The Three Body Problem [spoilers] | Let's Not Call It A Review

[@moji2363]

It’s one of those series that you never forget. Years later, you are sitting in the beach and then BAAM the whole dark forest idea hits you again. And you have to think about it for a couple of minutes.

[@PlopThePlopper]

I read the series a couple months ago and at times the dark forest theory just hits me.. it's something else truly!

[@bghammock]

Every time I look up at night ..

[@tsukasa1608]

I know after reading the series I've never look at the stars the same as I used to anymore.

[@robotacid]

I'll never forget how the protagonist of Dark Forest has the UN find him a wife and the woman in question is fine with it and that's her whole personality.

[@Summalogicae]

@@robotacidYeah, it’s kinda disgusting

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

I think you brought a lot of great insight with the historical context, and I completely agree that the plotting and themes in this one were just utterly engaging. He’s action of sending the signal was horrifying yet totally understandable in her context. I can’t wait to follow your journey through the rest of the trilogy!

[@veedee8939]

Wang’s story is set in the 2000s which is many years after the cultural revolution. I don’t think his detachment is a result of the revolution. Liu has told in interviews that he uses characters merely as story telling devices and deliberately didn’t give them much character development so that’s why you didn’t see much of his wife and kids

[@MartinLewisEsq]

Also he's a total misogynist, so

[@annaissodone]

when i finished the first book those last words "you're bugs" they stayed with me for days! i would sit and work and then remember those words and a moment of horror would sink into me. that book scarred me mentally for weeks.

[@MartinLewisEsq]

Do they have 'bugs' on Trisolaris? While we are thinking about Trisolaris, how did any life evolve in such an unstable environment? TBF, it's best not to think about anything to do with this series of books, because none of it makes a lick of sense.

[@ghost79ish]

​@@MartinLewisEsqgot to disagree with you there. The book makes a lot of sense in my opinion. It's just very dark and there are certain things that people would rather not think about. As far as the tri-solarians go, they're never fully described in the book series, but somewhere in the third book I believe it's mentioned that they are somewhat like a small insect, think of a tardigrade which has the ability to dehydrate itself and survive under very extreme circumstances. We as humans have this tendency to think of these extreme environments as unlivable just because they're unlivable to us. In all likelihood the universe is teeming with life that we could scarcely imagine.

[@chuckmaddox6725]

We have to remember that this book is written in China and they have to approve anything that is written - especially if it's released in other countries. This could explain the lack of character reflection

[@Montie-Adkins]

The 2nd book has one of the greatest concepts I've ever read in a book.

[@bghammock]

The title concept? If so .. yes

[@Montie-Adkins]

@@bghammock OK SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT NO READ NO READ SCROLL DOWN > > > > > >> > > > > There's dude with a handle that looks a bit like a sword hilt but it's the control for Mutually Assured Destruction on a galactic scale, and he is the only one with access to do it. So yes, related to the title concept.

[@bghammock]

@@Montie-Adkins Indeed! Excellent use of the no spoiling by the way :)

[@JamesEatWorld7758]

I’m still terrified of teardrops because of that book

[@sket179]

Spoilerfree: I love the second book too, perhaps more than the first one. The only let-down is somewhat one-dimensional portrayal of woman.

[@darKuchiki]

I agree with you so much about this book. The lack of characterization didn't bother me at all as i was so engrossed in the plot from the beginning but also the setting/beginning of the book was fascinating as well. Spoilers below: My favorite parts of the book were the countdown imprinted in his eyes which was so tense and terrifying and also when the trisolarans unfolded the proton in 2 dimensions and you learn thats it's basically a micro-universe full of life absolutely blew my mind. The only thing i didn't enjoy so much was the VR sections i found them quite boring most of the time but overall it was a fantastic book and it might actually be my favorite of the trilogy.

[@braydenswinhart]

I do agree for the most part in regards to the VR section. It dragged a bit in the moment and the outside world was so much more interesting at the time. However looking back at those sections with the full picture is fascinating. The idea of seeing this world with Wang as the Trisolarians did and not understanding anything. These ideas thrown around that were all fantastical but all probable only for most of them to end in death for many was chilling. Plus the reveal of the concept of the 3 suns and what exactly is causing stable and chaotic eras. I definitely resonated with that one Neet (forgot his name) when he was talking about how a single sphere in a void is boring, and how 2 spheres is also boring. But with 3 spheres they can rotate and move in thousands of millions of different ways affecting the other spheres with their respective gravitational pulls. It’s recontextualizes the VR portion as now we have seen the macro scale, these balls smaller than baseballs moving around in weird and different ways, to now be the micro scale where these spheres are fiery balls of destruction and life and how the 3 of them pass this small pebble around and on this pebble are beings fighting desperately to survive. Long comment, but it’s one of my favorite things to look back on and just picture it in my minds eye.

[@SusantheNerdy]

Thank you for this. I've tried to read this a few times and haven't been able to get into it because I don't have enough cultural background yet to really get it. And it can actually be hard to find discussions with spoilers - I prefer spoilers, because it allows me to focus more on the story and enjoy it when I'm not trying to absorb everything all at once, especially when it has an unfamiliar cultural milieu. I know the vague outline of the plot, but even that doesn't quite grok by itself. This has actually really made me want to try again

[@MartinLewisEsq]

It's a terrible book that punishes the reader for paying any attention to plot, character, science, reason, language, generally anything. Liu hates the human race, and women in particular. He has stated that he supports the internment of Uyghur people and describes them as less than human. His lack of humanity, and inability for self reflection, is evident throughout the trilogy. In particular the paranoid 'dark forest' bs. Don't waste your time. Read War of The Worlds by H G Wells if you want to cover a lot of the same ideas, but in a well written, gripping tale.

