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Cixin Liu

The Three-Body Problem Paperback – January 12, 2016

by Cixin Liu (Author), Ken Liu (Translator)

8,407 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Three-Body Problem

in Chinese Literature

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Soon to be a Netflix Original Series!

“War of the Worlds for the 21st century.” – Wall Street Journal

The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience the Hugo Award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin.

Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.

The Three-Body Problem Series
The Three-Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death's End

Other Books
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up The Sky (forthcoming)

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 12, 2016
Dimensions

6.31 x 1.15 x 9.16 inches
ISBN-10

9780765382030
ISBN-13

978-0765382030
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A breakthrough book . . . a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation.” ―George R. R. Martin, on The Three Body Problem

“Extraordinary.” ―The New Yorker, on The Three Body Problem

“Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Three Body Problem

"A must-read in any language.” ―Booklist, on The Three Body Problem

"A meditation on technology, progress, morality, extinction, and knowledge that doubles as a cosmos-in-the-balance thriller.... a testament to just how far [Liu's] own towering imagination has taken him... forever into the canon of science fiction. - NPR, on Death's End

"The best kind of science fiction, familiar but strange all at the same time." -- Kim Stanley Robinson, on The Three Body Problem

About the Author

CIXIN LIU is the most prolific and popular science fiction writer in the People’s Republic of China. Liu is an eight-time winner of the Galaxy Award (the Chinese Hugo) and a winner of the Chinese Nebula Award. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked as an engineer in a power plant. His novels include The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death's End.

Ken Liu is an award-winning author of speculative fiction. His books include the Dandelion Dynasty series (The Grace of Kings), The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, and the Star Wars tie-in novel, The Legends of Luke Skywalker. He frequently speaks at conferences and universities on topics like futurism, cryptocurrency, the mathematics of origami, and more. He lives near Boston with his family.

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Product details

ASIN : 0765382032
Publisher : Tor Books (January 12, 2016)
Language : English
Paperback : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780765382030
ISBN-13 : 978-0765382030
Item Weight : 15.7 ounces
Dimensions : 6.31 x 1.15 x 9.16 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Chinese Literature
- #31 in Hard Science Fiction (Books)
- #38 in First Contact Science Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
8,407 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		61%
4 star		21%
3 star		10%
2 star		5%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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jg852

Did I miss something or is this really just garbage...?

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

How in the world did this book average 4+ stars? My apologies, but I can’t tell you because I apparently read something completely different from everyone else!

Absolutely zero character development, I mean nothing! Just flat personalities all-round. In fact, I couldn’t begin to emphasise the two-dimensionalism present in this book even if I was blessed with the eloquence of a Joyce or Shakespeare.

Oh, and it might be good to have at least a PhD - no, that is a bit much, make it a Masters in physics - because the amount of academic regurgitation is borderline criminal!

And what the hell is this video game plot all about...are you kidding me?!? Dehydration!?? Utter-Rancid-Rotting-Garbage!!!

To leave my sardonic humour aside for a second, perhaps it really did not translate well from Chinese...similar to how Crazy Rich Asians (also garbage, but entertaining garbage!) was hugely profitable in the US, but an absolute bomb at China’s Box Office.

I’m so alone...someone please help me...please explain how I was led astray by so many?!

456 people found this helpful

Helpful

Matthew I. Grivich

Author does not know Physicists

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

I'm about 25% into the book. I doubt I'll finish it. I have a Ph.D. in Physics, and my graduate program had a strong Particle Physics department (though I specialized elsewhere). The author shows a startling lack of understanding of what motivates Physicists and how they think, to a point where the book is ruined for me.

There is also rather ... amateur hour writing, which may be due to the translator.

Spoiler version:

In the book plot, the invariance of physics under translations in time and space has been proved to be wrong at higher energies, and because of this "There is no Physics" and scientists have started killing themselves due to despair. This is nonsense.

In the real world, Particle Physics has gotten rather boring and predictable. Short of some absurd theoretical results at energies that we can't test experimentally, the Standard Model has tremendous explanatory power and has explained all experiments and predicted new results correctly. CERN discovered the Higgs, as expected, but has brought out no new Physics, thus far. This is disappointing. Much, much more exciting would be a field breaking result, (such as a new, previously unknown, variance of Physics in time and space at higher energies). Particle Physics would be fun again.

Similarly, when Wang Miao starts seeing a countdown, instead of jumping to the most likely conclusion (that he is becoming mental ill, and needs outside, non-biased verification of what he is seeing) or that he is receiving messages from some outside intelligence, he starts to go crazy in a very over the top and amateurishly written way.

341 people found this helpful

Helpful

BDW

Absolutely mind-blowing. Like nothing I've ever read. Highest recommendation!

