The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu REVIEW - Why is the universe so quiet?

I read The Three Body Problem over a year ago, and I just finished the two sequels The Dark Forest and Death's End last night. This series has some of the most mind boggling concepts in it, but it fights to convince you it's real. It also won the Hugo award for best novel. Let's talk about why.
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PATREON / hellofutureme
0:00 intro
0:49 what's it about?
1:55 why some people hated it
3:30 problems with character
4:40 the writing style and Chinese cultural context
7:00 the tone and maturity
8:45 why it's the weakest book in the trilogy

[@Devil_Q30]

So glad to see that Three-Body Problem is so popular all over the world!

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

I kinda view the work positively but I hate the fandom for jumping into the DF Cult very fast AF.

[@Myname-cb9ru]

@@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597 DF? what do you mean?

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

@@Myname-cb9ru Well,if you look at its second volume name and you will know.It is a abbreviation. Seriously,Mr Liu have spoke so many times his settings aren't meant to be put in real life and has zero basis yet quite a lot of fans ignored his words and assumed it to be real,causing quite a lot of TBP fans I bump into can be downright Social Darwinist or Xenophobic enough to be Purifiers ala Stellaris-style.Moreso for CH mainland ones thanks to unrestrained corporations making their lives harder. Not to mention the fandom's "notorious achievement" before.

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

@@Myname-cb9ru My suggestion:Enjoy the fiction by yourself and try not to join fandoms.

[@Best-mx2of]

I am reading because I meet Chinese sometimes at work.

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

I finished the trilogy a while ago. Fucking insane.

[@alucard3317]

Omg yes, the reveal of what the curse was, blew my mind

[@nosuchthing8]

Good insane or bad insane

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

@@nosuchthing8 good. Very good.

[@QuartuvLarry]

@@alucard3317 The Battle of Darkness blew mine

[@ricardop9196]

@@QuartuvLarry would you recommend it.

[@ericliume]

I can confirm the first season (30 episodes) of Three Body Problem TV series follows the novel really well. It is huge hit in China right now.

[@user-me4mc3us4r]

Just finished it，Guzheng Project is amazing！

[@Ateshtesh]

Is with people or is animated? it is in Netflix? or only in another platforms?

[@ericliume]

@@Ateshtesh Is with people. Not on netflix.

[@Ateshtesh]

@@ericliume Thank you! Im still looking fot it hhahha. Regards!

[@fredfrond6148]

@@ericliume the Tencent film version of the book is FREE. All 30 episodes are available on the KZbin Tencent video channel. Netflix version is coming next year but may be delayed because of the writers strike.

[@Dystopian_NZ]

I've always been a huge fan of Scifi. Asimov and Frank Herbet were my hero's and later, Peter F Hamilton. When I watched the 3 Body Problem i was totally captivated! Liu Cixin produced a masterpiece!! I will now read his books. Well done Liu !!!

[@emdevoti]

The Dark Forest is my favorite sci-fi book, up there with Children of Time. I love his ideas and how he built this insane plot around them. The translator notes in The Dark Forest were also really cool, as they let the reader glimpse a small bit of Chinese culture and history. Thanks for your review!

[@user-we4ry7hh9f]

Children of Time?是程欣写的吗？我们称它为，em。。。。应该是Past events beyond time。抱歉，我的英语不是很好

[@emdevoti]

@@user-we4ry7hh9f 没关系，我的汉语不是很好！The Dark Forest and The Three Body Problem 是刘慈欣写的。Children of Time 是 Adrian Tchaikovsky 写的。

[@annabeinglazy5580]

Im reading children of time right now and im being blown away by it. I never expected to be so invested in spider society but Here I am, rooting for them

[@tannerbarnes7392]

I just finished the Dark Forest a few weeks ago, and yeah, it's easily up at the top of my list, right next to Jurassic Park

[@walker9915]

感谢你的支持与评价，谢谢

[@Denorads343]

I am really happy that you liked the series so much! These books are my favorite science fiction novels because of the amazing concepts Cixin Liu comes up with and his clear love for science. (plus fantastic references such as the one about Legend of the Galactic Heroes)

[@marcoscarrasco92]

I read the whole trilogy in a week because I couldn't put it down. It affected me in ways I can't even explain. For several days I couldn't even sleep, I was horrified by the ideas in the second and third books. But the ending is so hopeful. Maybe things will work out and the beautiful version of the universe will happen.

[@user-fz5kv6zv1v]

(My English is a little rusty）I remember in a letter, a reader ask Liu some problems about the Death's ending's ending,and Liu reply the ending was written by his editer, because of he's procrastination.😂 In original ending Liu conceive, the 5kg Cheng Xin leaving in little universe lead to all universe can't rebirth.it's very sad.😢

[@marcoscarrasco92]

@@user-fz5kv6zv1v Well, that is just awful. But I guess it makes sense. Thanks for the info.

