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Ball Lightning Sneak Peek
A new science fiction adventure from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Three-Body Trilogy.When Chen’s parents are incinerated before his eyes by a blast of ball lightning, he devotes his life to cracking the secret of this mysterious natural phenomenon. His search takes him to stormy mountaintops, an experimental military weapons lab, and an old Soviet science station.The more he learns, the more he comes to realize that ball lightning is just the tip of an entirely new frontier. While Chen’s quest for answers gives purpose to his lonely life, it also pits him against soldiers and scientists with motives of their a beautiful army major with an obsession with dangerous weaponry, and a physicist who has no place for ethical considerations in his single-minded pursuit of knowledge.Ball Lightning, by award-winning Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu, is a fast-paced story of what happens when the beauty of scientific inquiry runs up against the drive to harness new discoveries with no consideration of their possible consequences."Wildly imaginative." —Barack Obama on The Three-Body Problem trilogyAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2018
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565 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
October 3, 2018
Ball Lightning is great hard sci-fi but is boring AF.
I have been a huge fan of Cixin Liu's writing. His 'Remembrance of Earth's Past' series is one of the best science fiction series ever. It combines science with an engrossing storyline; the likes of which I have not read in a long time. So, I had high expectations for Ball Lightning .
Unfortunately, Ball Lightning reads like a science text book for the most part and is not even an interesting one (my school texts were far more interesting). It is dull and dreary. Cixin Liu's commits the cardinal sin of making the story take second precedence to the science; whatever plot there is meanders all over the place.
In retrospect, one of the reasons why the book fails in being interesting is the lack of a proper antagonist. This is more a book about discovery and philosophy than anything else. Some authors can make this work (duh, most non-fiction) but Cixin Liu is not able to do so here. And sadly, the one thing that I really liked about Ball Lightning, which is Cixin Liu's unbelievable imagination, is not enough to carry it. This style of writing might be enough for some readers but not for me.
I have been a huge fan of Cixin Liu's writing. His 'Remembrance of Earth's Past' series is one of the best science fiction series ever. It combines science with an engrossing storyline; the likes of which I have not read in a long time. So, I had high expectations for Ball Lightning .
Unfortunately, Ball Lightning reads like a science text book for the most part and is not even an interesting one (my school texts were far more interesting). It is dull and dreary. Cixin Liu's commits the cardinal sin of making the story take second precedence to the science; whatever plot there is meanders all over the place.
In retrospect, one of the reasons why the book fails in being interesting is the lack of a proper antagonist. This is more a book about discovery and philosophy than anything else. Some authors can make this work (duh, most non-fiction) but Cixin Liu is not able to do so here. And sadly, the one thing that I really liked about Ball Lightning, which is Cixin Liu's unbelievable imagination, is not enough to carry it. This style of writing might be enough for some readers but not for me.
October 27, 2018
First off, this was written in 2003. Let's not forget that.
Sometimes I give a not-very-good book four stars because I enjoyed it. This is one of those.
There are some lyrical paragraphs, but they are spices to a main ingredient of "You see, Billy, ..."
It is of course difficult for an author to bring the reader up to speed on hard SF, and I won't guess whether it's easier when you're making up quite a bit of the science.
The characters are wooden, and I guess I have to like how the author sets up each woman in the plot to fall for our hero and each time shows us why it can't work.
Chen and Lin Yun are both driven by an intense focus, with reasons given, and pretty soon we work out that this is going to be a problem. Fair enough. And I was surprised at the varying levels of reasonableness among the military characters; too many recent books have all the nice guys being the competent sergeants and 100% of the officers being idiots. It was especially good when officers disagreed, each from a reasonable position.
But there so much wooden explanation, and after a while the handwaving science becomes a little less fun. When we get into quantum stuff, it's applied in ways that feel a bit laughable. But You Never Know ....
Still, a good romp through a sequence of What If ... scenes where each one leads to the next even if it does require some invention.
Sometimes I give a not-very-good book four stars because I enjoyed it. This is one of those.
There are some lyrical paragraphs, but they are spices to a main ingredient of "You see, Billy, ..."
