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Mountain
Some people enjoy mountain-climbing as a hobby, while others hate it. What if mountain-climbing had become something necessary for survival? A group of pitiful aliens are forced to exist within a small spherical space, surrounded by layer upon layer of rock. They have named this space the "Bubble World," and their lifelong ambition is to find out what might exist beyond the rock walls that envelop them. Do the strata just go on forever? Or could they end in a void? To this end they build great ships of exploration, dying generation after generation as they adventure outward. Consequently, they form a completely unique world view, as well as theories of physics and cosmology that are vastly different from our own.
A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author.
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Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today.
– Damien Walter, The Guardian
Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking!
– Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World”
First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past.
– Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”
A short story by Liu Cixin, Hugo Award winner of 2015, China's most acclaimed contemporary science-fiction author.
-------------------------------
Liu Cixin's writing will remind SF fans of the genre's golden age, with its positive focus on scientific development, combined with a consistently constructive vision of China's future role as a global superpower. It's characteristic of an SF genre which has been embraced by Chinese culture because it is seen as representing the values of technological innovation and creativity so highly prized in a country developing more quickly than any other in the world today.
– Damien Walter, The Guardian
Liu Cixin has put his exuberant energy to good use, erecting a gallery that must be measured on a scale of light-years. Inside this gallery of his, he has stored away marvels beyond imagination produced by the science and technology of cosmic civilizations. The moment you step into Liu Cixin's world, the rush of his enthusiasm buffets you like a particle storm – a storm of enthusiasm for science and for technology; And it is this enthusiasm that bears the heart of his world's magnificent galaxy. We can find it reflected not only in the grand vistas he creates, but also in the fateful decisions of his characters. The stark contrast of his grand worlds against the choices of these lonely and feeble beings can be truly shocking!
– Yao Haijun, editor in chief of “Science Fiction World”
First and foremost, as a reader, I very much enjoy and find great satisfaction in Liu Cixin's stories. The stories he tells are incredibly lucid, their language is conversant, their rhythm is tightly woven and their plots exceedingly compelling; Their imagery is unique, they have a boundless quality about them and they are brimming with powerful language; In these ways he echoes the great Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu. What is more, I truly adore technology and industrial culture and consider them to be very exquisite, serious and atmospheric; almost holy. Liu Cixin's stories reflect this sentiment of mine. Therefore, I at times think that he echoes Newton. Finally, there is the military side of things. One does not have to look far to see his innate passion for all things to do with weaponry. In Liu Cixin we can see a stubbornness, a heroic ideal of centuries past.
– Han Song, deputy editor of “Oriental Outlook”
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 5, 2015
This is an innovative, yet throwback sci-fi gem.
Chinese author Liu Cixin wrote his short-story "Mountain" and this was translated into English and published in 2012.
The setting is aboard a Chinese vessel at sea where tragic hero Fan, a former Himalayan mountain climber, and the captain are discussing his earlier ignominy when the captain, keeping his celestial navigation skills, notices a strange star growing in size.
From here Liu takes us on a very unique hard science, physics heavy, but also spiritual journey along the harrowing first moments of first contact. Mountain climbing is more than just survival, it is a demonstration of something more and Liu demonstrates his exceptional ability to tell a very distinctive story.
This was my first introduction to his work, but will not be the last.
Chinese author Liu Cixin wrote his short-story "Mountain" and this was translated into English and published in 2012.
The setting is aboard a Chinese vessel at sea where tragic hero Fan, a former Himalayan mountain climber, and the captain are discussing his earlier ignominy when the captain, keeping his celestial navigation skills, notices a strange star growing in size.
From here Liu takes us on a very unique hard science, physics heavy, but also spiritual journey along the harrowing first moments of first contact. Mountain climbing is more than just survival, it is a demonstration of something more and Liu demonstrates his exceptional ability to tell a very distinctive story.
This was my first introduction to his work, but will not be the last.
June 11, 2019
This short story is a real treat for those of us who have a long love-story relationship with strange cosmoses, different laws of the universe, unified with unique aliens beginning to understand the nature of their universe.
Of course, all of these scientific discoveries share a superficial similarity to our own, but when we get right down to the nuts and bolts... it's mind-blowing. :)
A bubble world. A Tower of Babel-like mountain of water.
The need to explore... explore... explore. :)
Just... Hell Yeah.
Real SF.
Of course, all of these scientific discoveries share a superficial similarity to our own, but when we get right down to the nuts and bolts... it's mind-blowing. :)
A bubble world. A Tower of Babel-like mountain of water.
The need to explore... explore... explore. :)
Just... Hell Yeah.
