The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

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Just finished The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. The book was nominated for the Nebula award. If you like history (Chinese cultural revolution) and conspiracy theories you will like this book. The book was translated towards english by a Chinese translator. It reads well.

Has anyone else read this book? What did you think of it?

Comments

  • 3

    I read it a few months ago. I enjoyed it! It seemed rather Asimov-like overall, in terms of language style, structure, and the science used in the plot. It was refreshing to read something that came from a non-Western culture.

  • 2

    I read it a couple of years ago and quite liked it, though not enough to buy the sequel. Like @NeilNjae says, it was good to get a nonWestern perspective, though that also meant that I found some passages which the author obviously felt important to be dull enough they could easily have been cut. The basic premise was interesting, if a little dark for my normal taste, and it was well executed by author and translator.

  • 2

    I also enjoyed reading the first one, but I couldn't get through the second. I do feel it could have used another round through the rock tumbler to smooth out some rough edges.

  • 1
    edited January 2019

    It took me a while to finish the book I admit because I didn't know if it was going anywhere interesting. It's only after the mid-point that I started really getting into it. I'll try to read book two. I survived reading the Annihilation trilogy :s , I should be able to read Liu Chixin's second book...

  • 2

    Just finished the second book and immediately started reading the third book. It's a slow burn trilogy. The second book has the same slow pace as the first, in its first quarter, but then something happens and it becomes the big space galaxy story the reader has been waiting for. Glad I didn't stop reading the seconde book. By the end of the second book all the ground work of the first book becomes much richer. I will probably reread the first book once I finished the trilogy just to come full the circle. I waited too long before reading the second book.

  • 1
    I will definitely have to check this series out.
  • 1

    I'm interested to read this also. Perhaps it could be someone's suggestion for an upcoming monthly book?

  • 0
    I'd be happy to read either the first one again, or the sequel
  • 2
    edited September 2019

    Just finished the third book of the trilogy. It is non-action driven, very dark and hard science fiction. I've never been scared by a book before but the third book chilled my bone marrow. Liu Cixin deserves his reputation as an important sci-fi author. The slow burn buildup and reveal is demanding but worth the effort imho. The original Chinese version was written between 2008-2010. Remember that when you read the trilogy. Very cutting edge for the time. I won't say more about the trilogy for fear of spoiling it.

  • 0

    BTW Liu Cixin is also the author of The Wandering Earth, which is available for viewing on Netflix (and no doubt elsewhere). The story is kind of absurd in this case as he has compressed about a billion years of stellar development and change into a human lifespan, but that said, it's an engaging plotline and quite well done provided you suspend willing disbelief from time to time.

    One critic said "Frant Gwo's adaptation of the 2000 novella by Liu Cixin is no genre classic, but its furious pace, spectacular visuals, and fanciful plot deliver decent escapist entertainment." And I can't disagree!

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