It is of course difficult for an author to bring the reader up to speed on hard SF, and I won't guess whether it's easier when you're making up quite a bit of the science.
The characters are wooden, and I guess I have to like how the author sets up each woman in the plot to fall for our hero and each time shows us why it can't work.
Chen and Lin Yun are both driven by an intense focus, with reasons given, and pretty soon we work out that this is going to be a problem. Fair enough. And I was surprised at the varying levels of reasonableness among the military characters; too many recent books have all the nice guys being the competent sergeants and 100% of the officers being idiots. It was especially good when officers disagreed, each from a reasonable position.
But there so much wooden explanation, and after a while the handwaving science becomes a little less fun. When we get into quantum stuff, it's applied in ways that feel a bit laughable. But You Never Know ....
Still, a good romp through a sequence of What If ... scenes where each one leads to the next even if it does require some invention.
September 13, 2018
In a soft voice, she began to recite a Guo Moruo poem:
The distant streetlamps are lit,
Like countless glittering stars,
Stars emerge in the heavens,
Like the lighting of countless streetlamps.
I continued:
I think in the wafting air,
There must be beautiful street markets,
And objects laid out on those markets,
Must be rarities like nothing on earth.
Tears welled. The beautiful night city quivered for a moment through my tears and then resolved to an even greater clarity. I understood that I was a person in pursuit of a dream, but I also understood how unimaginably hazardous the road I followed was. Yet even if the South Gate to Heaven never emerged from the fog, I would keep on climbing.
I had no other choice.
(One of my favorite passage)
The distant streetlamps are lit,
Like countless glittering stars,
Stars emerge in the heavens,
Like the lighting of countless streetlamps.
I continued:
I think in the wafting air,
There must be beautiful street markets,
And objects laid out on those markets,
Must be rarities like nothing on earth.
Tears welled. The beautiful night city quivered for a moment through my tears and then resolved to an even greater clarity. I understood that I was a person in pursuit of a dream, but I also understood how unimaginably hazardous the road I followed was. Yet even if the South Gate to Heaven never emerged from the fog, I would keep on climbing.
I had no other choice.
(One of my favorite passage)
November 24, 2018
I actually just finished the actual book, not the Sneak Peek ebook. When my librarian found out I like (some) science fiction she told me to read this book because the cover is pretty.
I did enjoy this book. The author is considered a Hard Science Fiction writer, so the science is good and very interesting. I could not understand some of it and have a hard time wrapping my brain around many of the concepts. An engineer friend helped explain some of them to me.
Within the science is a compelling and interesting story of a young scientist that pulled me through the science that I struggled with.
A worthwhile book to read. You should stick with it.
I did enjoy this book. The author is considered a Hard Science Fiction writer, so the science is good and very interesting. I could not understand some of it and have a hard time wrapping my brain around many of the concepts. An engineer friend helped explain some of them to me.
Within the science is a compelling and interesting story of a young scientist that pulled me through the science that I struggled with.
A worthwhile book to read. You should stick with it.
September 16, 2018
The "scientific" explanations in this book were awful. Full of plot holes and inconsistencies (ex: at one point a weapon is detonated that selectively destroys integrated circuits, the protagonist & colleagues are unsure what has happened or how far the effect extends so they hop in their cars and each drive in different directions, but any car made after about the mid-80s would have been rendered useless by such a weapon.)
October 25, 2019
Lots of men who don't interact with women. Strange jumps in narration. Extraordinarily tedious sections describing the banal process of trial and error science. Terrible pacing. It's like some grandparent telling you an hours long story about their trip to their friends house in florida. You don't know these friends but somehow you still have to hear about them.
But the idea of giant electrons floating around us is super cool.
But the idea of giant electrons floating around us is super cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2018
Excellent science-focused SF. As the name suggests, ball lightning is a central theme, with scientific discovery and military and non-military applications explored.
Not as great as the Remembrance of Earth’s Past series, but it is a distant prelude with some concepts and characters that will appear again in RoEP.
Not as great as the Remembrance of Earth’s Past series, but it is a distant prelude with some concepts and characters that will appear again in RoEP.
