Hardcover, 512 pages
English language
Published Jan. 8, 2015
"With the scope of Dune and the rousing action of Independence Day, this near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author. In 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 …
"With the scope of Dune and the rousing action of Independence Day, this near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author. In 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"--Provided by publisher.
La historia parece centrarse en ésta ocasión en los vallados, tres hombres con plena libertad para planificar la defensa de la tierra ante la futura llegada de los extraterrestres invasores, que ocurrirá dentro de 400 años. el comienzo me está gustando, cuando lo termine actualizaré la reseña.
I enjoyed the blending of science and philosophy throughout the story. The descriptions of the technology and the moral/ethical implications around it's use really blew me away. If you're in any way into Asimov, Lem and the like, I highly recommend the whole 3 body trilogy (The Three Body Problem, The Dark Forest & Death's End).
That was my first thought after finishing the first novel in the trilogy. This second book didn't change that much in my thinking. It's still okay, I liked some aspects, such as the whole 'Wallfacer' idea, but it still had a few very weird subplots, that just seem so out of place. The whole romantic subplot made me cringe, it reminded me of mail order brides. The feelings, decisions and personality of the woman in question are unimportant. Maybe that's a cultural thing but there were so many pages about this whole thing and it's just weird.
The whole idea of the dark forest is interesting, the droplet was also a good part. I wish he put more time into the characters and the story, not just into the science. That's the thing, I remember most of the science, but the characters are all very much replaceable.
In the end, …
That was my first thought after finishing the first novel in the trilogy. This second book didn't change that much in my thinking. It's still okay, I liked some aspects, such as the whole 'Wallfacer' idea, but it still had a few very weird subplots, that just seem so out of place. The whole romantic subplot made me cringe, it reminded me of mail order brides. The feelings, decisions and personality of the woman in question are unimportant. Maybe that's a cultural thing but there were so many pages about this whole thing and it's just weird.
The whole idea of the dark forest is interesting, the droplet was also a good part. I wish he put more time into the characters and the story, not just into the science. That's the thing, I remember most of the science, but the characters are all very much replaceable.
In the end, I can't recommend this book. It's not bad, but there are so many better sci-fi books out there. It's good to see some non-American sci-fi authors out there, but that doesn't mean we have to blindly praise this one. It's like pumpkin spiced latte: It's fun to have something different once in a while, it's not bad, but on it's own, it's not that great.
I will read the last book, just to get it over with. Maybe it's gonna turn this whole ship around, but I don't have any high hopes. I still don't get why so many people recommend this book.
Veamos... el primer volumen de la trilogía consiguió intrigarme hasta el final. Aún así, con el revuelo que había levantado, me pareció más bien flojo. Este segundo tiene casi todos los vicios de los títulos que me hicieron abandonar la lectura de ciencia ficción durante años. ¿Completaré la trilogía, aunque sea por amortizar el tiempo invertido y ver si hay algo detrás del hype...? Me lo voy pensando
Loved it, I'll probably finish the trilogy
[Vous pouvez lire mon avis sur mon blog, merci :)]
Not as consistently awesome as book one of the series, with a manipulative ending. The wall-facers are supposed to be opaque to Tri-solaris, not to me, the reader. Still, I am eagerly awaiting for book 3 to be translated.
This was an excellent novel and a must-read for fans of classic science fiction. I was reminded of several of Arthur C. Clarke's novels and even of Sphere by Michael Crichton. The plot was a little slow at the beginning, particularly in comparison with The Three Body Problem. However, this does pick up and by the end it is rushing ahead getting cooler and cooler with each turn of the (digital) page. The characters are also pretty neat and provide a personal touch across the large timespan covered in the story. I eagerly await the translation of the third and final installment of this series.
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.cl/2015/09/book-review-dark-forest-by-cixin-liu.html