[@user-fz5kv6zv1v]

@@marcoscarrasco92 oh, wait,i read another writer-reader interview ,and the letter ending is fake, the original ending is said what it said. Sorry about mislead information 😔🙏 Looking on bright side, the opened ending is better than bad ending in emotional cases

[@peggygilmour8905]

Usually I read myself to sleep, but reading this one I needed to take a break sometimes to let my mind catch up.

[@CourageousCorgi]

I started it after I heard about the Netflix deal. I stopped after a couple chapters, just didn't hook me. Then youtube recommended this video and I started over. Holy shit, it's my favorite series now, truly mind blowing stuff.

[@bsk76022]

Same here

[@keithhunter3033]

Exactly man. The first book started so slow but at one point there was that holy shit moment, then HOLY SHIT it kept going.

[@TansyZ]

The first book is slow to get into. But then it’s get too good. The author threw all his brilliant ideas in the end. It’s like jumping from paracetamol to purest heroin. 😂 Although the translator for second and third book is not as good as the translator for the first book.

[@LindaTran88]

​@@TansyZ the translator for the third book is the same as the first book.

[@dom0]

Totally agree I put it down twice but then it got intense.

[@weaselwolf]

Word of warning: This book series may trigger deep existential dread, especially once the metaphor of the dark forest is explained. That said, it was one of the most unique and engaging reads of my life. But if you're the kind of person who shudders at the thought of swimming in the deep ocean for great of what unfathomably huge unknown horrors may be just beneath your feet, well... Just take breaks and watch some cat videos I guess lol

[@BrezelCeviche]

Yes, the first book is like a "what if Tom Clancy had written a hard Sci-Fi Novel, and was Chinese?" book, while the two others are much more like his other books, which are all out hard sci-fi.

[@oliverdemille7953]

I love that description!

[@TravisR1982]

a lot of Rainbow 6 in this one.

[@jrich749]

Clancy actually researched what he put into his books. This writer is a moron that googled physics ideas, didn't actually read any of the wiki pages about those ideas, stole a bunch of sci-fi ideas from better author's wiki pages, and then tossed it into communist books....I feel bad for anyone that thinks anything in these books is original or well written. They should visit a library: lovecraft, arthur c clarke, isaac asimov, orson scott card, or james s.a. corey books are actual good sci-fi.

[@paramutt5507]

I probably didn't need that analogy but thanks for the familiar.

[@mikexhotmail]

@@TravisR1982 LOL

[@yangthomas9850]

Just finished the dark forest. OMFG. It really blew my mind.

[@arenalpvtorres]

At last a sci-fi that is not a jimmy neutron story. Not a make believe science to tell a fantasy story. I loved it. It is more of an exploration of humanity decision as a whole and not focus on characters, which I love. It explores what human will do and frankly, things that I never though about.

[@sidi9009]

Personally, I love the cultural revolution part the most. I quickly fit Ye Wenjie on my Grandpa and Grandpa-in-law. My grandpa was tortured with many other elites during the cultural revolution, and my grandpa-in-law was a radio specialist trained by Soviet scientists. I can feel the upset of Ye Wenjie because she is the role of my grandpa or many elites during that age. Maybe it's only a touching story for the Chinese, but I think it is important for the book because the book is not just Science fiction, but also sociology fiction. The craziness of people has different symptoms in different countries. Book1 gives the question of "can humans save themselves from their own craziness?" Book2 &3 answered openly for readers.

[@gkoymnbxykfb]

I have a love-hate relationship with this trilogy! On one hand, the sheer scope of it is mind-boggling and greater than most other sci-fi I've read. I love that it's so much about ideas. On the other hand, there's no hope and no sense of purpose. It's a cold and hard universe absent of love. I find the resolution at the end very unsatisfying. Which exposes my worldview and sense of how stories should be. Maybe it's a good thing.

[@binglucio7427]

read more times , I , as a native reader in china , after four times reading , prehend its' illuninatting core.

[@FungoB]

Read Baoshu's "The Redemption of Time" then. You'll feel better. It's technically just a really good fanfic that has been officially adopted into the series

[@raydavison4288]

@@binglucio7427: That's good advice. I am on my second reading now & although I really liked it the first time around, my second reading has revealed much that I missed in my first foray into the trilogy.

[@michelangelo3617]

How could you read this series and say it was without love? Deaths end is a masterpiece

[@gkoymnbxykfb]

@@michelangelo3617 what do you have in mind? in the galactic dark forest every civilization acts out of fear, without love. It's a dark place. There is no real hope, no reason why it would be any different in the next universe.

[@ClimbaRock5]

Oh my word, THANK YOU! I ADORE these books and have been waiting for someone to talk about them in depth!

