank you! No better time than to.do so during SciFiMonth 😆

Succinct and very intriguing, my friend!

I too also identify with the ideology mentioned above, and it is quite a scary thought.

Thank you! And yes, absolutely! You should also check out Steven Erikson’s Rejoice which is also about first contact and treads along the same ideology.

Aliens attack science in '3 Body Problem,' a new adaptation of a Chinese sci-fi novel

Eric Deggans

The new Netflix series brings to life a sprawling, successful Chinese novel outlining a new kind of alien invasion. Above, Zine Tseng in 3 Body Problem. Maria Heras/Netflix hide caption

The new Netflix series brings to life a sprawling, successful Chinese novel outlining a new kind of alien invasion. Above, Zine Tseng in 3 Body Problem.

My favorite kind of science fiction involves stories rooted in real science — much as I love a good lightsaber or phaser fight, there is something special about seeing characters wrestle with concepts closer to our current understanding of how the universe works.

That's why I enjoy so much of what happens in Netflix's 3 Body Problem , the TV series which brings to life a sprawling, successful Chinese novel rooted in science, outlining a new kind of alien invasion.

Book Reviews

'three-body problem' asks a classic sci-fi question, in chinese.

3 Body Problem actually starts with two problems. First, we meet investigators tackling a string of unexplained suicides by scientists, including one who had a bizarre countdown written on the walls of his home in blood with his eyes gouged out. (Fortunately, viewers only see the horrific aftermath.) Benedict Wong plays one of those investigators, continually lightening the show's ominous vibe with his spot-on portrayal of a world-weary gumshoe tracking the world's biggest mystery with a healthy dose of gallows humor.

Benedict Wong plays Da Shi in 3 Body Problem. Ed Miller/Netflix hide caption

Benedict Wong plays Da Shi in 3 Body Problem.

"One of the betting sites had him picked as a favorite for the next Nobel Prize in physics," Wong's assistant tells him of the scientist who died.

"You can bet on that?" Wong's character replies, looking over the gruesome scene.

Tracking why science is broken

The other problem which surfaces immediately is that science seems to have stopped working. Researchers are reporting results from experiments in supercolliders that make no sense, putting the lie to all our accepted theories of physics. Saul Durand — played by Jovan Adepo, Durand is one among a group of brilliant, young scientist friends at the center of the story — notes simply, "science is broken."

Jovan Adepo and Jess Hong in 3 Body Problem. Ed Miller/Netflix hide caption

Jovan Adepo and Jess Hong in 3 Body Problem.

This all adds up to a unique attack on humanity's scientific progress. But who – or what – is behind these bizarre occurrences, involving events which don't seem possible in the modern world?

Netflix's show takes its time unveiling the full scope of the story and answering these questions, which leads to the third problem here. It takes a while for the series' narrative to really gain momentum – my advice is to hang on through the first three episodes (yes, I also hate streaming shows which ask this of beleaguered viewers; but in this case, it's worth it).

The pacing may not be a surprise, given that two of the series' three creators are David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, former showrunners of HBO's Game of Thrones , which had its own problems with narrative flow at times (the third creator is former True Blood writer/executive producer Alexander Woo). Once the show does find its groove, the series builds into an epic science fiction tale with eye-popping special effects – the tragic destruction of a huge ship packed with people is one that stuck with me long after viewing — and a timeline stretching from China's 1960s-era cultural revolution to the present day.

Bringing a Chinese sci fi-literary triumph to TV

Netflix's 3 Body Problem is based on a 2008 novel from Chinese engineer and science fiction writer Liu Cixin; the original novel became a book series touted by big names like Barack Obama. It managed the neat trick of popularizing Chinese science fiction internationally while delivering compelling observations on the nature of humanity's societal and technological progress, some of which actually find their way into the TV show.

Cultural Revolution-Meets-Aliens: Chinese Writer Takes On Sci-Fi

It makes sense that a story like this — which crosses between Western and Chinese culture to tell the story of a planet under threat – would be cracked by Netflix. The streaming service has educated a generation of American customers to appreciate smart, entertaining TV from South Korea, Latin America, Europe and elsewhere across the globe.