Real SF.
August 21, 2019
A very unexpected (and very different from Taking Care of Gods) take on a first-contact in this short story is both equally wonderful and though-provoking. Theoretically, one could claim that Liu Cixin here goes on a path Jules Verne went in his Journey to the Center of the Earth , but despite that, Verne never had any similar thoughts about an inverse civilization and it's progress and how simple, even trivial things and happenings for us might seem extremely different for other life forms and civilizations.
The ending was rushed a bit, but still this is a great read.
The ending was rushed a bit, but still this is a great read.
September 28, 2013
-Otro despliegue de imaginación.-
Género. Relato.
Lo que nos cuenta. Feng Fang lleva cinco años trabajando en el Bluewater, un buque oceanográfico de investigación geológica que navega por el mundo, y en todo ese tiempo no ha bajado ni una vez a tierra sin importar el tiempo que haya estado atracado el barco. En el pasado estuvo envuelto en un accidente de escalada con resultados trágicos y como castigo terrible autoimpuesto se mantiene lejos de lo que más ama: las montañas. Pero la llegada a la Tierra de un objeto extraterrestre y las alteraciones gravitatorias que éste genera le darán la oportunidad de escalar la montaña más extraña que jamás se ha visto.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
Género. Relato.
Lo que nos cuenta. Feng Fang lleva cinco años trabajando en el Bluewater, un buque oceanográfico de investigación geológica que navega por el mundo, y en todo ese tiempo no ha bajado ni una vez a tierra sin importar el tiempo que haya estado atracado el barco. En el pasado estuvo envuelto en un accidente de escalada con resultados trágicos y como castigo terrible autoimpuesto se mantiene lejos de lo que más ama: las montañas. Pero la llegada a la Tierra de un objeto extraterrestre y las alteraciones gravitatorias que éste genera le darán la oportunidad de escalar la montaña más extraña que jamás se ha visto.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
September 6, 2012
Un relato que va más allá de la ciencia ficción para colarse en una de las verdades universales de la naturaleza de todas las criaturas vivas, el deseo de conocer, de llegar más allá, de escalar montañas.
Un relato genial que recorre la evolución de una raza alienígena completamente diferente a la humana a través de su historia, que nos abre la mente y nos planta la duda de nuestra posición como raza en el vasto universo; y todo esto en unas escasas 50 páginas.
Recomendado 100%. Gracias a Odo por descubrirme a Liu Cixin
Un relato genial que recorre la evolución de una raza alienígena completamente diferente a la humana a través de su historia, que nos abre la mente y nos planta la duda de nuestra posición como raza en el vasto universo; y todo esto en unas escasas 50 páginas.
Recomendado 100%. Gracias a Odo por descubrirme a Liu Cixin
April 20, 2012
Over the weekend I had the chance of finishing reading Mountain and I can only say that my mind was blown away. This is one of the best novellas I've read in a long time.
As in "Taking Care of God" the plot revolves around the first contact of humankind with an alien race. However, in Mountain the focus is on the mystery surrounding the aliens and the history of their civilization. In less than 50 pages, the author manages to develop a complete (and amazing) cosmology and introduces more ideas than other authors in 500 pages novels.
Cixin's Mountain is somehow similar in theme and tone to "Exhalation" by Ted Chiang (one of my favorite short stories ever) with the best parts of Incadescence by Greg Egan added in for good measure. Some scenes even reminded me of Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon. Not a bad combination, is it?
Though Mountain is quite a different kind of story, closer to modern hard SF, there are some similarities with "Taking Care of God", especially in the underlying philosophy: both are recounts of the struggles that intelligent species have to face to survive in the Universe and both give a message of hope in spite of these difficulties.
Cixin's prose is fairly simple and functional and he relies maybe a bit too heavily on dialog and infodumps. However, it doesn't detract from the reading experience or from the overall enjoyment of the story.
All considered, Mountain is an excellent novella which reminds me why I love science fiction of ideas so much. If you like short fiction by authors such as Chiang and Egan I strongly recommend that you give Mountain a try. You won't regret it.
(Review originally published on Sense of Wonder: http://sentidodelamaravilla.blogspot....)
As in "Taking Care of God" the plot revolves around the first contact of humankind with an alien race. However, in Mountain the focus is on the mystery surrounding the aliens and the history of their civilization. In less than 50 pages, the author manages to develop a complete (and amazing) cosmology and introduces more ideas than other authors in 500 pages novels.
Cixin's Mountain is somehow similar in theme and tone to "Exhalation" by Ted Chiang (one of my favorite short stories ever) with the best parts of Incadescence by Greg Egan added in for good measure. Some scenes even reminded me of Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon. Not a bad combination, is it?