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is the most impactful sci-fi series I've ever read. What I mean by that, is that this series has permanently changed: the way I look at the stars, the way I perceive time, the way I think about life, the way I think about SETI, the way I think about the meaning of life, the way I think about human beings' place in the universe, the way I view technology, etc.

This series well and truly "blew my mind away". This isn't a page0-turning space opera adventure kind of story. The story is interesting and good, and there is most definitely some drama and entertainment - and the writing is excellent (translation to English is superb). But the main thing for me about this series is that it educated me about physics and really made me look at EVERYTHING through a new lens. The ideas in this book I had never encountered before - and I am a voracious reader. I found this series to be totally original and mind-blowing. There were time where I simply needed to put it down after reading only a short time, in order to simply ponder the ideas presented. I've never had quite an experience like this with a book.

Highly recommend this series. And, make sure you read all three, because each one is better than the last. The last book of the series was my favorite and just absolutely melted my brain. I mean, to the degree where I am questioning my own reality. Yes, it is that good. Really, a mind and perception altering experience.

910 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Much muchness

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

After slogging though far too much science narrative while finding virtually nonexistent character development, I had to laugh when I read that the author started life as an engineer. I finally started skipping the science to find some plot development, sort of like skipping the cetology when reading Moby Dick. Despite these criticisms, Liu has created realms that can expand any willing imagination. But the book would benefit from an editor with a machete, to chop through the technical kudzu.

160 people found this helpful

Helpful

Buy This Book!

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

I was on the fence about this book for a couple of years but I finally took the plunge and am extremely happy that I did! The reviews seemed to be a bit of a mixed bag and I saw some people suggest that it lacked interesting characters. Having read this book as well as its two sequels I can firmly say that this is not the case. There are several compelling and interesting characters in this book.

Above all else the plot, world-building and pacing of the book are completely top notch. To have a hard sci-fi book that is not about space marines and laser guns but still manages to be a page-turner that you can't put down is an amazing achievement! This book represents the best in science fiction. It's about big ideas and examining possibilities. I refuse to discuss the plot but if you have an interest in science and technology and love the hard sci-fi genre, stop reading this review and order the book immediately!

I will provide one disclaimer. If you have no interest in science whatsoever or just lack an aptitude or understanding of it, this book series may not be for you. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to enjoy this book but you probably will need to have at least a baseline understanding of some basic scientific principals and/or a willingness to google some stuff.

Anyway, get it!!

197 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Georgiana89

History, philosophy and physics, through a Chinese lens

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

This was a very interesting and unusual sci-fi novel, partly due to its Chinese setting and authorship and partly due to its interesting use of scientific and philosophical concepts, along with some insights into the unique historical setting of the Cultural Revolution.

Like most western readers and film-watchers, I'm very used to aliens always targetting America and the heroes being American - or at a pinch, British - and it felt surprisingly fresh to watch these semi-familiar events unfolding in a Chinese context. I was almost as fascinated at the insight into normal middle class lives in modern China as I was by all the science, science fiction, and history. And I loved the fact that many of the historical, cultural, and literary references were East Asian in origin.

It was the "oooh, a Chinese sci-fi novel, how intriguing," that made me pick this up, but I can't emphasise enough that this book has value far beyond that. The philosophy was thought-provoking and the science was head-spinning. I read a fair amount of sci-fic, but mostly the sort that's heavier on the fiction than on the science, so I'm not sure how clever the physics here was relative to other pieces of hard sci-fi. But with a ten year-old physics A-level, I found I had to concentrate and sometimes got a bit confused, but could follow proceedings.

The plot is really quite slow-burn, and for large swathes of the early and middle sections of the book, there's relatively little action and little really even to make this feel like sci-fi, beyond a few sinister hints and some unexplained mysteries. The first few chapters in particular - set in the Cultural Revolution - are more like historical fiction with a bit of science thrown in. Which is fine by me, as I enjoy that genre too. In the middle, lots of the action occurs via a mysterious virtual reality computer game, aimed at those with expertise in maths, science, philosophy, and history. The world it portrays is disconcerting and it's relevance to the plot in unclear - but ultimately, cleverly resolved. Towards the end, the action picks up, but it's all still focused on earth, humans, and more-or-less realistic science, rather than anything more flamboyant. As an aside, I went straight on to the sequel, where that really isn't the case.

Much as I enjoyed the plot, setting, and ideas, the characters often felt rather thin and two-dimensional, and the conversations between them often felt quite stilted and forced. I'm not sure whether this is due to translation issues, Chinese writing conventions, or the author's own deliberate choice or weakness. At times, it almost threatened to distract me from enjoying the novel, but that was ultimately never the case.