So kicking off 3 Body Problem with a scene showing a young Chinese scientist watching an angry mob murder her father – who is also a scientist – during the purges of China's cultural revolution feels daring and entirely on brand. Later on, that younger scientist, fueled by hate and loss, will make a decision that puts the entire planet at risk, showing how disappointment in humanity's missteps can lead to desperate, misguided solutions.

Fans of the books will find some tweaks here to make for better television, amping up the thriller elements of the story to ask a compelling question: How to fight an alien enemy targeting the world's scientific progress?

As the characters in 3 Body Problem lurch toward answers, we all get to bask in an ambitious narrative fueling an ultimately impressive tale. Just remember to be patient as the series sets the stage early on.

Correction April 23, 2024

A photo caption in a previous version of this story incorrectly identified actor Jess Hong as her character in 3 Body Problem , Jin Cheng.

Enter the characters you see below

Sorry, we just need to make sure you're not a robot. For best results, please make sure your browser is accepting cookies.

Type the characters you see in this image:

Book Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Liu Cixin

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

Note: Some links throughout our site are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

(click the images above to purchase these books through Amazon)

The details of the remembrance of earth’s past Trilogy (also called the three-body trilogy in reference to the first book)

The Three-Body Problem is 416 pages, published in China in 2008 and published in English in 2014 (translation by Ken Liu)

The Dark Forest is 528 pages, published in 2015 (translation by Joel Martinsen)

Death's End is 624 pages, published in 2016 (translation by Ken Liu)

YOU MAY ENJOY THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE

Chinese history * Literary Science Fiction * Physics * Futuristic Ideas

TRAVEL INSPIRATION

This trilogy begins against the backdrop of the real-life Cultural Revolution in China, which occurred from approximately 1966 to 1976. The commentary, details, and perspectives offered about that time period are interesting and are told through the eyes of the author, who lived his formative years during this experience.

As translator Ken Liu describes in the afterward of the initial book in the trilogy, one of the challenges he was confronted with in translating this novel from Chinese to English is the different cultural ways of presenting a novel. He purposefully made the decision to translate portions of the book into styles more familiar to English-language readers and at other times maintained the integrity of the original style for affect. He also describes consulting with the author about places to add more historical detail and context for English-language readers who would not have the same familiarity as those reading the novel in Chinese.

As the trilogy progresses, the setting shifts from China out into the skies and stars, endless unexplored territory!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: liu cixin

Liu Cixin was born in China in 1963, on the cusp of the Cultural Revolution, which ended when he was about 13 years old. In his own afterward in The Three-Body Problem , Liu describes his views on science fiction. He writes that while the genre is often used to provide lessons to humanity via alternative reality scenarios, he doesn’t believe in approaching science fiction from that perspective. Liu is more enamored with the imagination of telling a beautiful story based in and of science, bringing it to life for people through a novel. It is hard, though, for a reader to not see parallels between the world Liu describes and warnings for our collective future.

Liu has won several coveted awards for his science fiction and has produced several works beyond this trilogy. He currently resides in China. At first read, a reader may wonder how Liu’s story is received in China, which is known for censoring works not aligned with government messaging; however, Liu has vocally shared his alignment to Chinese government policies and ideas. He received some negative press based on statements in support of the Chinese policy against the Uighur Muslim population. This led some individuals to push for Netflix, which had gained rights, to hold off on their production; however, they proceeded, have wrapped up filming (as of October 2022) and plan for a 2023 release.

While I personally disagree wholeheartedly with the Chinese treatment of the Uighur population, this conundrum begs the question: Can a Chinese writer honestly state his perspectives and have his work published and his personal safety (and that of his wife and daughter) maintained? Does Liu actually believe these things or is this a go-along-to-get-along strategy? No one except Liu himself can ever know the answer to that, and his visible support of the government in this regard has a real, negative impact regardless of any private thoughts. That said, I personally find Liu’s position that he is not trying to make any statements about humanity in his novels to be a bit suspect, but it does provide a nice bit of cover for him with his own government.

