The Three-Body Problem
The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem!
WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
Over 1 million copies sold in North America
“A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times • “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street Journal • “Fascinating.”—TIME • “Extraordinary.”—The New Yorker • “Wildly imaginative.”—Barack Obama • “Provocative.”—Slate • “A breakthrough book.”—George R. R. Martin • “Impossible to put down.”—GQ • “Absolutely mind-unfolding.”—NPR • “You should be reading Liu Cixin.”—The Washington Post
The Three-Body Problem is the first novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.
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 by Cixin Liu
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up the Sky
The Wandering Earth
A View from the Stars
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Community Reviews
A masterful execution of science fiction, The Three-Body Problem is a gripping tale of an alien invasion.
The Three-Body Problem seemed to be an intimidating read, not in the length but in the context. However, Cixin Liu’s storytelling is thoughtful and engaging from beginning to end.
Masterful
I don’t read as much science fiction as I would like. I grew up reading fantasy, but that’s not to say I don’t like science fiction; I tend to be more selective when it comes to science fiction. But something about The Three-Body Problem caught my attention and made me pull the trigger and purchase it.
One of the best decisions I could have made.
The Three-Body Problem is absolutely amazing. This novel spans years, going back and forth between characters and scenes effortlessly to tell the story of the three-body problem while having a subplot surrounding an investigation. So, alongside the science fiction, a little mystery works to add to the plot line.
But probably the best thing about the novel was the accessibility of it.
Liu’s story includes a lot of science. This might seem daunting to some readers, but the writing and the science behind them are accessible. It was so easy to understand but not dumbed down, either. There is enough detail that allows the reader to understand the basics without getting overwhelmed by the information.
More importantly, it flows. We see something exciting when we enter the virtual reality game about the three-body problem.
In different periods, the players try to solve the three-body problem. What is the problem? I’d hate to spoil it, but it was amazing how the problem is explored and affects the alien race.
The introduction of the alien race doesn’t happen until the end, so don’t expect it early on. But the storytelling is absolutely captivating. Words cannot begin to express how excellent this novel is.
Final Thoughts
The Three-Body Problem is an amazing. Expertly building up a story, the story moves fluidly between characters and time periods and pulls together a masterful science fiction.
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The characters and their motivations make total sense an the most important thing is that each character puts had his own importance in the story. You don’t feel that any one character is the hero that could have done everything by himself.
The writer does not resort to cheap tricks to surprise the reader and all the twists make sense.
A must read for any sci-fi reader. I’m pretty sure it will become a classic
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