[@jennd2100]

I found your review more enjoyable than my attempts to read this book. Between the slow pacing, the struggle to figure out what what is going on and why I should care stacked on top of ADHD… just not for me. I’m glad you enjoyed it though, and it’s always fun to see your reactions!

[@KevinHorecka]

Agreed. I love sci fi but this series was a slog. I probably shouldn't have finished it, but everyone said it had all these unique ideas. It seemed like the author just spent too much time on the Fermi paradox Wikipedia. It didn't feel "smart" to me, it felt like a bunch of random sci fi buzzwords staples together.

[@murrayisarobot]

I almost gave up reading but I persisted and I'm glad I did. The opening with Ye Wenjie was gripping, then the next 3rd was an extreme slog for me, and I really didn't care for all of those sections with the VR game. It took me around 6 weeks to finish the first 2 thirds, but i finished the final 3rd in one sitting.

[@eck8543]

Same here! Just could not get into it :/ Didn´t enjoy it at all and just gave up, something pretty rare for me.

[@MartinLewisEsq]

@@eck8543 It is an awful book. I managed to get through TBP and 2/3 of Dark Forest before giving up. Hours of my life I won't get back. Lui comes across as a sociopath, completely free of the ability for self reflection, and distrustful of all of humanity, particularly women. The books are to sci fi what 50 Shades are to BDSM. Interminably badly written fan fic that completely misses the mark.

[@Maya_Ruinz]

Still reading the first book and already it’s completely blown my mind. I have read and watched tons and tons of science fiction books and movies over the years and haven’t come across anything quite like this. Definitely agree on the characters so far, it feels more like a documentary that you watch through the eyes of the characters.

[@MartinLewisEsq]

Try reading War of the Worlds by H G Wells, it explores a lot of similar themes, and it is well written

[@julialedra]

I also felt like the characters were very detatched but knowing the whole reason behind it and the historical aspect of everything, it just makes so much sense. It makes the whole book a lot more horrifying

[@kirmie44]

I've been waiting so long to see more people pick up this book!!!!

[@cjsdizzy]

So awesome that youre reading this series. I think its got some of the best ideas and concepts of any series ive ever experienced

[@pobbityboppity1110]

“Sprinting” is a good description of book two. Maybe strapping yourself into a rocketship and blasting straight into the cosmos. Book 3 maintains that, maybe even more, it’s nuts

[@YouWinILose]

So glad you liked 3 Body!! That's a hard sci-fi win. Notably, the writing is quite different in the second book, at least in part owing to a new translator. Many people love the second book even more than the first, I hope you do too! I'm unfortunately not in that camp, but appreciate the ideas being presented. Looking forward to your thoughts on Dark Forest.

[@clayoldman4036]

Hi Merphy! I have watched your one piece reviews for a year now, really enjoy your videos. Never expected you would read the most famous sci-fi in our country. If you have trouble on understanding this book, there is a TV series adapted on book one and it's available on KZbin(with official English sub and it's less focus on politics). Can't wait for your review on other 2 books. Personally I think book2 is the best and I think it would be more easier to discuss.

[@kartezhnay]

I am so agree about character development and or lack of it; it did not bother me at all! Great book

[@TucoBenedicto]

Hot take, maybe, but on a personal note I always thought that the "shallow characters" criticism was misguided at best and maybe even a fundamental misunderstanding of what good hard science fiction is even supposed to be. It's also not a coincidence that Isaac Asimov was very often targeted with the same criticism, I think. This is a genre that almost BY DESIGN focuses first and foremost on "big ideas" and how they effect society on a broad scale. The focus isn't and (as far as I'm concerned) SHOULD NOT BE on the internalized experience of few key characters, if not in the measure that is strictly relevant to plot progression and thematic consistency.

[@nichescenes]

For some reason people got it in their heads that there is a right and wrong way to make a story. If this was true than all films would follow the format and be considered good...etc. Some stories do not demand an enthusiastic likable main character with a heart of gold we can attach to...we dont always have to get a melodramtic say goodbye death scene to make us feel for the characters. Its why i think people misunderstand why people like shows like one piece and also like jujutsu kaisen or chainsawman where they take characters out with little fan fare. Its different types of story telling. JJK doesnt focus on characters and the world like one piece but gets to have more elaborate fights and cool concepts, one piece lowers on fights and has bloated arcs etc. just different not bad. would 3 body problem really be better if each chapter they dived into a philosopy of the meaning of life and his kids etc...the tv show dives more into the characters and its not necessarily better for it...just slows down the plot for something that wont matter later on given season 2 material.

[@michaelyeager5534]

Thank you for covering this I've heard a lot about this series recently and I'm interested in checking it out all though I fear it may be a bit over my head with some of the concepts covered HA. Quinn's Ideas KZbin channel does a fantastic job breaking down this series for those who were curious that's where I first came across this series.

