The Dark Forest

by Liu Cixin

23h4m

English language

Published Sept. 22, 2016 by W. F. Howes Ltd.

ASIN:: B079KJNDN3

(271 reviews)

In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead.

50 editions

boldwater reviewed The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin (Remembrance of Earth's Past, #2)

could have used a stronger editor

2 stars

The women in this book might have had charachters had they been written as men. As writen, however, they represent a very large number of pages that could have been cut from the book with only positive effect. This may have been the first time I wished than an author would skip writing women.

The other part of this book that concerned me was its lack of creativity. The plot relies on the creativity of a number of charachters across a multi-century timespan. Unfortunately, there was but one author, whose own creativity didn't seem up to the task. What's more, the main secret throughout the book didn't need to be kept either from the reader or from other charachters at all.

The author could do better with a strong editor and with a good bit more respect both for women and for readers' intelligence. I found this book to be …

The author could do better with a strong editor and with a good bit more respect both for women and for readers' intelligence. I found this book to be a dissapointment.

DThoris reviewed The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin (Remembrance of Earth's Past, #2)

Disappointing

2 stars

Well, I really enjoyed the first one. This one, not so much. The story arc Luo Ji and his "one true love" really pissed me off. She was so one dimensional - the demure, deferential, woman who (literally and figuratively) takes up very little space. It was this that made me realize that in his whole world (in 2 books), there were 4 female characters with speaking roles who lasted for more than a chapter. And only 3 or 4 who only lasted a chapter. On top of that, he fridged two (three? maybe four, if you count cold sleep) female characters to move the plot forward.

All that aside, it was a very slow book, which I'm usually good with, but this was... more rambly. In the end, I was pretty much skimming to finish the story.

I will say the world was imaginative and interesting to me. Just …

All that aside, it was a very slow book, which I'm usually good with, but this was... more rambly. In the end, I was pretty much skimming to finish the story.

I will say the world was imaginative and interesting to me. Just not the way the story was written. His mechanic for not having to predict the future of human discovery was an interesting one (from the first book).

Prethoryn reviewed The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin (Remembrance of Earth's Past, #2)

Read This Trilogy

4 stars

I will be making a review on this book without trying to spoil any plot points of the entire series. Here is what you should know. I have said it on my review of the first book of the series, The Three Body Problem. The writing is rough, and the character dialogue is even more rough. Sometimes the details are hard to follow, and sometimes things are explained so far in detail it kind of derails from the plot.

However, you should 100% read this series. The trilogy is worth the time you will spend. The books have this way of over explaining, but this is to make things make sense and to back up aspects and ideas. This series is an overall idea of what the writer would think the world would be like during an extraterrestrial crisis. What it lacks in over explaining and rough character dialogue, it …

This is book in my opinion is the best book in the whole series by far. The Three Body Problem lays out a future problem. This book takes that and builds a story on top of that with a main character that goes through a rollercoaster of emotions and responsibilities. It will make you think things are calm and collected and then throw you for a loop. Cixin Liu could have ended the series here, in my opinion.

I loved this book, and it is my favorite of the trilogy. Just be aware it is wordy and the character dialogue is a bit dry. The science is very well explained, but often to a point it takes away from the time that could have been invested in the characters and plot even farther. If you go in aware of this, it can make it a much easier read. I think it should also be known that this is a Chinese author, and Eastern Culture can be different from Western culture. Translation from one language to another might be the reason the dialogue feels so dry and that is important to keep in mind.

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3 stars

Nerd fantasy fulfillment, both to its benefit and detriment.

Lucas reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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1 star

Maybe has a gimmick worth reading, but only if written by an author with more respect for his readers' intelligence. This feels like it's talking down to you all the time it's dragging you through its characters' pain and violence and dumb quips and hollow insights.

(I should know better than rely on Best-of-the-Year picks chosen by poll.)

aandnota reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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4 stars

Great overview of folk horror. A bit long-winded at times, but a good introduction nonetheless.

aandnota reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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3 stars

Lots of false starts with this one. It was enjoyable, but I couldn't sustain interest for long periods. An hour or two at most and then my mind would wander.

Lucas reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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4 stars

I listened to this over a long few months, stopping when it made me feel too anxious. Sad, frightening—and discouraging. I thought I had hope, but discovered it is instead complacency and ignorance.

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2 stars

Easy to read, middle of the road military-scifi. Good trash fiction for a trash future.

Lucas reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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4 stars

Really enjoyed how it ended.

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3 stars

Fun, accessible, easy to follow, sprinkled with etymologies and did-you-knows; it's a few steps up from "Greek Myth for Dummies" but not at all academic or concerned with canonicity.

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Really engaging set of intertwined characters, each a gnarl of self-doubt, self-creation, regret, experience; cleverly written, funny; has direction without wandering.

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3 stars

More accurately, “The Cigarette in the 20th Century: An American Political History.”

While not as broad in scope nor in geography as I would have liked—and known if I’d read the description more carefully—I felt like I learned quite a lot from this book. Though US-centric, I thought it worthwhile; not sure if its insights are its own or simply new to me, but I liked to consider aspects of its history like government by partly-private associations, the complicated decisions further complicated by party philosophies, money, changing expectations of policy and health and etc.

Lucas reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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2 stars

Starts off really well, but nosedives into uninteresting entrepreneurial dot-com junk.

Lucas reviewed Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A Shorter Shakespeare)

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3 stars

A fascinating topic, well written and easy to follow—but goodness is there too much about one man, Woese. There’s a better book in here that has less biography and more follow up on other scientists’ work, I feel.