[@lorettabes4553]

I had to read a book for college and this one was on the list of options. As soon as I saw Virtual Reality, Philosophy, science, Murder mysery, etc. etc. I knew which book to choose. Really loved reading it. (I haven't read a full book in years). I didn't understand all the science, but had a good enough grasp to sorta understand what the scientist was on about. The cultural history and aspect I also found super interesting. I look forward to reading the next 2 sometime.

[@user-xx3qy6dz6g]

I really enjoy ur vid. Nice review of the books. I ve read the sequel in both languages. My top 5 sequel. The second book has really changed my views abt the universe. Good work. Keep up with it

[@parasocialbondsmetaswvoits9078]

Tim, you are sincere in a very intense way. Thanks for sharing.

[@byrdsfly]

Thanks for the review! I'd stumbled across the series a few weeks ago online, but didn't want to look too into it to avoid spoilers. Definitely think I'll check it out though.

[@michaelp4387]

8:16 I also felt this huge disconnection for so long in Asimov's The Gods Themselves. Sometimes I doubt I was even reading the same book for hours, until everything comes together and my mind explodes.

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

Also I’m glad you shared my opinions on the second book. The main character had way more personality and relatability than all the others in the trilogy.

[@raydavison4288]

Cixin Liu also has a book of very good short stories, "The Wandering Earth". I read those prior to reading "The Three Body Problem" & those stories made me more receptive to "The Three Body problem".

[@keegan112099]

Was it better than the movie? Because as interested as I am in Three Body Problem. I thought that Wandering Earth movie was awful

[@raydavison4288]

@@keegan112099: Liu Cixin's stories & novels are superb. I haven't seen the movie, so I have nothing to say about it.

[@breakging5604]

@@keegan112099 小说肯定是比电影要精彩不少的。电影主要是在于展现小说中的场景，而且故事也比较局限于小说中的一个段落。这对于没有阅读过该小说，或者是对小说与硬核科幻相关不了解的人是非常不友好的。因此我个人非常建议你应该先看完小说再看电影。

[@Imperator_27]

@@keegan112099 Movies always change the novels, from what I've heard the storyline was changed (but self-consistent) in the movie. Since its quite hard to move a story from a novel to a movie.

[@peggygilmour8905]

These stories are great.

[@RobSeib]

Just finished 3 Body and started the Dark Forest and came here to hear your thoughts!! Thanks for the great video

[@klaymoon1]

Great review! I love the format of your review. Your review feels honest, no B/S.

[@sdazzle2460]

One of the greatest trilogies I have ever read.

[@infini1970]

You're the second KZbinr to recommend this I respect. Quins idea's has influenced me to read the massive Hyperion series. I feel maybe it's worth at least a read of the first. Yes there are famous Chinese writers that really can't be translated properly because some of the concepts are completely cultural and my ex would say untranslatable.

[@radiusone216]

The translations of a book are so important. I read a translation of the Tao Te Ching that after reading a second (better and more poetic) translation, one version was technically correct I guess but wasn't captiviting whereas the second translation was poetry/philosophy/self help all in one. Not sure I'm making Sense but I can definitely imagine if the wrong translator is used for any of these books it would lose something interesting. I'm thinking about getting this series as this is second or third recommendation for the series I e seen in the last 2-3 weeks and the ideas I've heard sound cool

[@nidohime6233]

Translations are tricky because there can be things that needs tons of explanation in language are sumarises in just one word in another. Just the lenght of a word can change, just look how the spanish word for bat is murciélago. Hence why many people are not into poetry since is so dependent of language unlike other media.

[@marocat4749]

Yep at least watch the first hyperian book, its plenty on its own already and interesting.

[@packetcreeper]

The Three Body Problem is the most existentially terrifying book I've read in years. The scientific concepts introduced are mind blowing and it's hard to stop thinking about them.

[@Maya_Ruinz]

I agree, as someone coming from universes like Warhammer 40K and Dune, this series is a revelation. That fears feels far more intense because it’s more plausible.

[@MogamiKyoko13]

I sat down and read The Three-Body Problem in 2 days. I could not put it down. Reading about these two seemingly separate events and seeing them collide in such a spectacular fashion had me literally gasping aloud. I haven't read the next two books yet, but I will definitely be doing so as soon as I can get to a bookstore.

[@scm534]

hows the next two books? did u read?

[@oneminsol7418]

@@scm534 i completed the triology(all three books) in 3 days The first book is just a beginning the real exciting things begin in second and end in third

[@scm534]

@@oneminsol7418 how could you read so fast?!! isn't your brain tired?

[@oneminsol7418]

@@scm534 well im used to it Long ago i used to read alot on mobile and then play games on 10+hours avg So for me it wasnt a big problem to finish one book in a day

[@xiebo5517]

well the first book is only setting the stage. the real meat of the book starts with the second

[@cinnamonbark1084]

I really loved The Three Body Problem! I loved all of the concepts that were thrown in there and I especially loved the mind-blowing end. I'll be starting the sequel soon and can't wait to see where the story goes. I would love it if you reviewed Borne by Jeff Vandermeer. I read this book a few years ago and it is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi/sci-fantasy stories. I would also be interested in your opinion on the Poppy War by R.F. Kuang which I recently read and had mixed feelings on.