[@ghost79ish]

It's a very dense book. Never mind the trilogy which is next level dense. If you're curious about this series, and you feel like it might be a little bit overwhelming, there's absolutely no shame in watching the TV show. While it's quite different from the book in a lot of ways, I think it was really well done and did a good job of getting the important points across and if nothing else, it's a visually awesome piece of work and the characters are much more fleshed out than the book. Definitely worth watching. Also, if you are not interested in the Netflix version and want something closer to the book, the Chinese version of the TV show is also pretty awesome. I found that the first five or so episodes of the TV show were excellent, and then it got very slow for about 20 episodes, and then the final five episodes were absolutely worth the wait. And that show is really only covering book 1, adapting the second and third books into a TV show is a truly monumental task, I understand why it's taking Netflix and or the Chinese version a while to get it done.

[@jimave]

I am currently watching the Chinese version of the Three Body show and it is going into detail and follows the novel storyline. It’s on Amazon Prime. I was lost through most of the novel.

[@javiermeneses8250]

I love books that make you feel real physical emotions, even if the story is completely fictional. And right now, minutes after finishing it, I'm filled with existential dread, anxiety and a sense of urgency to do "something". I love your focus on how the galactic plot mimics the revolution. I hate Ye with all my heart, but she is the product of circumstances created by humanity's "chaotic eras". One last thing, isn't Da Shi's philosophy for life just incredibly reassuring? In the most dire times in our life let's all be a little more like Da Shi. I love that guy.

[@angelaroberts-757]

Great review! I was facinated by this book, even though i didn't understand half of it.

[@beomcheolkim8543]

Have you considered watching the Chinese drama? It's a bit long with 30 episodes, but they remain largely faithful to the source material and expand on the characters a lot more. Detective Shi is given much more screen time, while characters like Pan Han and Shen Yufei are more fleshed out and feel like proper antagonists. It also helps explains the more technical and science heavy parts with visuals. The English speaking actors sound a bit off, but this was made in China and I'm used to stuff like that from watching Korean Dramas and anime. The show is available on Amazon Prime and KZbin last time I checked.

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

I was really intrigued by all the concepts in the Three Body Problem, how one person could hate humaninty so much as to try and destroy it single-handedly. The game mechanics and figuring out the puzzles was really intriguing as well. Found the Chinese show to watch as well once I finished the book. That being said, wow I did not enjoy the second book and dropped the series after it, so I'm really interested in The Dark Forest review. That should be an interesting discussion.

[@lagrangewei]

ETO did not 'hate' humanity, they just like the world even more than they do humans :)... they were doing eco-terrorism before thanos make it look sexy. on the 3 body puzzle, my first theory was they were on a moon, despite me being wrong it was a pretty fun experience to try and guess what is really going on. the book popularise the dark forest argument... maybe its time we stop SETI... you know, just to be safe...

[@OnefortheBooks]

I also went down a rabbit hole of learning about the cultural revolution when it read this earlier this year. The third is my favorite.

[@Stygiophobic]

The Chinese series for TBP did a good job of fixing the cardboard like characters and made them more human and engaging, and Wangs family is featured a whole lot more. It was a great watch even though the CGI and western characters weren't the greatest it did a good job and the chinese actors were brilliant in their given roles.

[@lagrangewei]

i sense that they redub over the actors so the non chinese lines were terrible. i really wish chinese series put in the budget to remaster their audio but they only have 1/10 the budget of US series... I really really would like to see a remastered version... it was such a good series if it was reedited for video instead of TV.

[@fireflyd-q3v]

you can consider China as a country with the size and complexity of europea. when culture revolution happened, different regions affected by this event differently, just like different countries in europea affected by european war.

[@spdepew]

The best part of this series, is that it shows if there is Intelligent life out there, we are f#$%#d.

[@aaronduncil4679]

I was so hoping you were going to make this video. By pure coincidence I just finished reading this book right before you. I am going to jump in on reading the sequel with you!

[@QuestingWithPulsar]

I read the series a few years ago and thinking back on it book 2 was definitely my favorite, the premise is A LOT of fun and then the science is fascinating. Can't wait to see your opinion of it ;)

[@riksstaden4927]

I like books but I LOVE reviews.

[@tomsthefish2002]

Oh, cool, I recently started reading this. Now gotta wait for me to be able to watch this.

[@dd_madara8188]

I feel like I'm the only person not liking this book. I dnf'ed around 50% into it, because I really didn't connected to so many things and most of the time I was bored while reading 😅

[@olgayolgina7600]

No, you're definitely not the only one. There are at least two of us. I don't even remember at what point I DNFed, somewhere about 30% maybe. After I got a better historical perspective, at some point I thought about putting it back on my TBR, but then I reconsidered and it stays on the DNF shelf.

[@miyayume_eclectic_dream]

Can I jump in at 50%mark? I read like 5 pages and was sooo bored. Frankly because I right now don't want to read any bleak historical setting that is doing to pull me down even more. But I love SF! So from what chapter could I jump in?

[@arenkai]

My favourite part of this book series is the science-based existential horror it brings. Right from the start, the idea that "physics doesn't exist and has never existed" sent a chill down my spine. It's not that we don't know what's happening, because that would be an exciting new frontier for science, it's that the frontier has been moved so close to us, and we have such complete knowledge of the fact that it paralyses our ability to engage with reality. What's real if physics isn't ? What other aspect of our reality we know as fact, is in the end just an illusion applied to us by a force way beyond our comprehension ? I might be going too far with this concept haha But this specific aspect of the book terrifies me and provided the perfect hook to get into this story. EDIT: And then The Dark Forest brought a whole new level of existential dread into the mix, but I'll refrain from spoiling anything because this is best experienced fresh for maximum impact

[@merphynapierreviews]

I LOVE this perspective and how it effected you!

