The Three-Body Problem

by Cixin Liu

English language

Published April 11, 2015 by Head of Zeus.

ISBN:: 978-1-78497-155-7
OCLC Number:: 913038730

(162 reviews)

Within the context of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a military project sends messages to alien worlds. A nearby alien society receives these messages and makes plans to invade Earth.

10 editions

Moorlock reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

It has a good moment or two, but commits two of the usual terrible sins of sci-fi:

1. Lots of exposition in the form of unrealistic dialog... including the antagonist cackling gratuitously for several pages to the victim over how and why they are going to be destroyed, and how this evil plot will fool them all and they'll never see it coming.

2. Deus ex machina resolutions of plot mysteries and conflicts via suddenly-introduced, implausible quasiscientific machines or mechanisms.

To this you can add:

Officer Cliché: a tough-talking cop who bends the rules and doesn't have respect for the brass.

The book being largely a set-up for its sequels.

Lots of chapters describing a VR video game that's supposed to be hard to tear yourself away from, but in its description seems about as exciting as watching paint dry,

An alien race with superior technology and wisdom who choose …

Painkiller reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Excellent hard sci-fi that sucks you in with a great mystery.

Chris M reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

The premise was good, but I just couldn't get through the ceaseless science infodumps. This read like the novelization of a research paper.

Dennis A V Dittrich reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

pro-libertate.net/20160925/307-read-three-body-problem

itgrrl reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Some interesting ideas are explored in this trilogy, but for a book that is touted as being scientifically accurate/plausible I nearly rage-quit when the Sophons were introduced. I ended up reading the whole trilogy to see where the larger themes went, and I certainly don't regret it. But if you're expecting hard sci-fi, you're likely to be disappointed.

protomattr reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

For me, what makes sci-fi worthwhile is the following:

1. Asking big questions about the human condition, and humanity's place in the Universe.

2. Exploring the frontiers of science.

3. Blurring the line between the fantastical and real by building a plausible bridge between the fictional world and the reader's world.

The Three-Body Problem excels at all of these. Not only is Liu highly imaginative in constructing his universe, but he also manages to firmly ground it in well-drawn and memorable characters, real science, and most exceptionally for me, Chinese history and culture. The book begins in the throes of the Chinese cultural revolution, and this turbulence ripples through the rest of the book. This gave his story, already an outstanding example of first contact, a unique flavor, and it makes me want to learn more about something I know little about, a sign of an excellent book.

Another sign …

giantrobot reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Super interesting, with some great perspective-changing ideas and how that would affect people and humanity at a whole. I'm amused by how Chinese it still is, such as the shock of time frames being even longer than dynasties, and things like he human computer, reinforcing ideals that individuals doing their part in society can achieve great earth-changing things.

Sandra reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Meh. I did not care for this. It did nothing to spark my imagination. I was just reading words, blah, blah.

Blah

Adrián Astur Álvarez reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I haven't read a book this full of ideas in a long time. I highly HIGHLY recommend the first novel of Cixin's Three-Body Problem trilogy. English translations of the remaining volumes are rolling out over the next 8 months (The Dark Forest comes out in a few weeks and Death's End drops April 2016) but this shouldn't stop you from getting started. There are awesome set pieces in this novel in the true sense of the word. I often turned to my wife after reading passages and enthusiastically tried to recount what I just read and why it was so cool. Hats off to Ken Liu - my translations never worked.

I really was impressed with the translation from Ken Liu, an accomplished writer himself. Ken was able to transition some very tricky cultural moments with minimal interruption and his writing flowed so well I often forgot it wasn't a book written in originally in English. It will be interesting to see how Joel Martinsen measures up in his translation of the second volume.

All in all, this is a novel of epic ideas and despite it's fantastic flourishes based in scientific theory feels rather relevant. Cixin manages to balance the optimism necessary to make very grim stakes wondrous. This is perfect beach reading material.

SBWright reviewed The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (The Three-Body Triology, #1)

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I have been interested in The Three Body Problem since I heard Ken Liu talking about his translation of it on our own Galactic Chat podcast. I do really like Ken’s work ( I am eagerly awaiting his fantasy novel) and I was also interested in seeing the difference in the translated work and Ken’s own style.

So what to expect from China’s most popular science fiction author?

Well if you were thinking of some workers paradise in the stars, where the dirty capitalists learn the error of their ways, you’ve possibly been watching too much Fox news.

We begin in the late 60’s and the Cultural Revolution is in full swing. For the rest of the novel the reader moves between that past and the present until the two meet in each timeline’s important characters. So initially The Three Body Problem had a strong historical feel to it and I got a sense that Cixin was really laying some very solid foundations.

For much of the novel the reader along with Wang Miao, the nanotech researcher who is our present day protagonist, is pulled along by a mystery; strange deaths of scientists involved in fundamental physics research, virtual reality games that seem to simulate a mathematical conundrum and an alien civilisation, a powerful alien force that seems to be able to affect the universe on a fundamental level.

The Three Body Problem is fairly low key science fiction in the sense that it probably closer to the heart of traditional science fiction where a story is built around solid scientific ideas or process. Indeed we never leave Earth or the current day in this book. Much of The Three Body Problem deals with the characters and how the cultural revolution directly or indirectly affected their lives and I suspect gives strong reasons behind future actions.

What kept me reading was the mystery, while some of the science had me wavering it was the revelations that Cixin artfully drip fed to us that kept me turning the page. The Three Body Problem is more Contact than Leviathan Wakes, but its an exceedingly well done work and I find myself anticipating the next novel.

On the translation I believe Ken has done a great job, I certainly don’t feel like I am reading Ken Liu but I am entertained and intrigued nonetheless.