Overall, between the slow pace, the hard science and philosophy and - more negatively - some of the characterisation and dialogue, this isn't always an easy read. But it's ultimately a very worthwhile, interesting, and on balance, enjoyable one, that I'd heavily recommend.

175 people found this helpful

Timothy Hammond

Weirdly bad - WARNING: spoilers!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2018

Verified Purchase

Having read the glowing reviews and seen the prizes this book won, I was keen to start it. I read a few pages, waiting for the brilliance to kick in, read some more, waiting for the great book to start...and it never did!

To summarise the book, an eminent scientist is asked to join a global task-force fighting an unknown enemy that is making scientists commit suicide. It turns out the enemy is an alien race, invited to Earth by radical environmentalists (amongst others) despairing of humanity's behaviour.

Perhaps some of the problems are down to the translation - it was apparently done by a friend of the author rather than a professional - and perhaps some are down to the way Chinese novels are written. But in the end you can only review what you read. The major issues? First, the characters are utterly one-dimensional, interchangeable and without any kind of character development. Second, the dialogue is wooden and non-one has any kind of distinct voice. Third, the plot is simply unbelievable. It is just about credible that some humans, seeing their own species as environmentally destructive - might reach out to aliens without finding out what those aliens are actually like. But it is absurd to suggest that highly intelligent scientists around the world would be committing suicide because of strange results in their experiments. It is surely far more likely that most would be intrigued rather than despairing? Fourth, the computer game that the protagonist is drawn into makes no sense whatsoever. It is not a game in any real sense and the claims about its complexity and depth are not match in any way with the actual game as it is described. finally the action scenes are without any kind of suspense or excitement, devoid of interest and realism.

In some ways, this reads like a first draft, something that would then be worked on and revised and edited and worked on some more. Perhaps after that you might end up with something half-decent, that a good editor could knock into some kind of shape. But as it stands it is just strangely bad, in just about every important way.

146 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Not very good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

Have been a sci-fi reader since I was a kid, and I am familiar with some, if not most of the 'hard science' in this book as well.
Its just not very well written.From the characters, trough the story and all the way to how the plot is being advanced....its just not very good. The setting is quite interesting, and the idea is decent/good as well, but anything after the game sequences in the book is just....awful, lacking, and poorly written.
Maybe its the translation, but I doubt it. Way too many instances where characters simply explain their entire personality and motivation directly to you, as if the author is breaking the third wall in the most basic way imaginable.

"I always was a lazy boy but was also super intelligent without giving it a second thought but I never could be bothered to apply myself but then I decided to go to the monks where the head monk was super smart too and gave me an epiphany that motivated me to start working on this thing that is super important for the plot and then this woman found my half-burned notes and figured out instantly that I was working on this giga-complex problem and as it turns out this is very important to her as well so she got me out of the buddhist temple and we got marred even though I am practically dead inside and dont care about these things and now she threatened to kill me'

Literally wat.
It would've been fine if this was just single occurrence, but at least two other characters are done in the same manner and it is just painfully bad and cringe-worthy.

Don't bother. Hugo award my arse

36 people found this helpful

Herr Holz Paul

For all the E.T. in China

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book impressed me in a number of ways. Firstly it was hard to put down once I started. Also, because the author is Chinese and the narrative set in China, I found that in addition to embarking on great odyssey in Sci-fi , I was getting images of Chinese culture and mysticism which was for me both unexpected and welcome. Much of the first half is set in or around the Cultural Revolution and the influence of these times on some of the academics in the sciences is telling.

As the story unfolds the complexity deepens culminating in the bewildering realisation that we have already been infiltrated. The descriptions of the alien technology and capability are truly mind bending and fascinating! Hard Sci-fi encapsulated.

This translation in to English has a postscript by the author where he reveals a little of his personal history and what draws him to the genre. This is a great addition and helps explain some of the socio-political and psychological aspects of the book.
There is also a translator`s postscript. Likewise this is a really good idea for a translated work such as this. I am always a little wary when reading translations and this postscript outlines precisely what I feel and helps to address this issue.

39 people found this helpful

Martin Davidson

Utterly outstanding - for those who enjoy cerebral sci-fi mind-games

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

Utterly outstanding - for those who enjoy cerebral sci-fi mind-games. A really simple premise - what EXACTLY wd the consequences be, if another civilisation close to us, made contact - and from that he spins 2k pages of utterly logically consistent corollaries - with a major twist, revelation, or reversal pretty much every 30 pages. I was breathless. I loved how he set himself the challenge of remaining always within the framework of the laws of physics (no hyperdrive, not faster than light speed 'jumps'). And all from the POV of Chinese characters - a real, and refreshing break from EVERYTHING having to be American. Cannot recommend it enough - all three volumes.

22 people found this helpful

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