[@rachelspencer9456]

🧡📚🧡📚🧡📚🧡

[@jessileemiller]

I'm so excited to hear your thoughts! I DNF'd because I got so lost!

[@bghammock]

I found it much easier on audio .. I got very distracted by the names. Terrible of me, but is what it is.

[@jessileemiller]

@@bghammock I might give it another shot on audio. I was very interested in the story. I'm a very character driven reader so that was part of the struggle for me.

[@cheekynative]

When faced with trauma like what's described in the books, I think most people would either suffer complete psychological breaks or go numb just to preserve some semblance of sanity. To that extent the characters' lack of human reaction was perfect. Nothing prepares you for the atrocities of war, especially the return to normality afterwards. I think it was all really deftly handled, especially given the scope, depth and scale of the broader narrative.

[@avsambart]

This trilogy just gets better! Can't wait for you to read the second book.

[@davidmicheaels343]

thank you for the spoiler discussion, please do the same for the second book, THAT ONE is gonna be a doozy.

[@sumitraspov]

I FCKING LOVEDDDDD THIS BOOK IT WAS INSANELY BRILLIANT BUT MY BRAIN IS TOO SMALL BUT IT WAS SO GOOD THAT EVEN MY SMALL SMALL BRAIN WAS BLOWN TO BITS THANK YOU CIXIN LIU AND KEN LIU

[@theritwickkumar]

Why I only now found out that You'd put out this video, I do not know... but glad I did, at least now ! Can't wait for a The Dark Forest [Spoilers] and hopefully KZbin doesn't screw up & I get to watch it on the day You put it out...!

[@ronagoodwell2709]

Science fiction is an odd genre of writing in that character development is never a primary feature like you would see in literary works, for example. Blue collar writing like Scifi and the whodunnit detective genre have that in common. Characters are used to move the story forward and dialog is used to explain and reveal ideas and theories integral to the story. I personally don't expect great characters in science fiction but I do expect amazing ideas spun out and turned lose upon the world. Cixin Liu does not disappoint. But having said all of that there are writers who have brought some of their science fiction into the realm of literature ... like Ursula LeGuin, Doris Lessing, and Phillip K. Dick. Interesting that these writers also wrote other than science fiction. Somewhat on the order of a George Orwell, for instance.

[@nfrance999]

Honestly I love the 3-body-problem, but the entire series and Dark Forest theory always makes me giggle because it actually breaks down pretty quick. SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENT READ THE FULL SERIES BECAUSE I CANT REMEMBER IF THINGS IM REFERENCING ARE FROM BOOK ONE OR NOT Strike before you get the chance to be struck back at, only works when you can ensure that you can annihilate them, but if species can travel the stars and such, if you strike at a planet/species/etc, whats to say that all you did was destroy an outpost or such? And now you risk a potentially dangerous foe being pissed off at you. Furthermore space is so vast, with the tech needed to conceivably traverse the cosmos, you'd have no issue setting up sustainable climate controlled colonies on other planets as well, eliminating the need of a species stealing the planet from another species (and risk starting a space war or a "star war" if you will) Real cool series, and the premise is chilling, but it works best in the medium of a "what-if" scary story type of way, than hard science.

[@3choblast3r4]

I'm a huge sci fi fan. And I kinda liked the first book, even though I did think the characters were pretty poorly written, the whole VR part bad and went nowhere in the end. When I read the second book, I absolutely hted it. The new protagonist is so obviously a self insert. The whole imaginary gf bit annoyed the hell out of me esp since everyone keeps telling the protagonist, he's hallucinating an imaginary gf because he's got a "brilliant literary mind and would probably be a brilliant writer". I am convinced Cixin thought this of himself, esp after the success of his first book. But then he seems to have gotten some perspective. Like during one panel an older lady asks him about his strong female characters etc and asks if he puts special consideration into writing women and he replies "Not at all. Honestly, I don't think about my characters at all. They are just a vehicle for me to share sci fi concepts" .. which is an answer I respect a lot, because it also kinda reads like that and I appreciate the honesty. Anyway, I disliked the second book so much I stopped reading after he goes on the plane and thinks back to his road trip with his imaginary gf for 30 pages or so, on his way to the UN (at first he thinks he's being arrested because his one night stand tragically passes away infront of him, due to a car crash. And he figures he's being arrested because she has powerful family in the CCP and they are looking for a scapegoat" But I did really enjoy all the sci fi concepts and lore and wanted to know how the story continued, to see if I was missing something or maybe I should just soldier on through the book. That's when I discoverd Cixin's interview in which he supports and justifies the Ughur gncde and concentration camps. "Would you rather have them cut people up in the streets" (talking about the Ughurs, implying they are all just violent knive terrsts) "The state is civizing them". If a western author had said something like this he'd be canceled 5000 times over. I'm not going to go into the horrors Ughurs are facing right now but it pissed me off so much. Especially because it was so unexpected from someone who so openly talks about the horrors of the cultural revolution and especially the groun think hysteria from that era. And now here he is basically supporting the same thing happening. Then I start noticing all these weird things. Obvious lies that Cixin spread to bolster up his image. Lies that might have worked in China, but don't really work outside of China. E.g. Cixin used to claim there were no Chinese translations of western sci fi books in the CCP. So he had to teach himself English just so he could read Western books. But y'all might have noticed, Cixin doesn't speak a word of English. In newer interviews he talks about reading chinese translations. And the interviewer is always kinda confused because it doesn't fit to the notes they have of him. Another claim he used to make (or at least spread) is that he writes 5000 words per day. He has droppd that now and says he writes 2000 on a good day etc etc. Also, your impression of Cixin when reading his book is that he's obviously proud of Chinese culture and history. But also has a sober view about some of the bad parts of his history, like the cultural revolution. But if you listen to Cixin in interviews .. he's very much a nationalist not even for Chinese culture or identity, which I wouldn't mind as much. But straight up for the CCP.