[@scm534]

did you read the other two? how u like that?

[@shakilabadiozzaman2182]

I JUST finished this! Enjoyed it a lot, especially all the existential crises, because that resonates with me 😅

[@Alchimystic]

Just finished reading it. Three-Body Problem was a Three-Day Read for me. And yes, it's that good

[@deaddhianna]

You always have such good reviews of books

[@alexisdumas84]

This trilogy is done of the best science fiction I have ever read. If you want something that'll scratch the same itch, but has a distinctly different feel to it at the same time, check out the Revelation Space trilogy. It does the same thing with very hard science fiction mixed with very creative uses of theoretical science. The author is actually a PhD in astronomy (some places say astrophysics so I'm not sure which it is), so he has some knowledge in these areas too. The difference is in the tone: it's got a very gothic + noir vibe, and heavy transhumanism elements. The author's prose is also among the best prose I've ever read in a really weird way, where it fits perfectly with the tone and subject matter, and his use of similes and metaphors could be a subject of a video on your main channel.

[@skyhxlsky3884]

Wrong, the author is a very normal engineer working in a hydropower station in a very remote small city in China.

[@tingwhite9103]

@@skyhxlsky3884 lol

[@CrisSelene]

I just finished the trilogy and I couldn't put it down. All three books were page-turners. There were a few moments in each book when my mind got blown. Also, it was my first foray into hard sci-fi, and I'm afraid it sets the bar too high and nothing else I'll read will compare.

[@lvflelzr1042]

That was exactly my reaction, both during and after the reading! Another reader even fantacized a neural drug that would selectively erase memories of this trilogy in order to be able to read it again for the first time!

[@lexia4016]

Actually It is widely known among Chinese readers, the ‘weakness’ of Cixin Liu’s novel is the seemingly wooden characters; especially female characters and the unnatural ness of the dialogues .

[@TucoBenedicto]

Oh, really? i kind of expected it to be an "issue" mostly related to the limits of a translation between different languages.

[@alexwang2419]

​@@TucoBenedicto Actually we joke about his works being "children's literature" haha. He's a very geeky guy, and everyone knows it lol. I would say most Chinese readers enjoy/obsess more on his ideas and imaginations than the writing skill.

[@sangyedorje]

Interesting

[@iainyoung8057]

Yeah I found the writing so clumsy and repetitious that I bounced off it.

[@lexia4016]

@@iainyoung8057 that’s a shame , coz the story is amazing

[@iwyt3995]

Would love to hear your take on the Locked Tomb series mate. Tamsyn Muir is a Kiwi author and her epic about _Lesbian Necromancers_ *in Space* is truly something to behold. The series just had it's third book come out with it's final book _supposedly_ coming out next year...I think.

[@davidmeng5536]

I bought the 3 books in book fair, when I start reading, I can't stop it. I spent 23 days to finish reading them(more than 800 pages in all, Chinese version). There are more than hundreds excellent ieads all over the novel series, really worth to read them.

[@outman6207]

From Cixin Liu's interview, the reason why three book feels a bit different was because he only start writing next book after he see the previous one sold well. lol. BTW he sold copyright a company for $20k cause that was lots money for him who was working in a electricity plant. Then that company sold copyright to Netflix for 200 millions. lol

[@peggygilmour8905]

Cixin deserves more $.

[@aksidjfhg]

Thank you for the review, this sounds neat, I'll be checking these out. You should read Manifold Time if you haven't. Probing the same mystery of why the Universe is so quiet, It goes into the evolution of universes (starting with simpler ones and moving to more complex and diverse ones) and portrays intelligent life as a step in this process, not just a consequence but a driving factor. The scope of this story is crazy, & one of the few books that actually shocked me with it's ending. There was a sequel, It didn't strike me the same way and I don't remember much about it.

[@JD.78]

I got The Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy on Audio Book, and i'm near the finale of Death's End. I'm currently at the 3D to 2D bit (no spoilers, if you know you know). I'm a big fan of hard Sci-Fi and these books scratch that itch, and the different cultural perspective really drew me into the story more than i was expecting. Being a different take on the usual 'first contact' scenario was gripping and i've zipped through the Audio Books (50+ hours) in just over a week. I highly reccomended the Audio Books as the translation and narration are very well done, and they are also available on KZbin to listen to. Great video, cheers.

[@imadaman]

Going to check to first book out at least, if not the whole trilogy, sounds interesting. The footnotes part seems fun/useful/informative. Also, if you're still on a sci-fi bend, might I interest you on the Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi? Edit: KZbin app borked the post when switching to Chrome to check things, sorry.