Though Mountain is quite a different kind of story, closer to modern hard SF, there are some similarities with "Taking Care of God", especially in the underlying philosophy: both are recounts of the struggles that intelligent species have to face to survive in the Universe and both give a message of hope in spite of these difficulties.
Cixin's prose is fairly simple and functional and he relies maybe a bit too heavily on dialog and infodumps. However, it doesn't detract from the reading experience or from the overall enjoyment of the story.
All considered, Mountain is an excellent novella which reminds me why I love science fiction of ideas so much. If you like short fiction by authors such as Chiang and Egan I strongly recommend that you give Mountain a try. You won't regret it.
(Review originally published on Sense of Wonder: http://sentidodelamaravilla.blogspot....)
May 18, 2012
Un cuento CiFi de corte clásico y gran encanto. La civilización subterránea es realmente alienígena en concepto, cultura y percepción. Condicionando a los alienígenas por una física poco habitual pero verosímil (para los que estamos mal acostumbrados a la gravedad), Liu crea toda una cosmogonía extraterrestre, con sus propios retos intelectuales y límites de conocimiento. Acompañan unas imágenes espectaculares, para las que Liu tiene una destacada habilidad.
Muy recomendable. ¡Y breve! ¡Ah, la brevedad!
Muy recomendable. ¡Y breve! ¡Ah, la brevedad!
June 10, 2015
More like a thought experiment than an actual story, and the entire story is just a setup for a long discussion about the history of an alien species.
But it's still fascinating.
A man climbs a mountain made of water to meet extraterrestrials. These aliens come from a solid universe and describe how they discovered liquid and then gas and how they dealt with these new properties.
It's a great novella, but not as good as The Wandering Earth or his novel, but this is a nice, optimistic story.
But it's still fascinating.
A man climbs a mountain made of water to meet extraterrestrials. These aliens come from a solid universe and describe how they discovered liquid and then gas and how they dealt with these new properties.
It's a great novella, but not as good as The Wandering Earth or his novel, but this is a nice, optimistic story.
January 27, 2022
Абсолютно лютый рассказ.
Короче, герой плывет себе по океану на корабле, и тут ВНЕЗАПНО на орбите Земли появляется гигантский инопланетный корабль размером с Луну, ну и начинает совершать своей массой всякие непотребства, поднимает из океана гигантскую водяную гору (это в целом ок, он типа висит на геостационарной орбите), а также, что бы это ни значило ПРОКАЛЫВАЕТ ОБОЛОЧКУ АТМОСФЕРЫ и земной воздух начинает вытекать прямо в космос. За несколько минут ужасный ураган охватывает всю планету, цивилизация рушится, начинается полный хаос.
Но герой не теряется! Он прыгает в воду и начинает яростно плыть брассом на вершину 10-километровой водяной горы, подгоняемый мегаураганом и течением. Зачем он это делает, не очень понятно. На все вопросы окружающих у него один ответ (цитирую): «Там, где есть гора, всегда найдется тот, кто на нее поднимется.»
Как бы то ни было, он примерно за час доплывает до вершины водяной горы и обнаруживает, что там по некоей неясной причине царит полный штиль и благодать. Но не успевает наш герой оглядеться, как на него начинают наседать инопланетяне которые спешат рассказать ему, в неумолимых подробностях, историю своей цивилизации! Основная часть рассказа — это, собственно, монолог инопланетян, перемежаемый восклицаниями китайца «вот это да!», «и что же было дальше?» и «до чего же вы крутые!» Типа, такое мегаинтервью.
В финале инопланетяне сообщают, что вообще они летели мимо по своим космическим делам, но им стало скучно, захотелось поговорить, а поговорить не с кем, кругом одни дебилы, один этот китаец нормальный, ну и они зарулили на Землю буквально на минуточку, поперетирать с уважаемым человеком за жизнь. Насладившись общением, они говорят китайцу (цитирую) «Приятно было познакомиться» и улетают дальше по своим космическим делам, водяная гора эффектно рушится обратно в океан, и китаец вместе с ней падает в океан с десятикилометровой высоты, но (цитирую) «К счастью, он погрузился не очень глубоко и быстро вынырнул на поверхность.» Ну и поплыл брассом обратно домой. Конец рассказа.
Цысинь, однозначно, лучший в мире автор в довольно редком жанре "образцовый дурак исполняет про умное". Рекомендую, если хочется посмеяться над запредельной тупизной.