October 6, 2019
Если бы не китайские имена, то неотличимо от советской научной фантастики (+ скитания героев по Сибири с аспирантом физфака МГУ и пьющие русские учёные). Первая часть - блестящая, а дальше рассуждений становится все больше, а действий - меньше.
PS От книг про трудолюбивых и фанатичных китайских ученых немного тревожненько.
PS От книг про трудолюбивых и фанатичных китайских ученых немного тревожненько.
August 28, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, but don't think it will have broad appeal outside of dedicated Sci-Fi fans. The book is basically all plot with characters that exist only to explain away any plot holes and push the narrative forward.
April 9, 2019
This is a great gateway science fiction book and is a lot less mind bending than Cixin Liu's Three Body trilogy. Definitely a great read and one that I would recommend to anyone interested in some "hard" sci fi.
February 14, 2019
From the NPR best books of 2018 list.
Weird book.
Weird book.
October 24, 2019
absolute garbage
October 5, 2024
The first half drags with no a clear through line but after the halfway point it picks up and starts dealing with an interesting narrative of the nature of weapons. The characterization for Lin Yun might have been my favorite part about the book.
May 27, 2024
Didn't feel super connected to the main character, but I loved the way the theoretical science was laid out. It felt very possible and very daunting.
December 21, 2024
Strange story, Murakami-esque to a certain extent; Cixin is always superb in playing with the laws of physics and produce pure sci-fi, the rest is a little less interesting
December 21, 2024
Not as exciting as three body problem, but definitely a intriguing read
January 27, 2019
Excellent read. The only reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because Remembrance of Earth's past was a 5 and this wasn't that good. I'd give this a 4.5 if I could but Goodreads doesn't support half ratings.
First off, I like the premise because I think it's very interesting. The protagonist experiences a traumatic event early in his life that focuses his trajectory in a particular direction. Although this type of setup is not uncommon, it was executed quite well so as not to be boring. For instance, there is not a lot of dwelling on the time after Chen's parents are killed by ball lightning and it jumps quite quickly to university and his life afterwards. This is a strong plot choice because it would have been really boring to read about his childhood and also it shows how little any of that stuff mattered to Chen because of his life's singular focus to learn about the phenomenon that killed his parents.
A second thing I really liked was the sheer amount of science in the book. Liu Cixin has used fundamental physics in Remembrance of Earth's past as well and I thought it was wildly imaginative and creative. I was able to somewhat follow along with the scientific and mathematical assertions thanks to my training in engineering science as an undergraduate student and it was very pleasurable to read a novel where that played a critical role.
Another thing that was very well-executed was how Liu utilized fundamental physics to lead to philosophical questions. Of course, technical proficiency and science is great but what does that mean for man and man's relationship with reality. These metaphysical/philosophical questions are not quite answered in the book but it definitely makes you think more about reality.
The characters were also extremely enjoyable. I could not relate at all to any of the three main characters: Chen, Lin or Ding but they were all extremely interesting. I would even say that Lin was the most interesting character since her childhood also shaped her irreversibly through trauma but she represents a version of Chen that has no morals and only cares about weapons. The reveal at the end of the novel about her past was very interesting and the fact that she stood by her ideals until the very end was quite admirable. It reminded me a bit of Rorschach/Akainu and their absolutism.
Ding Yi was another interesting one that was also dedicated absolutely to a cause (physics) but the reasons for this were not explained. He didn't develop significantly as a character and therefore I have less to say about him.
In conclusion, the three things about this story I liked the most was the plot, the use of really imaginative and creative science to make philosophical assertions and the characters - particularly Lin and Chen. Glad I read this.
First off, I like the premise because I think it's very interesting. The protagonist experiences a traumatic event early in his life that focuses his trajectory in a particular direction. Although this type of setup is not uncommon, it was executed quite well so as not to be boring. For instance, there is not a lot of dwelling on the time after Chen's parents are killed by ball lightning and it jumps quite quickly to university and his life afterwards. This is a strong plot choice because it would have been really boring to read about his childhood and also it shows how little any of that stuff mattered to Chen because of his life's singular focus to learn about the phenomenon that killed his parents.