[@lvflelzr1042]

Good review. I tried reading the first time but gave up because the initial cultural revolution part gave me an impression (proven incorrect later on) that the story would not be cool enough. Luckily, I took it up again on further recommendation. Then I couldn't stop reading through the whole trilogy, having a sense of immense loss after finishing it. Interestingly, I later came across a reader's comment that fantacized a neural drug that will selectively erase memories of this trilogy in order to be able to read it again for the first time!

[@Mikeykneeled]

Didn't know this channel existed very excited to have found it

[@Lokityus]

I love your stuff, but I didn't know about this channel! I'm excited to catch up! If you haven't yet, you should read We Are Legion(We Are Bob). Again, speculative science fiction, but entirely character driven, and much lighter than TBP.

[@mikeofborg2]

Your cat is adorable! I have 7 myself, folks keep dumping them. One of the banes of living rural. All of them are super sweet cats and now live indoors. I don't know why people do this. Someone dumped 3 new cats I'm trying to find a home for. Two gingers and a ginger and white. 1 boy and 2 girls. My dad I think is going to adopt the orange and white girl. Just need to find forever homes for the other 2 full ginger kitties. And, again they are all sweet cats. Very friendly.

[@joshuam772]

Great review, now added to my TBR :) And as for suggestions, you might like the scientific ideas in Blake Crouch's 'Dark Mater', though by the sounds of it, it might not be as deep as 'The Three Body Problem', but interesting nonetheless. This tends more towards space opera (especially the second book), but I definitely would recommend the 'Red Rising' series. I've loved the first two and am loving the third so far. The plot twists genuinely keep you guessing, it's not afraid to be brutal, the relationships between the characters feel very distinct and, whilst, again, especially in the second book, the political side of things really intrigued me throughout. It'd be interesting to see what you think about it.

[@pyrosianheir]

I haven't been able to really... START Three-Body problem, yet. I read the first chapter, maybe two, and I hadn't been expecting how the prose would be written, and so I bounced off it. It's still on the to-read stack, though. I'll make another run at it eventually. Edit: Suggestion for something potentially interesting to read - Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by KJ Parker. The basic premise is that an engineering corps in a medieval army returns to a city after a major project, expecting to have time off... Only for it to come under siege, with most of the rest of the army not present to defend the city. So, the engineers scramble to try and hold it. It does a lot of interesting things both in terms of the actual strategy and tactics that both sides employ (the defenders are engineers, so they almost immediately do some stuff to try and counter any sappers), but also in the social and political side of being in a city under siege. It's really good, and pretty short. Two or Three hundred pages of really tight writing.

[@sunsun6360]

To me, the series is more than scienfiction. The book is also about what defines humanity, the complication of dictatorship versus democracy. Also sadly find, no matter how high tech civilization it is, there will always be social classes, always only a few sits at the top of the pyramid...the book reminds me a lot about 'the legend of the galaxy heros', also quite epic

[@mikexhotmail]

Democracy is a only concept for living in harmony and not practical at all in reality... harsh but true. ps. A computer data link ability on each warplane or ship don't vote which firing solution among them should be pick. The computer will pick the best firing solution to lunch the missile even though it only come from a single unit among 10 of it.

[@jongya]

@@mikexhotmail totally disagree about the practicality of democracy vs dictatorship. Not trying to be all soft and wishful about democracy like it sucks in a lot of ways especially when a large portion of the public doesn’t have the interest to educate themselves properly on many issues, but dictatorship puts all the decisions on one fallible person or small group of people. Even if you found the most benevolent and competent person in the world as a dictator they’ll die eventually and you have to pick a new dictator. How do you choose the next or the one after them? It’s only a matter of time until that power falls in the hands of someone who doesn’t know what they are doing or is downright malicious. A dictatorship may be the most efficient in terms of getting things done but it won’t take too long for that efficiency to be misused or mismanaged so if our goal is to have a society that takes care of the people in it then id say dictatorships are by far the least practical system in the long run.

[@austinharris5346]

So refreshing to finally see a review that makes sense lol... I read (most of) the first book at the behest of so many of my friends and colleagues in China, and am now watching the Chinese language TV adaptation, and each time I level the same critiques you raise here, about the "wooden" dialogue, immature plot devices, and general lack of immersion, all of my friends, dedicated fans of the franchise, insist that no such criticisms are valid. Most quarters of the internet feel like they're trying to gaslight people into agreeing that actually, Wang Miao is a believable character and that his interactions with the Frontiers/ETO are actually somehow compelling rising action. I do fully agree that the central conceit is a fascinating one, the tie-ins to the Cultural Revolution are definitely interesting, and above all, I really enjoyed seeing a Chinese sci-fi adaptation of "the Game", but... those highlights are spread so thin across all of the really difficult to read prose that I just can't really commit myself to the book. After hearing your take, I might just pick up the Dark Forest and start there.