Короче, герой плывет себе по океану на корабле, и тут ВНЕЗАПНО на орбите Земли появляется гигантский инопланетный корабль размером с Луну, ну и начинает совершать своей массой всякие непотребства, поднимает из океана гигантскую водяную гору (это в целом ок, он типа висит на геостационарной орбите), а также, что бы это ни значило ПРОКАЛЫВАЕТ ОБОЛОЧКУ АТМОСФЕРЫ и земной воздух начинает вытекать прямо в космос. За несколько минут ужасный ураган охватывает всю планету, цивилизация рушится, начинается полный хаос.
Но герой не теряется! Он прыгает в воду и начинает яростно плыть брассом на вершину 10-километровой водяной горы, подгоняемый мегаураганом и течением. Зачем он это делает, не очень понятно. На все вопросы окружающих у него один ответ (цитирую): «Там, где есть гора, всегда найдется тот, кто на нее поднимется.»
Как бы то ни было, он примерно за час доплывает до вершины водяной горы и обнаруживает, что там по некоей неясной причине царит полный штиль и благодать. Но не успевает наш герой оглядеться, как на него начинают наседать инопланетяне которые спешат рассказать ему, в неумолимых подробностях, историю своей цивилизации! Основная часть рассказа — это, собственно, монолог инопланетян, перемежаемый восклицаниями китайца «вот это да!», «и что же было дальше?» и «до чего же вы крутые!» Типа, такое мегаинтервью.
В финале инопланетяне сообщают, что вообще они летели мимо по своим космическим делам, но им стало скучно, захотелось поговорить, а поговорить не с кем, кругом одни дебилы, один этот китаец нормальный, ну и они зарулили на Землю буквально на минуточку, поперетирать с уважаемым человеком за жизнь. Насладившись общением, они говорят китайцу (цитирую) «Приятно было познакомиться» и улетают дальше по своим космическим делам, водяная гора эффектно рушится обратно в океан, и китаец вместе с ней падает в океан с десятикилометровой высоты, но (цитирую) «К счастью, он погрузился не очень глубоко и быстро вынырнул на поверхность.» Ну и поплыл брассом обратно домой. Конец рассказа.
Цысинь, однозначно, лучший в мире автор в довольно редком жанре "образцовый дурак исполняет про умное". Рекомендую, если хочется посмеяться над запредельной тупизной.
December 28, 2023
A fun, quick read! Alex was very insistent that I read this one and I caved lol
August 10, 2020
Mountain was a story that started slowly, and it took a while before I was won over by it. In fact, I spent a while fearing I would give a two-star rating. When it came together, however, it won me over. It’s a unique story, one that certainly comes together in an interesting way, and it’s well worth sticking with.
Although not my favourite short story from the author, this was an enjoyable quick read.
Although not my favourite short story from the author, this was an enjoyable quick read.
April 24, 2012
Si la primera novella que leí de Liu Cixin, The Wandering Earth, me dejó impresionado, este cuento me ha provocado una sensación aun mejor. Aparte de la enorme dosis de imaginación y fascinantes imágenes que se muestran en tan pocas páginas, es de destacar la sensación que le deja a uno cuando termina de leerlo. Es en ese momento en el que te das cuenta de lo insignificantes que somos, del estéril egocentrismo de nuestra especie, y de que no nos vendría mal que, de vez en cuando, nos visitase alguna que otra "burbuja voladora".
Fascinante y recomendable lectura para los amantes de la ciencia ficción, y por que no decirlo, para los que disfruten en general con la lectura de ficción (incluidos los políticos) ;)
Fascinante y recomendable lectura para los amantes de la ciencia ficción, y por que no decirlo, para los que disfruten en general con la lectura de ficción (incluidos los políticos) ;)
April 24, 2012
Una muy buena historia, que en pocas páginas crea una nueva forma de vida y su cosmología propia.
Me ha recordado a Huevo de Dragon, de Forward, en el sentido, de que observas el desarrollo de toda una especie.
Me ha recordado a Huevo de Dragon, de Forward, en el sentido, de que observas el desarrollo de toda una especie.
February 24, 2020
This is an airtight short story:
The central character has a compelling backstory.
The setting is beautifully described.
And the sci-fi concepts are well conceived.
I will probably read it again.
The central character has a compelling backstory.
The setting is beautifully described.
And the sci-fi concepts are well conceived.
I will probably read it again.
October 10, 2025
Brilliant. This one felt a bit more disjointed and dragged on a little (which is saying something for a short story), but it wrapped up so nicely that I'll still give it 5 stars. I've now read sci-fi books by Cixin Liu about Mount Everest and dinosaurs - if he ever writes one about basketball I think I'll be able to retire from reading this genre.