A second thing I really liked was the sheer amount of science in the book. Liu Cixin has used fundamental physics in Remembrance of Earth's past as well and I thought it was wildly imaginative and creative. I was able to somewhat follow along with the scientific and mathematical assertions thanks to my training in engineering science as an undergraduate student and it was very pleasurable to read a novel where that played a critical role.
Another thing that was very well-executed was how Liu utilized fundamental physics to lead to philosophical questions. Of course, technical proficiency and science is great but what does that mean for man and man's relationship with reality. These metaphysical/philosophical questions are not quite answered in the book but it definitely makes you think more about reality.
The characters were also extremely enjoyable. I could not relate at all to any of the three main characters: Chen, Lin or Ding but they were all extremely interesting. I would even say that Lin was the most interesting character since her childhood also shaped her irreversibly through trauma but she represents a version of Chen that has no morals and only cares about weapons. The reveal at the end of the novel about her past was very interesting and the fact that she stood by her ideals until the very end was quite admirable. It reminded me a bit of Rorschach/Akainu and their absolutism.
Ding Yi was another interesting one that was also dedicated absolutely to a cause (physics) but the reasons for this were not explained. He didn't develop significantly as a character and therefore I have less to say about him.
In conclusion, the three things about this story I liked the most was the plot, the use of really imaginative and creative science to make philosophical assertions and the characters - particularly Lin and Chen. Glad I read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2018
Ball Lightning, by Cixin Liu, is a science fiction novel about a man named Chen. One day when he was young, Chen was at home with his parents during a storm, when he witnessed them both be turned to ash by ball lightning. After seeing this, Chen decided that he would devote his entire life to studying and finding ball lightning. As the story progresses, Chen realizes that this is bigger than just him. He meets many other people who have been in his shoes, devoting their lives to ball lightning. None of them had succeeded. His journey takes him to crazy places, including a military weapons lab, stormy mountaintop, and a Soviet science station. At each place, he meets someone who will influence his studies greatly, including the first love interest, Lin Yun. Both Lin Yun and Chen had an equal drive to find ball lightning, but their motives were different. Lin Yun wanted to weaponize it while Chen just wanted to understand it. This complicates their relationship. The study of ball lightning becomes bigger than they ever imagined, after the two make a breakthrough, and makes ball lightning easily weaponizable. A war breaks out and Lin Yun disappears. Lastly, when the war is won, Chen is happily hugging people when he runs back into the first girl who gave him purpose on a mountaintop, Dai Lin. They get married and live the rest of their lives as normal people, not speaking of their past.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book. The actual story is great, and the suspense built up at certain points is brutal. However, Cixin Liu shows through this story that he takes the science part of science fiction quite literally. This book was very difficult to read in certain points because of the scientific material. I think that I would have given this story five stars if I had a better understanding of the scientific side of the book. Although the science got in the way of the story line a bit for me, it also made the story more believable. It made all of the aspects more imaginable through incredible details and of course, science. The story is worth the time it takes to understand it.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book. The actual story is great, and the suspense built up at certain points is brutal. However, Cixin Liu shows through this story that he takes the science part of science fiction quite literally. This book was very difficult to read in certain points because of the scientific material. I think that I would have given this story five stars if I had a better understanding of the scientific side of the book. Although the science got in the way of the story line a bit for me, it also made the story more believable. It made all of the aspects more imaginable through incredible details and of course, science. The story is worth the time it takes to understand it.
August 21, 2018
I wanted to love Ball Lightning; I did enjoy the concepts explored, but--. The remote voice of the protagonist left me wanting to fill the void(s) in his outlook/inner reflections. The emotional and moral distances between characters is reflected in the new physics field explored in the novel. Imagine macro-atoms, electrons visible if we pay attention! Now split THAT. No, do not split that! (1) The characters wrestle with the "natural law" that any knowledge of the natural world can and will be weaponized by humans. Weaponized weather over border disputes, shudder. I was left hoping that humans continue to maintain our status quo, a balance of knowledge between countries and all nations withholding its use for ill. (2) Another examined issue is whether any moral code should or can be applied to the pursuit of information and , later, to the use of that research. Pragmatism/patriotism/intellectual freedom. (3) What took the novel to three stars (from me) is the later book portion employing second- and third-hand flashback storytelling. Perhaps this was done intentionally to highlight the protagonist's emotional isolation. (4) The ending sequence with the quantum gestures from the army major would earn a half star higher if Goodreads awarded halves.