(Note: In China, individuals use their family name prior to their given name, so while “Liu Cixin” is the culturally-appropriate order for the author’s name, Westernized versions will flip the order to the more familiar “Cixin Liu”. For purposes of this review, I will use the culturally-appropriate option.)

Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy

“To infinity and beyond!” the call of the character Buzz Lightyear in the popular movie Toy Story might be the best unofficial motto of this trilogy, though that is skipping ahead to the final book in the trilogy. Consider for a moment what it would take for humans to truly turn all their focus to the skies. What impact would that have on the political, social, economic, and intellectual aspects of Earth? What if the gaze heavenward is the result of an existential threat from an alien society that is headed to the planet . . . but won’t arrive for centuries? In essence, it is these concepts that Liu explores through just such a story. He creates a myriad of complex, interesting characters and sub-plots that show various angles of this situation starting at the present and streaming out into the future.

If that is all of the hook you need to pick up the first book, you can read no further! If you’re looking for reviews of each of the books, keep on reading below. I tried to minimize any spoiler alerts but by the nature of reviewing a trilogy, anything that occurs in book two or three will naturally provide readers with a sense of where the story will go.

REVIEW OF Book 1: the three-body problem BY Liu cixin

Amidst the upheavel and overthrow of the previously-admired academics during the Cultural Revolution, a young girl's family life was torn asunder. Her sister died as a revolutionary in battle, and her professor father's brutal demise was hastened by her mother, who decided to save herself and throw away her ideals. The young girl, Ye Wenjie, tainted by her familial associations, is pulled into the inner-sanctum of the Red Guard's isolated, mountain-top research station. Over years of trials and tribulations, Ye Wenjie's intelligence and work ethic gain her access to information that will shape the rest of her life and change the trajectory of humankind.

The Three-Body Problem tackles the ultimate question of the cosmos: If there is intelligent life out there existing at the same time as ours, what would proof of their existence mean for humans and what would the interaction between the two civilizations look like?

Liu takes an imaginative approach in exploring this concept and questions why many people expect that other intelligent life would be kind to humans when in fact Earth-bound humans so quickly separate themselves into to warring factions. Through a complex storyline that evolves over the post-Cultural Revolution decades, Liu introduces readers to the Trisolaran society through a fascinating computer game/virtual reality construct.

The Trisolaran people are exactly what their name entails - a people populating a planet that has three revolving suns, which is an example of the real-life three-body problem in physics upon which this series is based. With perpetual instability on their planet, the Trisolarans are in desperate need of a longer-term solution that presents itself in the form of Earth.

There is some complicated real and imagined physics and nanotechnology covered in the novel that is presented in a way that a non-scientific reader can appreciate without too much granularity, not an easy task, especially for a book translated from Chinese to English!

The Three-Body Problem ends in a way that sets the stage for the future challenges Earth will face in the second and third books of the trilogy.

Readers not well-versed in Chinese names may have a slight amount of difficulty in keeping the characters straight, though I do not want to over-state this. There is a character reference at the start of the novel that lists the characters, their key role/job, and their relationships to each other as a handy guide.

I found myself completely immersed in the world brought to life in The Three-Body Problem. Just like Wang Miao, the character who kept logging back in to the virtual reality game in the novel, I kept fanning open the pages of my book to see what was going to happen next. We know our own world so well that one of the greatest features of this novel is that it allows readers to imagine another sort of world entirely and to tease out potential answers to some of life's macro questions.

REVIEW OF book 2: the dark forest BY Liu cixin

The Dark Forest begins and ends with an ant, a fitting analogy for the story of humanity told in the intervening 500 pages. This second book of the trilogy picks up three years after Earth entered crisis mode and spans about two hundred years into the future as Earth awaits the drawn-out interstellar conflict.

The threat from beyond has shuffled eras-old governmental structures and created a one-for-all mentality in the form of a new governmental agency. The agency has developed a unique solution to humanity’s problem, encompassed in the Wallfacer Project, which plucks four individuals from around the globe and places humanity’s salvation in their hands. While three were well-known in their fields, a fourth is plucked from obscurity and into the limelight. That individual, Luo Ji, becomes a central character as his fascinating story spans the length of the entire second book in this series which, yes, means that he survives two hundred years into the future as well. This is accomplished through a very handy “Hibernation” feature that humanity has discovered.