August 19, 2022
I definitely got the old sci-fi vibes, the first chapter leads in a direction I never would have guessed. Really interesting.
December 21, 2025
Swimming to the peak of a liquid mountain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2026
I’m sorry but regardless of the detail, this is 99% monologue.
May 22, 2012
As a reader in a language that it's not mine, I select the books I read carefully. This one was recommended to me, and the argument attracted me a lot, as to buy it without hesitation.
It's fresh, it's original, and it made me felt the anticipation of the first science fiction novels I've read in my youth. I loved the central idea of the novel, the challenge of climbing and what it means to people. I loved the explanations that the aliens tell Fen, and felt very comfortable with them, not lost at any moment. I have a deja vu with this part of the novel. I found me thinking about Flatland, by Edwin Abbot. It's a very good story, with the right words, not many, not few.
March 4, 2015
Someone make this into a movie thank you.
March 11, 2015
Would you like a little confucianism mixed in with your scifi?
December 2, 2021
Always in awe of the stories by Liu Cixin.
May 17, 2019
Mountain by Liu Cixin
Mountain is an interesting novella. I'm not all that fond of novella's, partially because it's difficult to know what to expect. Short stories have to move quickly to fill the reader in or not depending on the way the plot wants to go. Novella's have some time to build things but not really enough for the author to dawdle with.
I think that Liu shows quite a balance in this story. Mountain seems to be a story of a mans ambitions, exemplified by an analogue about a strange species of creature that was born of metal and electronics while housed in a vacuum space in a hollow world.
The story starts out aboard a ship, Bluewater, with the captain talking to Feng Fan. The captain is trying to find out what his geological engineer is all about. The man never takes shore leave.
We find out that Feng Fan was once an ambitious man who, along with a group of other young men had tried to conquer mount Everest. It turns out his real name is Feng Huabei and he was the sole survivor of that failed attempt. It also turns out that he was forced to cut his fellow climbers lines free in order to save his own life. As penance he has exiled himself from what he truly loves which is mountain climbing.
While conversing, a strange light in the sky comes ever closer until they realize that it must be as large as the moon and when it takes up an orbit with the Earth it is so close and so influential that it draws the water upward as if it's a huge watery mountain.
Suffice it to say while the Captain and crew try to escape the impending disaster that will come with an ensuing storm from this; Feng Fan takes a small boat to set out to climb( swim up) this mountain of water.
Finding the task easier than expected its not long before Feng Fan confronts the aliens who are threatening to suck up the Earth's atmosphere.
The rest of the novella is the story of this alien machine intelligence and it's struggle to explore and escape the confines of their small bubble world. Where they change from believing their universe is all solid to discovering a whole world of gases and water and the existential struggle as a species to constantly change their way of viewing their universe.
There are more than a few problems with some elements of their story, but it serves as an interesting different view of life. Though its mostly an allegory, of a sort, for life development of any race of beings.
It seemed to me there's a message and it's that the journey and the exploration are worth anything that you have to give up for it. I'm not sure I entirely agree, but apparently Feng Fan did.
It's interesting fiction and I can see myself reading more of Liu Cixin's work just because it's a fresh look at things seen differently.
J.L. Dobias
Mountain is an interesting novella. I'm not all that fond of novella's, partially because it's difficult to know what to expect. Short stories have to move quickly to fill the reader in or not depending on the way the plot wants to go. Novella's have some time to build things but not really enough for the author to dawdle with.
I think that Liu shows quite a balance in this story. Mountain seems to be a story of a mans ambitions, exemplified by an analogue about a strange species of creature that was born of metal and electronics while housed in a vacuum space in a hollow world.
The story starts out aboard a ship, Bluewater, with the captain talking to Feng Fan. The captain is trying to find out what his geological engineer is all about. The man never takes shore leave.
We find out that Feng Fan was once an ambitious man who, along with a group of other young men had tried to conquer mount Everest. It turns out his real name is Feng Huabei and he was the sole survivor of that failed attempt. It also turns out that he was forced to cut his fellow climbers lines free in order to save his own life. As penance he has exiled himself from what he truly loves which is mountain climbing.
While conversing, a strange light in the sky comes ever closer until they realize that it must be as large as the moon and when it takes up an orbit with the Earth it is so close and so influential that it draws the water upward as if it's a huge watery mountain.
Suffice it to say while the Captain and crew try to escape the impending disaster that will come with an ensuing storm from this; Feng Fan takes a small boat to set out to climb( swim up) this mountain of water.
Finding the task easier than expected its not long before Feng Fan confronts the aliens who are threatening to suck up the Earth's atmosphere.