December 13, 2018
Not a peek experience but the actual book, which lacks a goodreads page other than this one. It's more a 3 star book but it was at times amazing so I threw it an extra star. At times it was weak too but I decided to honor it's best moments because such are rare enough in this world.
I do need to complain about the quantum defended deification of the observer used to create a hidden world which vanishes when you open your eyes. Observation, as I understand it, includes any (ultimately sensory) contact so that running a computer OBSERVES the CPU and memory chips and you could argue does so more strongly than opening up the case and looking at the motherboard. Similarly, you could argue that videotaping an event doesn't become an observation until you view the actual tape (which, of course, isn't an actual tape these days, and by view, I mean playback). And so on.
So, to sum up, I preferred the first half of the book and didn't hate the ending enough to punish its rating. But, The Three Body Problem is so much better so you should go with that.
I do need to complain about the quantum defended deification of the observer used to create a hidden world which vanishes when you open your eyes. Observation, as I understand it, includes any (ultimately sensory) contact so that running a computer OBSERVES the CPU and memory chips and you could argue does so more strongly than opening up the case and looking at the motherboard. Similarly, you could argue that videotaping an event doesn't become an observation until you view the actual tape (which, of course, isn't an actual tape these days, and by view, I mean playback). And so on.
So, to sum up, I preferred the first half of the book and didn't hate the ending enough to punish its rating. But, The Three Body Problem is so much better so you should go with that.
May 2, 2019
The translation is excellent, but the story-telling style isn't for everybody. I liked it, but I can see how it might turn off a lot of readers. Liu Cixin's other novels (Three Body Problem) are told a little bit more in line with how most western nations would expect a story to progress, but this one definitely felt a little more foreign to me.
Let me be clear: this is NOT a bad thing. I read novels from all over the world, and enjoy many different regional styles. I'm just putting this in the review so other readers are aware. Read it! It's definitely worth the read, and it's thought provoking, not just for the technology, but also because of how it tackles the social, political, and international implications that major scientific discoveries can have.
So why only 3 stars? Well, I liked it, but I was having more trouble than I usually have getting into the actual story. I found the subject matter fascinating, along with how the discoveries in the book impacted the world, but the characters just didn't grab me and pull me into their lives.
Let me be clear: this is NOT a bad thing. I read novels from all over the world, and enjoy many different regional styles. I'm just putting this in the review so other readers are aware. Read it! It's definitely worth the read, and it's thought provoking, not just for the technology, but also because of how it tackles the social, political, and international implications that major scientific discoveries can have.
So why only 3 stars? Well, I liked it, but I was having more trouble than I usually have getting into the actual story. I found the subject matter fascinating, along with how the discoveries in the book impacted the world, but the characters just didn't grab me and pull me into their lives.
August 25, 2019
Nebloga, vertinga pirmiausia tuo, kad leidžia pažiūrėti į pasaulį, kurio centre ne vakarietiškas/anglosaksiškas modelis. Stebėtinai laisva - aprašinėjanti ir karą su JAV ir CO - bet taip šaltai ir steriliai, tarytum aptarinėtų sezoninį padangų keitimą ir jo įtaką šalies visuomenei.
Suingtriguojanti mastais ir tyrimais, problematika, už ką labiausiai ir mėgstu šį autorių, turintį kažko-tokio, kas buvo būdinga... Strugackių kūrybai, viena vertus - labiau optimistinei, "šešiasdešimtininkų", kita vertus - pas Liu net jei purvas rodomas ir per stiklą, tasai galiausiai skyla ir viltis ištalžoma, iškočiojama... nelabai kas ir lieka.