[@soasertsus]

Thank you for this comment, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills with the amount of praise everyone seems to have for this series that I just can't imagine what's so appealing about it. Dark Forest was definitely a better book in pretty much every way, but it still suffers from a lot of the same problems as the first, especially regarding the dialogue and the characters (although at least this time the protagonist has a personality, but it's made up for with some of the most sexist and one-dimensional female characters I've ever seen). If you were frustrated with Three-Body you'll probably be frustrated with Dark Forest too is my expectation. And after I finished that one I really had no desire to continue onto the third.

[@laszlomateszabo4610]

My favourite science fiction series is Asimov's Foundation. I find it's concept really fascinating. You have probably already read it, but if not it's a timeless classic. Btw. I'm currently reading The Expanse , and highly recommend it, because it has believe, flawed but likeable characters ON TOP OF an amazing and complex story. Anyway thanks for the video, will definitely read the book.😀

[@gkoymnbxykfb]

Asimov is the best :) Is The Expanse related to the tv series?

[@amiscellaneoushuman3516]

@@gkoymnbxykfb yeah, the TV series is an adaption of the books

[@laszlomateszabo4610]

@@gkoymnbxykfb Yeah each season of the show is the adaptation of a book. I have already seen the series and loved it, but the book brings a new depth to characters that the show just didn't had the time to do.

[@SpaceHeathen]

I just picked up The Three-Body Problem on a Saturday and finished that Wednesday, can't wait to read the next one!

[@PhD20]

Excellent review. This really was a brilliant series.

[@TommyLellan]

I read about 40 pages last night, some interesting stuff but I’m HUNGRY for more. It’s slow, but I feel like it’s something I’ll appreciate in the long run. Like the pacing in Contact (the film). That was really effective. I would prefer more character driven stuff, but Rendezvous with Rama had very little in that aspect and yet it’s one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. Looking forward to that sort of stuff. 🤞 Btw I’d recommend ‘Horn-Horn’ by ADT McLellan. Hilarious fantasy series.

[@TansyZ]

The characters in the book are mostly tools for convey ideas though, whether the idea of physics, galaxy sociology and futuristic anthropology. I don’t think the characters themselves are the main point of the book. But don’t worry, you will still resonate with them nonetheless. It’s that good ;)

[@peggygilmour8905]

Reading it feels like mountain climbing.

[@aronk5099]

I love the trilogy (and for that matter, all of Liu’s work, I’ve read everything that’s been translated so far) Because it is exactly not what a lot of American science fiction tends to be, it’s not an action trilogy, it’s deeply philosophic, while amazingly narrated, therefore never boring. The mindeffs and twists are god like. Yet, it doesn’t lose itself in too much dystopianism, making one more curious than afraid to see what lays ahead. It manages to set everything into a perspective, makes time warp like nothing else, and give dimension to the feeling of insignificance of one as an individual. It takes you absolutely everywhere and back. And it really, really widens your horizon, unless maybe you are an astrophysicist who has already debated all the dilemmas Liu just answers by describing his universes reality. It’s just wow.

[@ellenripley4837]

Have you read Isaac Asimov? Cixin Liu's books are influenced by Asimov.

[@jakoblien5907]

I’ve been reading Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse 5 recently, both of them are classics with a nihilistic approach to society(and religion and science and nuclear annihilation) and war(and cruelty and trauma) respectively. Both are recommended:)

[@katerina13aar]

I'm reminded of this one movie my dad watched a few weeks ago, and I just... walked past and was compelled to watch more with him. Forgot the title but... it follows something similar to what you have here, aliens coming to the Planet and world baffled at what to do; should they attack, should they talk, the aliens aren't really doing anything, it's just their spaceship. And somewhere along they were, they've been "gifted" something, a language unique and that transcends time. Literally. And about only one woman is able to understand and she gets these... visions or experiences of her future and, I think, even her past. Because that's what the language can do, it literally allows you to tab into the... unexplored potential in your brain, simply put, the parts you might not have known existed or thought of as useful to your intelligence and reasoning. And through this language, the more you understand it, the more it will allow you to tap into this innate abilities that all animate beings have, according to the movie. And that means you can also see the future, at least your future where you are present. It's not grant things she sees or experiences: one moment there is this scene where the woman is with her daughter asking what a situation where all parties win is called. It's related to what's happening in the present where they're still discussing what to do about the aliens and how China have openly declared that they will open fire on the aliens in 24 hours... What's she's looking at is a non-zero-sum game, something she even verbally exclaims when she realises what this is. Another moment has her at a gala in the future where the president (or whatever it was?) of China shows her his phone number, because as he says, "It was because she called him on his personal number that he took back the proclamation to kill the aliens." Because she sees this phone number in the future - the future she can briefly experience and see because she understands this language the aliens have granted them - she can phone the president in the present. It's really fascinating. And sorry for the ramble, I'm not even sure I'm making much sense to you ^^;

[@raidri8500]

That sounds like Arrival.