The rest of the novella is the story of this alien machine intelligence and it's struggle to explore and escape the confines of their small bubble world. Where they change from believing their universe is all solid to discovering a whole world of gases and water and the existential struggle as a species to constantly change their way of viewing their universe.
There are more than a few problems with some elements of their story, but it serves as an interesting different view of life. Though its mostly an allegory, of a sort, for life development of any race of beings.
It seemed to me there's a message and it's that the journey and the exploration are worth anything that you have to give up for it. I'm not sure I entirely agree, but apparently Feng Fan did.
It's interesting fiction and I can see myself reading more of Liu Cixin's work just because it's a fresh look at things seen differently.
J.L. Dobias
February 12, 2023
Collected in The Wandering Earth: Classic Science Fiction Collection. At night, on a boat, Fan finally tells the Captain his secret. He was Feng Huabei, mountaineer leader of an ill fated expedition to Everest. He decided there was enough of a weather window to climb, there was a disaster, and he cut the rope connecting him and 4 others (one was his fiancee) dooming them to death. In the subsequent media frenzy he was painted as a monster so he's been hiding on this ship punishing himself by not climbing any more mountains.
This is true torture for real mountaineers. As a fan of climbing who has read/seen a ton of mountaineering books and movies, Liu Cixin gets it. He understands the psyche of mountaineers as evidenced in the things said by Fan, and alluding to the very famous George Mallory Quote.
“You and I feel very differently about these things. For me, all I saw was the mountain, and all I wanted was to climb it. I really wasn't looking for anything on the mountain. When I climbed those mountains for the first time and I saw the plain stretch out below me, I felt like I had been reborn.”
So as a huge spear of ice plummets towards the ship, Fan tells the Captain to leave him behind as he has decided to climb ONE last mountain.
Battling exhaustion coupled with exhilaration, Fan is surprised to discover aliens in the "Bubble World," and their lifelong ambition is to find out what might exist beyond the rock walls that envelop them.
This is premium hard science fiction, with a lot of alien concepts discussed that accurately reflect the nature of the layers of rocks inside mountains, and how it would be if there were a civilization that lived therein. I might be biased, because while it was interesting it wasn't as fascinating as the mountaineering bits that I wanted to read more of. So for me, this story fell just shy of greatness.
This is true torture for real mountaineers. As a fan of climbing who has read/seen a ton of mountaineering books and movies, Liu Cixin gets it. He understands the psyche of mountaineers as evidenced in the things said by Fan, and alluding to the very famous George Mallory Quote.
“You and I feel very differently about these things. For me, all I saw was the mountain, and all I wanted was to climb it. I really wasn't looking for anything on the mountain. When I climbed those mountains for the first time and I saw the plain stretch out below me, I felt like I had been reborn.”
So as a huge spear of ice plummets towards the ship, Fan tells the Captain to leave him behind as he has decided to climb ONE last mountain.
Battling exhaustion coupled with exhilaration, Fan is surprised to discover aliens in the "Bubble World," and their lifelong ambition is to find out what might exist beyond the rock walls that envelop them.
This is premium hard science fiction, with a lot of alien concepts discussed that accurately reflect the nature of the layers of rocks inside mountains, and how it would be if there were a civilization that lived therein. I might be biased, because while it was interesting it wasn't as fascinating as the mountaineering bits that I wanted to read more of. So for me, this story fell just shy of greatness.
December 14, 2019
Mountain
By cixin lu
বাবারে বাবা!
এইটা কি লেখা পড়লাম! একেবারে বেসিক সায়েন্স দিয়ে বানানো লেখা! from scratch বলে একটা কথা আছে৷ এর মানে কোনো কাজ একেবারে গোড়া থেকে শুরু করা৷ একেবারে সাধারন প্লট দিয়ে, না সাধারন বললে ভুল হবে; একেবারে অতি পরিচিত কনসেপ্টকে এমনভাবে উপস্থাপন করা, যাতে সবকিছুই নতুন মনে হয়--এই গল্পটা তার একেবারে উৎকৃষ্ট একটা উদাহরন। আর পৃথিবী নির্মান বা world building এর বাহবা না দিয়ে পারছিনা৷
সারসংক্ষেপ বলা যায় --
এক এলিয়েন স্পেসশীপ আমাদের বায়ুমন্ডলে প্রবেশ করেছে। গ্রাভিটির ফলে ও শিপের ম্যাস বা ভর বেশি থাকায় তা সাগরের পানি টানা শুরু করেছে৷ বলা চলে একটা পানির দেয়াল তৈরি হয়েছিল৷ ফেন নামের এক পেশাদার অভিজ্ঞ পর্বতারোহী সেটা সাতরিয়ে ওপরে ওঠে৷ সেখানে এলিয়েনদের সাথে তার আলাপ হয়৷ এলিয়েনরা তাদের কঠোর পরিশ্রম এর মাধ্যমে এই পর্যায়ে আসার কাহিনি জানায়৷ হ্যা, আপনার এই কাহিনি বোরিং লাগতে পারে৷ কিন্তু সেটা আপনার মনোযোগক্ষমতা কম হলেই মনে হবে৷ আমার কাছে মনে হচ্ছিল আমি সাতার কেটে যাচ্ছি এই বিশাল ইতিহাসের মধ্য দিয়ে৷
গল্পটা বেশ লেগেছে আমার৷ ছোটগল্প৷
"Far mountains would become a symbol of our life. Always we can clearly see, but never reach! "
By cixin lu
বাবারে বাবা!