Kamuolinis žaibas ir jotyrinėjimai, Sibiras, apleistos bazės, Vakarai, mokslinės etikos klausimai, asmeninės neapykantos ir kompleksų košė, kvantinė fizika, žmonės, tapę Šrėdingerio katinais... Viso to čia bus sočiai. Jei tokių knygų būtų daugiau, gal pagailėčiau 5 žvaigždučių, bet kad jų retai, tai maloniai vertinu 5 iš 5.
P.S. patiko kremavimo būdas kamuolinio žaibo pagalba.
Suingtriguojanti mastais ir tyrimais, problematika, už ką labiausiai ir mėgstu šį autorių, turintį kažko-tokio, kas buvo būdinga... Strugackių kūrybai, viena vertus - labiau optimistinei, "šešiasdešimtininkų", kita vertus - pas Liu net jei purvas rodomas ir per stiklą, tasai galiausiai skyla ir viltis ištalžoma, iškočiojama... nelabai kas ir lieka.
Kamuolinis žaibas ir jotyrinėjimai, Sibiras, apleistos bazės, Vakarai, mokslinės etikos klausimai, asmeninės neapykantos ir kompleksų košė, kvantinė fizika, žmonės, tapę Šrėdingerio katinais... Viso to čia bus sočiai. Jei tokių knygų būtų daugiau, gal pagailėčiau 5 žvaigždučių, bet kad jų retai, tai maloniai vertinu 5 iš 5.
P.S. patiko kremavimo būdas kamuolinio žaibo pagalba.
February 2, 2019
I didn't like Ball Lightning as much as The Three Body Problem (trilogy), but it does have a lot in common. Cutting-edge physics discoveries with the potential to change the course of humanity, that doesn't *quite* align with real-world physics, mixed in with a dose of game theory, seems to be his thing.
Anyway, on the plus side there weren't too many characters to keep track of (I struggled with this slightly in 3BP). Liu's creativity in his explanation of the titular physical phenomenon is brilliant.
On the negative, some of the dialogue is clunky and unnatural (to my ear, maybe Chinese people really talk like that?), and I wasn't a huge fan of the massive speeches towards the end.
Still, overall, a cool concept and an enjoyable read.
Anyway, on the plus side there weren't too many characters to keep track of (I struggled with this slightly in 3BP). Liu's creativity in his explanation of the titular physical phenomenon is brilliant.
On the negative, some of the dialogue is clunky and unnatural (to my ear, maybe Chinese people really talk like that?), and I wasn't a huge fan of the massive speeches towards the end.
Still, overall, a cool concept and an enjoyable read.
April 16, 2019
For some reason, Goodreads doesn't yet have the actual book on here. I read the actual book Ball Lightning - not the sneak peek - and it was very good. Maybe it wasn't as captivating as was the 3-Body series, but it was very surprising and mesmerizing to see the author reacquaint us with what science fiction is and should be about: delving into science with abandon but, typical of Cixin Liu, with amazing accuracy, knowledge and credibility. His relationships don't particularly become more captivating here than in his other books, but questions of the use of armament, the role and interplay of military and civilian research in technological progress and the way in which it bends the mind and conscience are woven intricately into a plot that had me stay up half the night to finish it.
April 28, 2019
Slow starting, and the characters are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts, but the science, oh the science. Cixin really lets his imagination run wild, following the classic sci-fi premise of "what if xxx were yyy?" to its intriguing conclusions.
Was brought here after seeing ball lightning mentioned in Three Body Problem and wondering what the big fuss was about. Now I know.
___
"Swords can be made into plowshares". Ross said. But then in a much lower voice, he added, "But some plowshares can be cast back into swords. Weapon researchers like us sometimes have to accept blame and loss for this in the course of carrying out our duties."
look at that commentary on the interplay between technological advancement and the military industrial complex casually woven into the story.
Was brought here after seeing ball lightning mentioned in Three Body Problem and wondering what the big fuss was about. Now I know.
___
"Swords can be made into plowshares". Ross said. But then in a much lower voice, he added, "But some plowshares can be cast back into swords. Weapon researchers like us sometimes have to accept blame and loss for this in the course of carrying out our duties."
look at that commentary on the interplay between technological advancement and the military industrial complex casually woven into the story.