The Dark Forest explores the full range of human reactions to an impending meet-up with another civilization - from Defeatism (the belief that humanity has no hope) to Escapism (the belief that humanity must escape Earth to survive, a concept rife with inequity around who would survive) to the sense that the meeting will be a cosmic kumbaya. It also explores the so-called dark forest of the cosmos, how all civilizations must ultimately operate to obliterate all others for their own survival, like a hunter slinking around in a literal forest.

One of the interesting juxtapositions of this novel was the comparison between the original (present-day) time period to the era two hundred years in the future. In the future society, humanity is fully certain that the Trisolarians are on their way to Earth for a peaceful interaction and that, in fact, the Trisolarians will be in need of assistance from humankind. Through dialogue, we learn about the Great Ravine and other dark times that occurred over those prior centuries until humanity emerged into a new, mostly underground, stable society. Climate change is referenced in passing comments about the desertification above ground.

Ultimately, this novel continues to explore related concepts to the first book. Namely, what is it to hope for or to despair of the future and how does humanity react when faced with its own mortality. A parallel I thought about as I read this is how blind people are to real threats facing them in the present. Climate change and all that encompasses is an immediate threat that will impact the lives and lifespans of people alive today, but somehow it feels like a removed threat to many people. Perhaps the difference is an internally created threat (i.e., climate change) compared to an externally created threat (i.e., an alien civilization). In either case, I am not sure that humans have the tools to respond meaningfully. Perhaps our planet is its own dark forest.

By the end of the novel, there is some hope through Luo Ji’s actions that have out-strategized the Trisolarians, at least for the moment.

REVIEW OF book 3: death’s end BY Liu cixin

The pace of the story contained within this trilogy is never slow, but it picks up speed even further in Death's End , the final installment. This is partially due to the length of this book, which is the longest of the three, but more strongly tied to the time hopping of the main characters, who are able to "hibernate". Toward the end of the book, time moves forward at even an infinite pace.

Death’s End follows a handful of characters as they traverse the risk-infused future where Earth is at risk. Using both believable and extremely inventive future technologies, the story unfolds across the universe. As in the prior two books, humanity continues to seek a way to survive in a universe that they now know is not a pleasant or safe place to exist.

Some of my favorite parts of this novel were the imaginative descriptions of future centuries on - and beyond - Earth. Liu also incorporates the idea of multi-dimensional planes into a creative series of “children’s stories” told by one of the characters, and then plays them out in the real world of his characters.

Overall, I have very much enjoyed this entire series, but I think the final book is my favorite. Many trilogies lose steam as they progress, so I was happy to see that Liu is able to carry the story through while continuing to build an intriguing storyline. I can promise you that you will never look up at the night sky or consider the distant future without finding one or more of the concepts in this trilogy folded into your contemplation.

DISCUSS the three body trilogy

What aspect of this trilogy seemed most likely to come to pass to you? What seemed least likely?

Click the image below to save this review to Pinterest for later!

Pinterest_book review of the three body problem trilogy.jpg

Check out our reviews of other books set in China:

Book Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Liu Cixin

Check out all of our book reviews

Book Review: The Three-Body Problem

A few years ago, someone suggested that I read the Remembrance of Earth's Past series, so of course, I added it to my Overdrive wish list so I could eventually listen to the audiobook. I'm usually down to read some hard sci-fi since it's a niche genre I enjoy. I was intrigued that this book came from China because I don't usually think of hard sci-fi when I think of that country. In fact, I hardly think of literature that wasn't written hundreds of years ago.

It's been about five months since I read this book, so this review is a long time coming. I still vaguely know what this book was about and what science was explored within its prose, but that's about it. Nothing stuck with me other than the sense that it was a bit of an Ender's Game ripoff. I would have liked to connect with the characters a bit more, but The Three-Body Problem seemed too bogged down in trying to get its complex science across to spend enough time creating characters that I liked.