[@50-centPanda]

I was drawn to your video while watching the Netflix trailer. As a Chinese who has also read the trilogy, I'd assume I probably understand the writer a bit better than you. I think you were distracted by the revolution a little too much. The author put this part of the history in his book only for one simple reason: to make it more convincible that Ye Wenjie would decide to send the signal despite the warning and let earth be doomed. I don't think Liu has much intention on relating the revolution to his sci-fi ideas. Although you are right, this topic is not a taboo in China right now. The official opinion about it is it was a mistake. But neither is it a horror or a tradgedy like many western literatures demonize it (as well as the so called "greate famine"). Everything has two sides. Culture revolution also had its positive and progressive side (like all revolutions do). One can even argue that if it weren't for the revolution, China would have become broken apart like USSR. That would save the US a lot of troubles to war with China right now LOL. I believe Liu also has a pretty objective view on this matter as many Chinese do. So really it's in the book only for making the character's decisions more reasonable.

[@bghammock]

Merphy with a Three Body Problem review/commentary/moment??? Instant click and watch. It would be very hard to guess where you're going, Merph! And you may be shaken along the journey.

[@blubbydragon5381]

One thing I'd like to say about the characterization is that there is a subtle differnce in storytelling of a lot of Chinese media vs Western media. Western media commonly focuses on an individual's actions, their personality, and their own history and thoughts. Chinese media commonly focuses on institutions, groups, or society as a whole and how they interact with situations. There is definitely an overlap in storytelling styles, and neither one is better, but you'll often find a lot of Chinese media almost makes society or some kind of larger group its own character that takes up space in the storytelling. Sometimes that leaves little room for diving into each character's inner world, and I wonder if that's what happened to Liu Cixin here. Granted I have read a lot of people saying Liu is known for having fairly flat characters in general, but I feel readers who aren't used to eastern media might be a bit surprised at how little the 3BP explores each individual.

[@idabrit]

Coming to this conversation a bit late but wanted to contribute this. I spent 3 months traveling in China in 2011 and during that time I stayed in a youth hostel in (of all places) Wuhan. There were a couple of other non-Chinese guests and rather more Chinese guests, who together with the hostel staff put on an amazing meal for us all one night. It was an awesome hang out and we ended up playing a drinking game of sorts in which we were all assigned a fruit (pineapple in my case) and a chair was placed in front of the obligatory portrait of Mao on the wall. We had to take it in turns to stand on the chair in front of all the others, bow to the portrait and, mid-bow, point back to our butt and declare in Chinese (duly memorized by the non-Chinese speakers) - "My ass is a pineapple!". This was all absurd and hilarious, but I'm certain it was a satirical hangover from the days of the grotesque self-criticisms of the cultural revolution that Jung Chang describes so harrowingly in Wild Swans. The reason I bring this up is that I think there is in modern China on the one hand an awareness of the awfulness of that time and a determination not to let it happen again, but on the other hand a continued submission to/acceptance of/cooperation with the current Communist regime's authoritarianism. My reading of (and problem with) the Three Body Problem is that it's the latter, that it's the authorial voice pretty much advocating for the idea that humans need to be managed for their own good. This aligns with the comments made by the author regarding the Xinjiang/Uighur situation to the effect of 'well what else can you do when they're terrorists?'. I don't think he should be cancelled or anything -- read the book for sure -- but I honestly felt that let the book down a bit. I'm a big fan of concept-driven sci-fi, but when the concept is an overly simplistic 'maybe people do need to be controlled by a firm hand after all', I think it kind of limits where that can go. All of that said, I haven't read the second or third installments, so maybe that changes things. They're on the tbr.

[@CCCoolati]

Nice video. I don’t think you’re “reading into it too much” at all when it comes to the parallels of the Trisolarians with the cultural revolution in China. It’s revealed in the end of the book that the Trisolarians have an even more brutal unforgiving communist government than Ye’s. That’s the tragic irony of the whole story, and what makes it so damn good. Especially when the lone Trisolarian worker at his outpost betrays his own species to give his life meaning… to set him apart and feel important… just like Ye. Would Ye have hit the big red button had she known that? I don’t think she would have. But maybe there is still some form of redemption for Ye… or maybe she threw herself off that cliff at the end of the book. I guess I won’t know until I start book 2. I do however believe the alien’s three body problem parallels our own problems here on Earth… is it solvable? Or are we all, Earthlings and Trisolarians alike, doomed to lead an existence plagued with violence and suffering? How can we solve this unsolvable equation and bring peace and balance to existence? It’s damn good writing. 👍

[@CLS1507]

Lol come on, how do you even miss this when it's actually as clear as day? Yes the trisolaran is supposed to have a real life parallel, but it's off a fascist imperialist, militaristic country. They're very advanced technologically, but it's mostly used for war and conquest, while also just as crafty at suppressing dissenting anti-war opinions within its subjects. However the one particularly telling unique behavior of theirs is the constant technological sabotage/suppression against its perceived enemy, because of their innate fear that the latter have an enormous potential to leapfrog them technologically and militarily..! I hope it's clear to you now which real life parallel that Liu Cixin used for his 'inspiration' of the trisolaran society, should be pretty easy given the current world affairs I must say, don't you think? 😊