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

@@raidri8500 It is the Arrival.

[@devinbuckner1140]

I don't know if you've read it, but one of my favorite sci-fi / fantasy series from when I was younger is Roger Zelazny's "The Chronicles of Amber." It was a new Tolkien for me. I'm not comparing the writing styles, just the depth of the experience I had in these fantasy worlds.

[@WilliamBeason]

The Orthogonal Trilogy, by Greg Egan. It’s a hard science fiction story set in a universe with four spacelike dimensions. Our universe has three spacelike and one timelike dimensions, so changing this allows exploring an entirely new form of physics.

[@TheSirSpence]

Forgive me for not watching more than 2 minutes of your video, but I value your opinion so much that I will go out and buy this book and experience it for myself. I appreciate the recommendation

[@traindude80]

After being recommended by a friend, I just bought the book today. Looking forward to reading it!

[@rusparr2528]

I haven't read the Three body Problem yet but I plan to. What I've heard people saying about it reminds me of the works Brian Aldiss. Mr. Aldiss was all about ideas and concepts and character development is secondary if it exist at all. I love Aldiss so I think I be able to get into these books.

[@Phase52012]

I watched the 30 episode Chinese made TV series. It's excellent; but it does take a little bit of a commitment if you haven't read the book series. It even comes to a conclusion. Of sorts. Here's hoping for the next two books to be made as well.

[@charlesajones77]

Season 2 is in production.

[@Phase52012]

@@charlesajones77 - Excellent. Thanks for the info.

[@jcwoodman5285]

Amazing work, very much a classic that will be viewed up there with the Foundation trilogy!

[@Civsuccess2]

The three body problem series universe is the anti Asimov universe. In Asimov universe, there's no alien. Humans are everywhere. In TBP universe, there are aliens everywhere but humans are the weakest of all.

[@michellesteimle9969]

Anne McCaffrey. Specifically her Pern series because that was the biggest one from a world building perspective. Dragonriders of Pern would be a good start. Acorna and Killashandra are fun too.

[@dildoteabaggens2279]

Have you read the skulduggery Pleasant book series and if you have what do you think about them

[@Croutonium]

He's alive!

[@paulotruzzi3652]

Hey Tim! Since you're reviewing science fiction, could you review "The Quiet War" by Paul J. McAuley? It's also hard science fiction but it seems to be less well known. Would love to hear of it from you :)

[@jofox1186]

Do you recommend "Death's End" as well?

[@GeorgeQQQ]

I agree with EVERYTHING you said except I love the 3rd book the best! The first book felt inconsequential and dare I say, a bit disconnected, in the grand scheme of things. But as a Chinese reader, while the second book’s proposed explanation to the Fermi paradox sounds chilling and creepy as hell, the third book is just philosophical in a really oriental way that cannot be translated unfortunately. Not saying tjr translation is not good enough - some things cannot simply be translated.

[@Lizarman11]

your review made me buy the book, and now I want the other two books. Can I send you the bill for the trilogy?

[@gruberjens4354]

I listened to the audio book and started the second book right after completing the first one... Draws you in and will not let you go. One of my favorite science fiction storys already :)

[@dylandijkstra4363]

Have you read ''An absolutely remarkable thing' and 'A beautifully foolish endeavor' By Hank Green? Would love to hear your thoughts on that one!

[@Myname-cb9ru]

I read this series years ago, and it's nice seeing it being popularized.

[@scarredchild]

More hard-to-understand but mind-blowing books, thanks. I find many books falling into achingly predictable plots and twists lately. I'd rather be insulted with surprise than complemented with ho-hum. Translated books seem to do this best as they pull from ideas not common to the country one is used to.

[@shauryagulati4970]

all the books have 2 versions. the artistic cover trilogy and the minimalistic black cover trilogy. i’m currently reading the dark forest and was looking for death’s end on amazon; the black one has 736 pages and the art cover one has 608 pages. can someone please tell me the reason for this without giving away any spoilers?

[@corro202]

Great review.

[@martic5951]

recommendation #1: Tigana by Guy gavirel kay. Also, have you read The Dark Prism? which is part of the Lightbringer series. Very much fantasy, not scifi but you might enjoy it nonetheless because of the magic system.

[@donutsrock]

Personally, I didn't really like The Three-Body Problem (also read in English). Had some interesting ideas, but the style stopped me from getting really invested in the story. I only found out by the end of the book that it was the first book of a trilogy. BUT, I thought the direction the story was going in was interesting enough to give the second book (Dark Forest) a chance. And man, what a mind-boggling game changer that one is! Especially when you think that it was actually Cixin Liu's ORIGINAL theories that were the core of that book, that's just insane. After that, I read Death's End (the longest of the three books) in mere days. What an experience those last two books were! So I would also recommend these books, with the same disclaimers that you mentioned. The first book may be a bit of a struggle, but the other two books are different and easily worth it.