Ultimately, much like the Broken Earth trilogy, I can understand the hype this book had received, even if it didn't fully grab me when I listened to the audiobook. I'll continue this series if for no other reason than it presented an interesting idea that I'd like to see to completion. Perhaps the fact that I'm listening to a translation of the original Chinese story is what's reducing some of my enjoyment of this book, which isn't necessarily the book's fault. I think the world is big enough for other non-Anglo cultures to tell stories like this, and for this reason alone, I would recommend fans of hard sci-fi at least give The Three-Body Problem a chance.

Interesting hard sci-fi concepts from China, I give The Three-Body Problem 3.5 stars out of 5.

Biggest New Books
Non-Fiction
All Categories
First Readers Club Daily Giveaway
How It Works

Get the Book Marks Bulletin

Email address:

Categories Fiction Fantasy Graphic Novels Historical Horror Literary Literature in Translation Mystery, Crime, & Thriller Poetry Romance Speculative Story Collections Non-Fiction Art Biography Criticism Culture Essays Film & TV Graphic Nonfiction Health History Investigative Journalism Memoir Music Nature Politics Religion Science Social Sciences Sports Technology Travel True Crime

August 7, 2024

The literature of hating summer
How Jesmyn Ward discovered Alice Walker, Gloria Naylor and Toni Morrison
What separates humans from machines?

AV Undercover

Peter Riegert was the secret sauce for The Mask's manic comedy

Film Features

Film Trivia Fact Check: Danzig ain’t no goddamn Wolverine

More Film Features

10 of our favorite natural disaster movies ranked by destructiveness

More Film Lists

What if Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix Jokerfied every movie?

More Film News

Evil takes root in the traditionally slow-burn folk horror Starve Acre

More Film Reviews

Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts

An Escalating War in the Middle East

Tensions are on a knife edge after israel carried out a strike on the hezbollah leader allegedly behind an attack in the golan heights..

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Ben Hubbard

Produced by Rachelle Bonja and Sydney Harper

With Shannon M. Lin and Will Reid

Edited by Lexie Diao and Patricia Willens

Original music by Dan Powell and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Warning: This episode contains audio of war.

Over the past few days, the simmering feud between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, has reached a critical moment.

Ben Hubbard, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times, explains why the latest tit-for-tat attacks are different and why getting them to stop could be so tough.

On today’s episode

Ben Hubbard , the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times.

A pile of rubble with a city skyline in the background. A man in white trousers and a black T-shirt is standing atop the pile.

Background reading

Israel says it killed a Hezbollah commander , Fuad Shukr, in an airstrike near Beirut.

The Israeli military blamed Mr. Shukr for an assault on Saturday that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

Ben Hubbard is the Istanbul bureau chief, covering Turkey and the surrounding region. More about Ben Hubbard

IMAGES

The Three Body Problem
The Three Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem (Paperback)
Book Review: The Three-Body Problem
The three body problem book review
The Three Body Problem // Review

VIDEO

3 Body Problem: The Best Tv Series Coming Out Next Year
My favorite passage in The Three-Body Problem book
The Three Body Problem Aliens going there own way
Three Body Problem
3 Body Problem Easter Eggs EXPLAINED
The Three-Body Problem