[@CCCoolati]

@@CLS1507 I actually found the Trisolarians to have much more in common with hardcore communism than fascist military states. No one has rights and there isn’t much individuality in the “hive”. It’s a collective of “higher ups” that are calling the shots for them, not one single Trisolarian dictator. Citizens are born into their roles, and the only objective is to help the species survive… in this case that means invading another planet. This communist society is actually absolutely necessary to survive within the unstable and chaotic star system that they live in, but is also very “inhumane”. Also, with the introduction of human culture (drama, free-thinking, and deception) in the next two books, they are actually weakened by it and lose much of their focus, making them vulnerable. It changes them. This is the tragic irony behind the whole plot of the series. Ye Wenjie is disgusted with humanity mainly because of the way the cultural revolution (communism) has affected her life, family, and even her planet (deforestation, pollution, destroying nature etc.). She automatically assumes that a superior alien race would have evolved past these things but in actuality it’s almost worse. I don’t believe she was trying to get everyone killed or enslaved when she hit that button. She was expecting a superior race to share their wisdom… but the truth is that they were just as flawed as we were. The whole series is very critical of many forms of government, along with multiple philosophies and even environmentalism. I don’t think it’s a simple allegory. It’s too epic for that. But every good writer understands that irony is what usually makes stories so great, and the Three Body Problem series has it in bounds.

[@CLS1507]

@@CCCoolati lmao do you actually read the books? Other than most of your examples didn't disprove the parallels of fascism, the trisolaran is *indeed* led by a single individual called the princeps. Not king, emperor, or chief, etc. but princeps, which is a title originated from the roman republic. Do you know which country (or countries :D) get so much inspiration from the romans? Some funny mustache guy in the 20th century that just loves doing their salute perhaps, or maybe a superpower that has their basic political system/culture shaped mimicking the republic? Do you still need some more clues or you're too in denial for it? 😅 Tbh I'm really doing the heavy lifting here by explaining it to you from just the books, because Liu himself already explained in some interviews/book conferences what he thinks the parallels/messages are from his books, but too bad you don't speak chinese, otherwise I could've sent you a video link and it's a wrap lol. As for Ye Wenjie, you could say that she's a liberal intellectual class that indeed despised communism, with her naivete for greener pastures seek foreign power to help 'civilize' her society, only to realize that it's actually worse than communism during the cultural revolution, which is the aforementioned fascism. She's not portrayed to be a character with good morals.

[@CCCoolati]

@@CLS1507 look man, I was just stating an opinion. You must be loads of fun in a book club 🤣. Sounds like you really feel the need to be the authority here. Maybe you should make a video? I don’t think “princeps” is is a reason to conclude that the Trisolarian society is an allegory for a republic/democracy or the Nazis. Sorry. It’s a chief, or “the first”. But even communist countries have people at the head of state, so… I also didn’t find anyone in the trilogy to be a “bad guy”. Ye Wenjie is more of a victim than someone with low morality. This story is a tragedy. I completely understand Ye Wenjie’s actions as well as the Trisolarians, and I honestly would have made the same decisions they did if I was in their shoes. It’s a story about the nature of the universe, yet you’re saying it’s more aligned with cops and robbers. I’m sure the author was inspired by many real life world powers when inventing the Trisolarians. Hell, he was inspired by ants and hive insects too. All I’m saying is that what sticks out the most for me was how it mirrors hive insects, which I personally find to mirror a perfect communist society. The “pacifist” even goes against protocol because he just wanted to be different. He wanted to be important, or at least an individual. He’s so much like Ye Wenjie in her situation, and that’s tragic irony if I’ve ever seen it. So let’s agree to disagree. And just relax, buddy. No one is really wrong here. Everyone is allowed their own interpretations. Your point is valid, its just not the conclusion I really came too.

[@CLS1507]

@@CCCoolati now you're just arguing in circles. At first you thought that the trisolaran is ruled by a collective hence not fascism but then after being disproven you're taking back your word and saying that some communist countries are also like that, like come on... You truly can't be convinced. Whatever then 😂 Ye Wenjie isn't a victim, as many people shown in the book are having hardships themselves, most in historical context were having it worse than her, and that's just a part of life. Most people didn't become omnicidal over hardships, nor hypocritically kill their loved ones to achieve their goals. Lives changed, and for china it's for the better, which is why she regretted her evil decision.

[@thefantasynuttwork]

That lawn was cut so well, push or riding mower? Great video! 😎

[@heavendrop999]

The author not talking about character inflections is not because of culture revolution but more about his personal writing styles. All his characters in almost all his books are like that and he focuses on his ideas more. He once said human emotions are nothing when something big happens.

[@sephiroth7818]

For the people that have read all 3 books and also watched the Netflix take on the first book...is there a Will character in the book and does Will get found by the "San Ti" if so?

[@trinhanvu6568]

The character work is a big weakness of the second and third book, especially when pop culture osmosis have kind of made all the cool idea of that book become less impactful.

[@akatsuki3573]

I was hoping you would read these books! Enjoy!

[@tunesmelodia]

That sounds fascinating!

[@blobaloo]

It's been a few years since I read the book but wasn't Wang Miao's plot set in present day? Your phrasing made it sound like his plotline was also set during the cultural revolution.

