Best thing you'll read all week: The Three-Body Problem

As a product of Communist China, it’s no surprise author Cixin Liu has drawn some deeply cynical conclusions about humanity, and even beyond humanity. The ultimate premise of Three-Body Problem is that “our civilization is no longer capable of solving its own problems.”
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2017/04/18/best-thing-youll-read-week-three-body-problem/

I wish I agreed with you that he manages to break free from the cold equations. I thought the details about the Cultural Revolution and life in China generally were pretty interesting but I was completely unable to form any kind of emotional connection to either the story or its characters and ultimately left the book without any desire to read the sequels.

That review of 3BP might be even better than the book itself, and I loved the book. Loved the sequel even more, @marquac! From what you say, though, it still might not work for you.

I loved the little dialogue (and what you wrote about it) at the end of your essay, Tom.

It’s certainly not a book you read for the characters. With the exception of Ye, of course, and perhaps the Chinese policeman, there isn’t much by way of memorable characterization. I’d agree with you in that it’s a book more about concepts than characters.

-Tom

P.S. If anyone in this thread spoils anything from either of the other books, I will flip out ninja-style and refuse to ever give you a like, ever ever ever. I have to keep telling @Kelly_Wand, who introduced me to the books, to shut up whenever he starts to say something.

Keep reading! OMFG. I miss reading this trilogy more and more every day. You have so much to look forward to.

I have to agree with malkav11 here.

I found the more historical parts the most engaging and the central mystery was interesting and kept me reading to the end (of the first book).
The plot (apart from the mystery itself) and characters though were really flat and threadbare. It kind of reminded me of the reputation that older Sci-Fi books had and which newer ones now have mostly transcended, namely that they are just a vehicle to preach certain ideas and show off worldbuilding instead of being engaging stories in their own right.

To each their own though, it seems like a lot of people enjoyed it a lot. For me personally though, I just need more fleshed out and interesting characters in my fiction.

I read these books a couple months ago-- truly excellent, and very different than western sci-fi.

This is what kept me going through the trilogy, in combination with all the big concept ideas. Every once in a while there’s a reference or turn of phrase that just jumps out as nothing you’d ever see in Western sci-fi. Getting through the details of the plot and putting up with uninteresting characters was a chore, but for me it was worth it.

Did the third book come out? I remember reading the first two.

Also hey @disqus_XMlj3wyFQJ did you want @stusser or another mod to give you a… uh… username of your choice?

Yes it did, fairly recently.

This has been on my list to read, though unfortunately my time has been zeroed for the last two months. But this moved it up the list.

I agree that the characters are kind of flat and difficult for a westerner to relate to. But the big ideas are super interesting. Fermi’s paradox vs dark forest theory, etc,

Diego

I adored this series.

The audiobooks are really well done for anyone considering that option.

Just started the third book and can agree this is a great SF series.

While characters are not memorable generally with few exceptions the author captures the old school SF vibe with great concepts that makes you think about civilization and the universe in novel ways.

I’ve only read the first book so far. In that book, I felt the science-fictional elements were terribly contrived and honestly made very little sense to me. Full of science and logic holes, IMO, and the advanced alien science turned out to be so magical it might as well have been divine intervention.

However I thought the historical context and development was great, and I liked the writing style (at least as translated by Ken Liu). The characters felt somewhat flat, but I gather that’s the style, and in that respect it’s reflective of golden age western material like Asimov’s fiction, too.

The second book was better IMO. The first book just sets the stage.

Man, feel like I’ve really missed out on this one, everyone’s read the series but me. I did read a sci-fi series that was Chinese oriented, the Chung Kuo series. It started really strong but got seriously weird at the end. Anyway, guess that’s neither here nor there.

I’ll get around to it, eventually.

I loved the first two books but have yet to read the third. FWIW, the characters worked for me in the context of the structure of this particular story. Maybe they fit the non-Western tone? I’ll have to think about that some more. Now, to finish up the book I’m reading, find a recap of the first two in this series, and dig into the third book.

Also - fantastic review, Tom. I also loved the postscript of the book.

I might also read the second book if people say it’s better than the first, but I agree with @Miramon assessment of The Three Body Problem. I found the concepts and style the novel revolves around dull, and that didn’t work for me.

The alien technology seems designed exactly to allow the plot to be rather than to be a coherent, well developed entity. Sometimes they are omniscient, sometimes they are easily fooled. sometimes they can convince really intelligent people to help them with arguments that seem a 5 years old could read through.

Sadly I didn’t like the policeman character either. It made no sense for him to be were he was (in terms of plot involvement) and read more like a caricature. The whole political plot felt unrealistic in its mechanics. Everything was just too convenient.

As others have pointed out, the historical bits are great. It’s the contemporary plot that I could not find myself caring for at all. It felt like a Tom Clancy story, just with science instead of military hardware.

I agree it feels like old school Golden Age Sci-fi at times, but that stuff I read a long time ago and I just don’t think it’s enough for me anymore (even greats like The Foundation series bores me now). I think I need more imagination (development of the concepts to their awesome consequences), world building and better plotting in my sci-fi now.

But this was a really good review. Glad you guys enjoy the book. As I said, I might buy the second novel to see if it changes something.