[@miscleaf]

You should do the Poppy War series next - it's set in the Sino-Japanese War but with added shamanic fantasy elements. I was stunned at the historical accuracy melded into the plot

[@kalthoon]

Looking forward to the Dark Forest Review

[@rafaela00002]

Sounds like interesting books!

[@blaarfengaar]

It sounds similar to Neal Stephenson's newer novels like Anathem and Seveneves, I would love to see you review those as well!!

[@gmmonomotapa2889]

Guys, need advice. I have a tab s8plus & kindle..So papercover vs kindle?? I want to buy & keep Cixin Liu series as a collection.

[@johnkenneally6283]

Good review, how about Altered Carbon and Neuromancer?

[@eamoncat]

It's so fortunate for me that I have read Arthur Clark and Robert Sawyer's all books long before I started to read Liu Cixin's work in 2006 on a local Chinese Sci-Fi magazine SFW, otherwise, I would not be able to experience the thrill that Clark and Sawyer had given me. To me, the 3-body trilogy is like numb and spicy Sichuan cuisine, the flavor is so strong, you should save it to the last.

[@LarryHasOpinions]

i read it this year, i also completely agree the first one was the weakest of the three, I had very very similar thoughts to you! Definitely a great read!

[@user-gd3yg9cu9z]

你身为一个外国人确实不明白，但我们中国人会更了解那个年代，更了解那个时代的背景，第一部确实是还不够科幻但却是必不可少的

[@kriptonite981]

I'd love to hear you review Sabriel by Garth Nix. It's the first book to one of my favorite fantasy series.

[@patmullarkey7659]

I finished the books several months ago, and I can't stop thinking about them. Brilliant indeed! But when I finished the last book, I had a strange feeling, kind of hollow. I wondered about that and came up with my own theory why I felt this way. Cixin Liu is an atheist and he writes very clean, not carrying morals and ethics a lot of books do from assimilated religious or cultural upbringing. I read a lot. From his writing I realize how beliefs, whether an author practices a faith or not, infuse most writing -- my opinion. I am thinking of rereading. It's the first time in many years I have been so impacted emotionally and intellectually. I watched an interview with him and it was tough relating to him. Could be just cultural differences. Nonetheless I think he is brilliant. To understand the culture, I listened to a podcast on Mao Zedong.

[@ezraclark7904]

Would you read and review The House of Suns? It has some cool ideas about personal identity, individuality, transhumanism, as well as a whole lot of other stuff. I would like to hear your takeaway.

[@HelloFutureMe]

I actually do own this book! Might read it next.

[@Peter-mg7ij]

Believe or not, The Three Body Problem series are categorized as “少儿科普”（children's science fiction books）by a Chinese publishing company. Cixin Liu was shocked about that...

[@kahonk269]

"Children's"!? What a crime!

[@leodeen854]

@@kahonk269There was a time when science fiction was not recognized as a literature genre in China,so it was put into the popular science for children denre.

[@mattdixon1946]

Idk why I was so excited to realise I have the same green dragon mug!

[@kurmyshaharris7367]

Tim's perspectives on everything always has some positive or "silver lining" take on it and it's really refreshing.

[@aphim4427]

I love this book. It's brilliant

[@skyraiderfighter]

N. K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth trilogy is one of my favorites, it completely changed how I thought about fantasy and worldbuilding. I am really interested if you read it and if yes, what did you think about it.

[@neutral_10]

Really I heard it's quite good but have not been sure if I should read it

[@jamiethomas18]

Great to hear a Kiwi do a review, too often it's Americans which is fine but I like to hear different voices. Thanks for your review. I'm going to buy the trilogy.

[@colleenkaralee2280]

What is the base code of this universe that makes it a dual universe playing field?

[@brighthorse6981]

Rather than saying that the Three-Body Problem is a science fiction novel, it is better to say that the Three-Body Problem is actually a true portrayal of the good, evil, beautiful and ugly faces of human beings.

[@Ibajedi]

One story I think you might enjoy is "the World Lake: from Mage to Magi" by Gil Martin, I found it while browsing on amazon and I really liked it and would love to get your thoughts on it.

[@alanmckinnon6791]

I bought the trilogy last week and have only read the first book so far. I also got the "young adulty" vibe and it was wooden for a long time, but obviously that is due to translation and some translaters are better than others. The abrupt "three years later" bits, well those I figured must be like some TV series where an exposition ends with one episode. Next episode you get the usual "last week on ...." intro, then fade to black, a caption that says "Three years later" and the next scene fades in. We are not Chinese and don't really grok how that culture deals with time breaks, maybe what is abrupt to us is normal. But overall a great book for science nerds who wonder "what if..." and obviously it sets things up for better and more

[@patriciablue2739]

Great review, thank you for sharing! I have enjoyed the book too.