[@sket179]

Your explanation of why people were living this self-censorship affecting their worldview is likely to be correct. But I would like to bring it two steps further. It could be said that the author is a product of that time in his country's history. He is/was Ye Wenjie, or someone close to him was. Or, the way this was written because the author is the product of that but also current time, and writing like this is the acceptable way to write now, ie. he's interpreting what can be written now about the history.

[@stacyb7623]

Cix in Liu is an engineer, he wrote the books while working, he wasn’t a writer to begin with, so if you read some of his earlier short stories, he was really lacking with the characterizations , he is a good story teller but his novels are very plot driven, his characters are just there as tools to push the plot forward. I’m glad you read the book, the second and third books are even more mind blowing

[@austinzamieski9775]

I truly don’t understand what was so mind blowing about this book. I wanted to be blown away like a lot of other people just sadly I just wasn’t.

[@LarryHasOpinions]

your idea about the lack of deeper characterisation is intriguing however i think it's just the way he writes imho... it doesn't really change even when the story is no longer set during the cultural revolution the strength of the series is in the ideas so the poor character work didn't bother me that much

[@fatimasajid1026]

Did you hear, the three body problem is getting a Netflix Adaptation.. Should I read the books?

[@signumscaler]

Amazing as always.

[@ghost79ish]

I don't think you're reaching at all in the parallels you're finding. I think symbolism is a huge part of this whole series and most if not all of it was done very intentionally. One thing you seem to have missed is the time frame of the book versus the cultural revolution, ye wengie was a child in the cultural revolution but the rest of the book takes place in or around the time when the book was released which I believe is 2008 or 9ish. But who knows, maybe the life in China is still quite similar to that.

[@SERGIOGARIBAYLUNA-m3l]

coolest book

[@wbebbs]

I am also not a scholar of this setting, not an expert on the Cultural Revolution, but ... I think using the "required public attitude was one of complete devotion to the state above family etc." to explain why characters seem flat and unemotional is not accurate in this book. It seems more likely the author is just doing this bit poorly. I have read the rest of this series and a short story collection and his characters are all like this. Lui demonstrates his own attitude to the Party more than his characters'. I think interesting ideas do not guarantee good writing.

[@anne_vvv]

Completly agree! Ideas are cool. Writing is just not good.

[@GiggaVega]

3 books changed my life: 1, the Bible. 2, 1984 3, Three Body Problem. All 3 books are blueprints of our society & it’s scary. Da Shi is my favorite character & then there is Zang Beihai. I’m just about finished The Dark Forest, no spoilers. This is the part that changed the way I view many things: The Sophon. When you think about it & understand what a Sophon is you will realize we do have at least 1 Sophon, Social Media. Social media is a Sophon on our progress as society, it’s a lock on us. Now we have insane people programming Ai as we have seen with Google Ai, think about it. If ai is trained off the beliefs of crazy people on studies on Reddit, I mean we will have Sophon #2 in no time at all that will lock us down technologically & it all stems from these communists. They chose to respond & look at us today. We are the three body problem: The Mind, The Heart & The Spirit trying to control the body of humanity. And we are walking into fire. That’s my review

[@mecahhannah]

Awesome as always thanks

[@BooksRebound]

I desperately want to like this series but I gave up ½way through the trilogy because the writing style is just so god damn dry. I've noticed that with 3Body and with a lot ot translated Japanese fiction the prose always seems to be so dry, cole, robotic and inhuman with no passion or beauty or flourish. It makes it a huge struggle to read books from east Asia. And it sucks because i LOVE Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty and his writing is great. So idk why the translation doesnt work for me. Maybe its just the narrator of the audiobooks. However the trailer for the TV show dropped recently, and it looks incredible . I'm super excited about that.

[@AhyZdalph]

Any more Dresden in the pipeline?

[@jonasquinn7977]

Don’t call it a comeback

[@Rope_Adope]

4:25 so far so good

[@Rope_Adope]

They dug their own eyes out for a reason. Not a number …

[@Rope_Adope]

Family is EVERYTHING

[@Rope_Adope]

Fear and cowardice are understandable. Unfortunately…

[@Rope_Adope]

7:11 stop apologizing. Your experience affects interpretation “It’s like a mirror” …

[@Rope_Adope]

“Hope” 9:20

[@nazimelmardi]

Oh, thank you, deserved the review, even the main channel. I always tried to say the characters are always try to symbol something in the series.

[@timothyhosek3551]

There's only a few people who do reviews of 3 body problem all three books but some peiple....just keep talking about anything and everything BUT the book or what happens.

[@anne_vvv]

Oh, I have such mixed feelings about the book, especially the sequels. And mind you, I still recommended and gifted it to many people so I could discuss it. I love the concepts, I love many of the ideas (and hate the others, the underground world was just absurd in the way it was portayed), but damn, it's a bad book from a pure literary point of view. It's badly written, the language, the speeches, just not how people think, behave, and so on, especially starting in the 2nd. Characters have no personality (and no, it's clearly not intentional), and the portrial of women in the 2nd and 3rd books is so bad that I wish there were only males. I feel like it's one of those things that might benefit from bringing to the screen and adding background, personality, and pace. The idea is there, and it's super cool, but it could use a ghostwriter. Overall, I really care about the language, so bad writing (style-wise, not plot-wise) made me often give up on popular books.