এইটা কি লেখা পড়লাম! একেবারে বেসিক সায়েন্স দিয়ে বানানো লেখা! from scratch বলে একটা কথা আছে৷ এর মানে কোনো কাজ একেবারে গোড়া থেকে শুরু করা৷ একেবারে সাধারন প্লট দিয়ে, না সাধারন বললে ভুল হবে; একেবারে অতি পরিচিত কনসেপ্টকে এমনভাবে উপস্থাপন করা, যাতে সবকিছুই নতুন মনে হয়--এই গল্পটা তার একেবারে উৎকৃষ্ট একটা উদাহরন। আর পৃথিবী নির্মান বা world building এর বাহবা না দিয়ে পারছিনা৷
সারসংক্ষেপ বলা যায় --
এক এলিয়েন স্পেসশীপ আমাদের বায়ুমন্ডলে প্রবেশ করেছে। গ্রাভিটির ফলে ও শিপের ম্যাস বা ভর বেশি থাকায় তা সাগরের পানি টানা শুরু করেছে৷ বলা চলে একটা পানির দেয়াল তৈরি হয়েছিল৷ ফেন নামের এক পেশাদার অভিজ্ঞ পর্বতারোহী সেটা সাতরিয়ে ওপরে ওঠে৷ সেখানে এলিয়েনদের সাথে তার আলাপ হয়৷ এলিয়েনরা তাদের কঠোর পরিশ্রম এর মাধ্যমে এই পর্যায়ে আসার কাহিনি জানায়৷ হ্যা, আপনার এই কাহিনি বোরিং লাগতে পারে৷ কিন্তু সেটা আপনার মনোযোগক্ষমতা কম হলেই মনে হবে৷ আমার কাছে মনে হচ্ছিল আমি সাতার কেটে যাচ্ছি এই বিশাল ইতিহাসের মধ্য দিয়ে৷
গল্পটা বেশ লেগেছে আমার৷ ছোটগল্প৷
"Far mountains would become a symbol of our life. Always we can clearly see, but never reach! "
May 14, 2022
As imaginative as always. Wild ideas, based in what seems to be pretty well-founded science. Of course, with a short story like this there's even more hand waving than usual, but there's enough detail that you can accept it.
He's very efficient at giving you a sense of the world he's building, and he does it very vividly. The prose is evocative and really gives you a feeling of what is happening, despite how crazy or alien it is. What's lacking is perhaps the human, emotional factor, on a individual scale rather than planetary. It's not entirely missing, but definitely not at the forefront.
Furthermore, my main gripe with Liu's works is still the obsession with science and technological development, to the extent that he seems to not care about the other sides of life. There are in fact some cultural and even religious observations here, which I enjoyed, but the emphasis is obviously on the science and engineering. I guess that's part of the package when you decide to read something by him.
He's very efficient at giving you a sense of the world he's building, and he does it very vividly. The prose is evocative and really gives you a feeling of what is happening, despite how crazy or alien it is. What's lacking is perhaps the human, emotional factor, on a individual scale rather than planetary. It's not entirely missing, but definitely not at the forefront.
Furthermore, my main gripe with Liu's works is still the obsession with science and technological development, to the extent that he seems to not care about the other sides of life. There are in fact some cultural and even religious observations here, which I enjoyed, but the emphasis is obviously on the science and engineering. I guess that's part of the package when you decide to read something by him.
July 20, 2022
"Where there's a mountain, there is always someone to climb it."
"The reason evolution bestows all intelligent life with a desire to climb higher is far more profound than mere base needs..."
What makes us human is something no humans can comprehensively understand. Why do we explore, why do we climb? How do such acts help increase our chances of survival?