October 4, 2018
Low rating is mostly for the translation, which feels stilted. This is the same guy who translated The Dark Forest into English, and that was my least favorite of the Three Body trilogy.
As far as storyline, this book got a bit dull as it focused on technical explanations and plot. The characters were not well developed but unlike Three Body, the plot itself wasn’t compelling enough to keep it interesting.
That said, the implications brought up in the book (innovations can be used for both good and bad and are worth both) are intriguing and show the depth of Liu’s philosophy. I love his ideas. The afterword is worth all of the book, too.
As far as storyline, this book got a bit dull as it focused on technical explanations and plot. The characters were not well developed but unlike Three Body, the plot itself wasn’t compelling enough to keep it interesting.
That said, the implications brought up in the book (innovations can be used for both good and bad and are worth both) are intriguing and show the depth of Liu’s philosophy. I love his ideas. The afterword is worth all of the book, too.
October 29, 2018
You ever wanted to read a book where ball lightning kills a kid's parents on his birthday so he decides to dedicate his whole life to the research of ball lightning and it turns out all other ball lightning researchers have similarly tragic tales? Then they weaponize ball lightning, and also weaponize tornadoes? This book veers wildly between culturally incomprehensible (it is a mass market Chinese Tom Clancy kind of thing, I'm sure American mass market military technothrillers fail to translate well for even more reasons) and absolute gonzo joy (weaponized tornadoes, monomolecular knives, macrofusion, quantum ghosts). I did it on audiobook.
March 18, 2019
I read the complete book (which doesn't have an entry on Goodreads), not the sneak peek.
The middle third of this book was so slow it was excruciating. I was glad I stuck with it, as I enjoyed the ending, which had some interesting quantum stuff.
The story, which delves into the morality of scientists whose work might be used in war, reminds me of Vonnegut's excellent short story 'Report on the Barnhouse Effect', but without Kurt's interesting or compelling characters.
I would have enjoyed Ball Lightning a lot more if Liu's characters were less wooden - this story follows the (speculative) science more than the characters and I think it suffers for that.
The middle third of this book was so slow it was excruciating. I was glad I stuck with it, as I enjoyed the ending, which had some interesting quantum stuff.
The story, which delves into the morality of scientists whose work might be used in war, reminds me of Vonnegut's excellent short story 'Report on the Barnhouse Effect', but without Kurt's interesting or compelling characters.
I would have enjoyed Ball Lightning a lot more if Liu's characters were less wooden - this story follows the (speculative) science more than the characters and I think it suffers for that.
April 25, 2019
Ball Lightning, 2003 (translated to English in 2018), Cixin Liu, 384 pages.
This is a very long and involved book. It has taken me quite a while to read it. The book can be put down and picked up again because it is about a scientific process. It is science fiction but based on meteorology, quantum physics, and ball lightning properties.
This is another book that I saw at Cracked and Spineless (@spinecrack) and picked up.
It is interesting that Barack Obama had time to read this very involved and rather long book (see the back cover, 2nd image). After he was President. I see from some research that he has also met the author and is a big fan.
#balllightning #cixinliu
This is a very long and involved book. It has taken me quite a while to read it. The book can be put down and picked up again because it is about a scientific process. It is science fiction but based on meteorology, quantum physics, and ball lightning properties.
This is another book that I saw at Cracked and Spineless (@spinecrack) and picked up.
It is interesting that Barack Obama had time to read this very involved and rather long book (see the back cover, 2nd image). After he was President. I see from some research that he has also met the author and is a big fan.
#balllightning #cixinliu
November 2, 2019
Definitely recommended if you like your sci-fi hard, your characters simple, and your drama completely soapy. Also get yourself a copy if you want a book to read in between trains or bus stops, forget about it for a few months, and then remember that there was some interesting sci-fi going on, but don't even remember the names of the characters or who is who, besides the 3 main protagonists. It won't really matter, because after a few lines you won't care who does what, and will find yourself skipping all the unbelievable derivative drama, and realize again, that you only care for the book because of the ball lightning.
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