[@anne_vvv]

Oh, and definitely book 1 > 2 > 3. For a series that tries to win popularity with the smart parts, with the science and quasi-theological questions, it gets incredibly stupid and incredibly non-science. I don't mind absurd theories and "science" in series that start with that. I hate when it tries to be real at first and then goes downhill soooo hard. And again, it seems I have only criticism for it, but believe me, somehow I enjoyed the first one anyway 😅

[@aemeth5418]

I agree in 100%. This is a series that is better to read about than to read itself, and at least then you don't have to bother with these cringy sexist threads.

[@redstoica]

Hmmm.. the story is set in the 2000s, only Ye wenjie is from the revolutionary period.. what are you talking about

[@Zydlik7]

The 2nd book in the series is hands down one of the best sci fi book I've ever read.

[@notrixamoris3318]

Wait Merphy I thought you went down the rabbit hole for the three-body problem??? I hope you wont get lost for the sequel. Well it should be fine coz the second book is the bomb...

[@Glokta4]

I believe that no one should ever feel a book is smarter than them. If a book cannot convey what is happening to a reader, that's a failure of the book, not the reader.

[@pobbityboppity1110]

Nah. If you’re not reading stuff that is challenging you, you’re not moving forward and expanding your horizons!

[@KevinHorecka]

I find it so weird how this series is always labelled so "smart". It came off as a bunch of random sci fi buzzwords stapled together to me.

[@MedHead1]

You didn’t understand parts of the book? You’re a brilliant woman. I’m guessing I have zero chance of understanding lol.

[@knee_grow4892]

First!

[@3choblast3r4]

P.s. When you say communism over family, I think you mean the communist state over your family. Because onr of the big themes at the start of the book, was that all these youth were so zealous in their communism that they felt the communists weren't extreme enough. They were all trying to outcompete each other with how communist they were. And a lot of the youth started to rebel and fight the communists and or cause other troubles. One of the reasons btw that I'm not thinking off, that this is made clear int he book. Is that the author is trying to blame these youth gangs for much of the attrocities that happened. Including for example how the professor father of Wenjie was canceled by those school girls. (it's also how Wenjie's sister, is shot and passes during the first pages on the book. She's part of some radical student group. Then later the CCP fakes her signature for the written statement in which they claim her father was a western spy) The communists then thought it was a brilliant idea to gather all these youth and sent them to remote regions "to work" .. the reality is that they were just sending them away because they were a headache. And they made up fake jobs for them.. like "we need wood for the revolution, cut those trees!". And the youth then turned giant, lush and beautiful parts of their country into a barren desert, by completely deforresting it. And the most f'd up part is that they seemed to have targeted regions where minorities lived more (Inner Mongolia, the Uyghurs etc). The millions of Han Chinese communist zealots also made it so that the population demographics completely changed int hose regions in favor of ethnic Chinese. P.s. one thing that isn't mentioned. Is that if you go to China now. In most parts of the country you will not find a single bird or wild animal. You will not hear birds chirping or see them flying. Because during the revolution the CCP / Mao encouraged the Chinese to hunt and eat birds. Combine that with massive food shortages and you end up with a China devoid of any natural life.

[@paulwoodford1984]

This book was very amateurish and basic tbh. 6/10

[@Comicbroe405]

I've seen many ppl who're into the series say it's the most basic.

[@YesHelloNoBye]

“I know nothing”. Lmfao. You’re so cute dude haha

[@raphboisxxx]

This book (and the entire trilogy) is so weird. As much as you lose the entire original feeling in the translation, the story is so engaging and raw that you can't let the book down. It's such a fascinating concept and the realism of "Welp, we have 450 years until we all die in horrible pain, we can still chill out a bit" is frighteningly close to what would probably happen if a Trisolarian fleet was coming toward us today. I would be so happy to actually be able to read mandarin to be able to feel the original text in its integrity. The entire science talk is quite superfluous to the entire story honestly. Not understanding it doesn't really matter and it felt like the author knew that most people who read their book would not understand anything about it either. It kind of adds to the charm. Also also, I think the lack of details on the character's developpement on any 3d model of their feelings didn't bother me as much as it did in other books. I felt like it was intentionnal and the entire book almost feels like a diary or a recollection of what happened in the past and since we don't have that direct lens into their mind, it is just left out of the story completely.

[@CLS1507]

Girl you don't have even a zilch of clue on what's going on during the cultural revolution. It has nothing to do with starvation, and certainly a lot more complex topic than a mere scifi book like the 3BP, something that you admitted already to be already too complex for you.. 😅 Also a bad pathology for doing review is already having preconceived conclusion on the meaning/message from the book, and then grasping at straws for anything that'd support the earlier notion. That's simply silly and ofc will cause you to miss the entire point of the story, or on a broader scope, of the trilogy. Liu Cixin himself is already quite open on what's the parallels and the message of his novels. If you want a quick hint for the parallels; 😄 ye wenjie and her ETO ilks = chinese liberal bourgeois comprador class. Trisolaran = advanced western powers, in particular america/NATO. The rest of it = mainland china in general, and the dynamics of its society in responding to the problem/threat.

[@LMarti13]

this

[@t3cchan]

There are literally infinite ways to educate someone about their mistaken ideas without being condescending, and yet you chose to write this comment. You seem like a miserable person.

[@haceflaming0236]

Liu Cixin has been clear in interviews that his books are not a metaphor for US-China tensions. I don’t know what you are talking about.

[@t3cchan]

@@CLS1507 most annoying, condescending comment I have ever read. Grow up.