Imagine a civilization living in a world to ours as that of yin to yang, where instead of air there are rocks, instead of rocks there is air.
A civilization born in the inner core of a planet -- one which only knows about rocks and bubbles -- becomes oblivious to the existence of the vast minerals and physical phenomena that govern the much larger world.
Yet, the curse of the origin of this civilization eventually transforms into a blessing, heralding them with a world-shattering theory that ignites their exploration appetite even further: the universe is an empty bubble, a bubble within something more solid...
A sense of familiarity is found in this unfamiliar universe.
"The reason evolution bestows all intelligent life with a desire to climb higher is far more profound than mere base needs..."
What makes us human is something no humans can comprehensively understand. Why do we explore, why do we climb? How do such acts help increase our chances of survival?
Imagine a civilization living in a world to ours as that of yin to yang, where instead of air there are rocks, instead of rocks there is air.
A civilization born in the inner core of a planet -- one which only knows about rocks and bubbles -- becomes oblivious to the existence of the vast minerals and physical phenomena that govern the much larger world.
Yet, the curse of the origin of this civilization eventually transforms into a blessing, heralding them with a world-shattering theory that ignites their exploration appetite even further: the universe is an empty bubble, a bubble within something more solid...
A sense of familiarity is found in this unfamiliar universe.
June 29, 2020
So a conveniently placed mountain-climber sees a massive pillar of water and misconstrues it to be a 'mountain'. Stupid, but let's see how this plays out. Using his vast experience in traversing all the worlds mountains, he decides to swim up the pillar. Riiiight, because his strong swimming ability was so well set up. Next, he reaches the top of said water 'mountain' with astonishing ease (must have been all that mountain climbing experience, am I right?) and is greeted by aliens who conveniently know every human language because that's what the story needs. So then we get to the real crux of the story which is actually the aliens giving us an absurd recollection of how they gained sentience in the middle of a hollow planet (which, btw, is impossible). This story is a long and drawn-out series of events ranging from stupid to inconsistent. When we finally end with an even more absurd question about the nature of the universe, I honestly didn't really care anymore.
September 27, 2025
“Mountains are universal, and we are all standing at the foot of mountains.”
In this short story we learn of alien beings that live within the hollow core of a planet. Their ‘Bubble World’ was one void of light and air and water, within a universe they thought was made up of solid rock. The history of their race involved exploration and war by way of digging through rock, until finally going far enough to break through to their planet’s surface. In so doing, they discovered air, water, and the enormity of open space. Their rendezvous with Earth was just a brief stop in their continued exploration, now searching for the edge of the universe. Through our alien interlocutor, we’re told that it’s the nature of intelligent life to always strive to stand higher, and gaze further. Hence, the ever-present urge to climb the mountain.
In this short story we learn of alien beings that live within the hollow core of a planet. Their ‘Bubble World’ was one void of light and air and water, within a universe they thought was made up of solid rock. The history of their race involved exploration and war by way of digging through rock, until finally going far enough to break through to their planet’s surface. In so doing, they discovered air, water, and the enormity of open space. Their rendezvous with Earth was just a brief stop in their continued exploration, now searching for the edge of the universe. Through our alien interlocutor, we’re told that it’s the nature of intelligent life to always strive to stand higher, and gaze further. Hence, the ever-present urge to climb the mountain.
October 27, 2025
- I don’t think the author used the word “said” one time. He uses “noted,” “explained,” and “continued” mostly, and I clocked “reported mechanically,” “flatly stated,” “answered thoughtfully,” and “retorted dismissively.”
- The bubble world concept’s interesting. Also a claustrophobe’s worst nightmare.
- Notice a lot of similarities between this and 3Body Problem.
- Super original aliens. Never seen anything like either.
- Persecution of scientists in both stories. In 3Body it’s pretty much the main conflict, in Mountain it’s a public execution in front of a huge audience for a scientist breaking the rules. Which is also the opening scene of 3Body Problem.
- Scientists are the heroes.
- The story’s high point to me was when he said the universe is just a bubble world 20 billion light years in radius.
- The bubble world concept’s interesting. Also a claustrophobe’s worst nightmare.
- Notice a lot of similarities between this and 3Body Problem.
- Super original aliens. Never seen anything like either.
- Persecution of scientists in both stories. In 3Body it’s pretty much the main conflict, in Mountain it’s a public execution in front of a huge audience for a scientist breaking the rules. Which is also the opening scene of 3Body Problem.
- Scientists are the heroes.
- The story’s high point to me was when he said the universe is just a bubble world 20 billion light years in radius.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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