COMMENTS

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM
Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes poignant—provided the reader has a generously willing suspension of disbelief. Share your opinion of this book. Strange and fascinating alien-contact yarn, the first of a trilogy from China's most celebrated science-fiction author.
REVIEW: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
A sci-fi masterpiece that explores the Fermi paradox, the Cultural Revolution, and the value of humanity. The novel blends hard sciences, philosophy, and sociology with a gripping plot and vivid characters.
From the beginning to the end: Liu Cixin's Three-Body Trilogy
A comprehensive review of the sci-fi series that spans the future of Earth and its encounter with the Trisolarans, a hostile alien civilization. The review covers the plot, the themes, the scale, and the implications of the trilogy, as well as some criticisms and praises.
THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM: BOOK REVIEW
The book takes its name from a real-life physics problem, which attempts to solve for the trajectories of three masses in an orbital system using Newton's laws. The orbits are chaotic, so the problem has no closed-form solution. Much like the question of perfecting society, the three-body problem is ever-evolving and likely impossible.
Book Review: The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu
The Three-Body Problem is chock full of imaginative technological exploits. One of the characters uses the sun to broadcast radio waves to the universe. An army of men work together to create a human motherboard by waving flags to mimic circuits. Nanofilaments form a deadly, invisible web. Two protons are coded on a global scale.
Book Review: 'The Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu
Not only is The Three-Body Problem a great story, but it's an excellent thought stimulator and conversation starter. Netflix is coming out with a limited series based on Liu's story on March 21st, and I hope it is just as thought-provoking as the book. Rating: 8/10. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is now available in most places where ...
Three Body Problem Book One Review and Summary
"The Three-Body Problem" is a tour de force of literary craftsmanship, seamlessly blending hard science fiction with philosophical musings and cultural commentary. One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its ability to tackle complex scientific concepts, such as the titular three-body problem and the intricacies of nanotechnology ...
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (Translated by Ken Liu) Book Review
A hard science fiction novel by Liu Cixin that explores the consequences of a scientific breakthrough and the nature of humanity. Read the plot summary, the characters, the themes, and the verdict of this book review.
Book Marks reviews of The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
If The Three-Body Problem ...helps bridge the gap between Eastern and Western SF, it will have performed a great duty for the literary world. But as a science-fiction epic of the most profound kind, it's already won. Cixin Liu is the champion of Chinese sci-fi, and his The Three-Body Problem ... is The War of the Worlds for the 21st century ...
The Three-Body Problem: Book Review
The Three-Body Problem Summary. Wang Miao, a nanotechnology professor, is approached by detective Shi Qiang to investigate the suicide of many of the world's best scientists. Miao is surprised that many governments have come together to solve the problem at hand which he isn't told of. But he can tell that they are preparing for war.
Three Interpretations of 'The Three-Body Problem'
123. By Ross Douthat. Opinion Columnist. Having watched some (though not quite all) of "3 Body Problem," Netflix's hit adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem," the first book in a science ...
Book Review: 'The Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu
Dec. 12, 2014 3:20 pm ET. Share. Resize. Cixin Liu is the champion of Chinese sci-fi, and his "The Three-Body Problem" (Tor, 399 pages, $25.99) is "The War of the Worlds" for the 21st ...
'Three-Body Problem' Asks A Classic Sci-Fi Question, In Chinese
The Three-Body Problem spans multiple decades and characters, but it zooms in on Ye Wenjie and Wang Miao, two scientists in the very near future. Wenjie is an astrophysicist with a haunted past ...
The Three-Body Problem (novel)
The Three-Body Problem (Chinese: 三体; lit. 'three body') is a 2008 novel by the Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin.It is the first novel in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. The series portrays a fictional past, present, and future wherein Earth encounters an alien civilization from a nearby system of three Sun-like stars orbiting one another, a representative example of the ...
Book Review: The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, , (Translated by: Ken Liu) My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars. Series: Remembrance of Earth's Past (Book 1 of 3) Genre: Hard science fiction. English translation published: 2014 by Tor Books (US), 2015 by Head of Zeus (UK) This critically well-acclaimed science fiction novel certainly deserves its laurels.
'3 Body Problem' review: Alien invasion cripples science in new Netflix
Netflix's 3 Body Problem is based on a 2008 novel from Chinese engineer and science fiction writer Liu Cixin; the original novel became a book series touted by big names like Barack Obama. It ...
The Three-Body Problem (The Three-Body Problem Series, 1)
The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL Over 1 million copies sold in North America "A mind-bending epic." ― The New York Times • " War of the Worlds for the 21st century." ― The Wall Street Journal • "Fascinating." ― TIME • "Extraordinary." ― The New Yorker • "Wildly imaginative." ―Barack Obama ...
Book Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Liu Cixin
Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy "To infinity and beyond!" the call of the character Buzz Lightyear in the popular movie Toy Story might be the best unofficial motto of this trilogy, though that is skipping ahead to the final book in the trilogy. Consider for a moment what it would take for humans to truly turn all their focus to the skies.
Book Review: The Three-Body Problem
Nothing stuck with me other than the sense that it was a bit of an Ender's Game ripoff. I would have liked to connect with the characters a bit more, but The Three-Body Problem seemed too bogged down in trying to get its complex science across to spend enough time creating characters that I liked. Ultimately, much like the Broken Earth trilogy ...
All Book Marks reviews for The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem is one of the most surprising novels I've read in recent memory. Not because it's full of twists and turns (though it is), but because it's so different from what I've come to expect in modern science fiction, in terms of narrative and storytelling techniques. Perhaps most surprising to me is that a ...
Liu Cixin's 'The Three-Body Problem' Is Published in U.S.
In a Topsy-Turvy World, China Warms to Sci-Fi. Liu Cixin, whose novel "The Three-Body Problem" is being published in the United States. Courtesy of Liu Cixin. BEIJING — With a state-owned power ...
5 great sci-fi books you should read if you liked 3 Body Problem
T he new sci-fi show 3 Body Problem dropped on Netflix this week, an epic tale about humanity's first contact with an advanced extraterrestrial civilization. While there are some mixed reviews ...
AV Club
The A.V. Club covers film, TV, music, games, books and more — pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.
An Escalating War in the Middle East
Tensions are on a knife edge after Israel carried out a strike on the Hezbollah leader allegedly behind an attack in the Golan Heights.

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM

DARK MATTER

Please select an existing bookshelf

Please sign up to continue.

Almost there!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

REVIEW: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Read The Three-Body Problem

You may also like

REVIEW: Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

REVIEW: A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons

REVIEW: Lair of the Crystal Fang by S. A. Sidor

TURN YOUR INBOX INTO A GRIMBOX

GET GRIT IN YOUR INBOX

Get a free magazine

Andrew Liptak

From the beginning to the end: Liu Cixin's Three-Body Trilogy

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM: BOOK REVIEW

CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN: BOOK REVIEW

Nick Wisseman

Book Review: The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu

Book Review: ‘The Three-Body Problem’ by Cixin Liu

The Three-Body Problem takes place in a dangerous Chinese climate

Game over for Earth in The Three-Body Problem ?

A bouncing of timelines in Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem

Great story by Cixin Liu, and hopefully a great Netflix adaptation

Luna Gauthier

The Three-Body Problem: A Masterpiece of Chinese Science Fiction

03 Apr The Three-Body Problem: A Masterpiece of Chinese Science Fiction

Plot Summary

Character Descriptions

Themes and Motifs

Writing Style and Tone

Evaluation and Conclusion

Favorite Quotes

FAQ Section

Spoilers/How Does It End?

About the Author

Publication History and Reception

Bibliographic Details

Where to Buy

Other Reviews

Share this:

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (Translated by Ken Liu) Book Review

The Three-Body Problem Book Review

You can check out more book reviews here!

Leave a comment

Books of Brilliance

The Three-Body Problem: Book Review

The Three-Body Problem Summary

Three-Body Problem History

My Thoughts on The Three-Body Problem

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Novel Notions

4 thoughts on “ Book Review: The Three-Body Problem ((Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) ”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Aliens attack science in '3 Body Problem,' a new adaptation of a Chinese sci-fi novel

Book Reviews

Tracking why science is broken

Bringing a Chinese sci fi-literary triumph to TV

Cultural Revolution-Meets-Aliens: Chinese Writer Takes On Sci-Fi

Correction April 23, 2024

Enter the characters you see below

Type the characters you see in this image:

Book Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Liu Cixin

The details of the remembrance of earth’s past Trilogy (also called the three-body trilogy in reference to the first book)

YOU MAY ENJOY THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE

TRAVEL INSPIRATION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: liu cixin

Review of The Three-Body Problem Trilogy

REVIEW OF Book 1: the three-body problem BY Liu cixin

REVIEW OF book 2: the dark forest BY Liu cixin

REVIEW OF book 3: death’s end BY Liu cixin

DISCUSS the three body trilogy

Book Review: The Three-Body Problem

Get the Book Marks Bulletin

August 7, 2024

Film Features

An Escalating War in the Middle East