Three Body Problem Collection

by Liu Cixin

Cixin Liu Three Body Problem Collection 4 Books Set. Description:- The Three-Body Problem: 1967: Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China's Cultural Revolution. This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind. The Dark Forest: Imagine the universe as a forest, patrolled by numberless and nameless predators. In this forest, stealth is survival any civilisation that reveals its location is prey.Earth has. Now the predators are coming.Death's End: Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. The Wandering Earth: Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay.Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge and, with human science advancing and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations can co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

434 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

About the author

Science Fiction fan and writer.

Author also writes under Cixin Liu

Reviews

[Cammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging read because of the physics theories in the book (I quit at chemistry in high school!) ....Take your time...well worth it!! Really interesting to read science fiction from a Chinese perspective

[Sylvie Lian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't read fiction books in a long time, years, probably, other than a couple novellas/short stories here and there, so had a lot of inertia at the start.

But once I started, I couldn't stop. It was mind-blowing. I mean, I love science fiction/fantasy books, used to read so much of them, but none of them had ever made me feel so completely mind-blown. I'm out of vocabulary to describe it. The author's incredibly smart. I just wish I could read it in the original language to ensure I got the most authentic experience of the book, but...I mean I could, but...

I digress. Brilliant science fiction books (I sped through the trilogy, couldn't help but keep reading, dreaming it), think it's the most mind-blowing (yes again, that's all I can describe it as) and intelligent series of books I've read in a while. Okay, fine. Ever.

Some cultural differences here and there, some (IMO) discomfitting portrayals of women, but the brilliance of the content makes that easily forgivable.

I began by reading some comments from the author, thinking, okay, this guy's got a big head... then reading the books and being like, okay yes, he is brilliant. He can brag all he wants.

Never thought I'd like love stories in science fiction books, but the ones included (though a little too steadfastly heterosexual given the eras the books touch upon) were beautiful and did not at all detract from the beauty of this masterpiece.

Only thing is that I personally would hate to truly subscribe to the notion that humankind can be so...terrible. Can't really say more without spoiling stuff. Not a light read too, you aren't going to emerge from this smiling. Probably more shell-shocked, at least I was. In some weird trance state when you ruminate a lot about the goings-on and the stories told. I'm rambling.

Definitely read it.

[sweet t · Rating 4 out of 5]

this guy really sucks a chode when it comes to writing characters that aren’t brooding young male geniuses. could easily be some sections that got replaced with “MEN MEN MEN” repeated over and over again. anyways, totally rules otherwise. most fun wild sci fi i’ve read that starts with public executions in the great leap forward.

[Nilan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books of all time

[Nishi Chitale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this recently in August 2020. I believe this was the first time I read a series written by a Chinese author. It was a breath of fresh air to see a book set in a country that was not the United States. It also gave the book a unique historical context and the author uses many Chinese embellishments throughout the book. The basic question her puts forth is this - what will humanity as a whole do when faced with a common species-threatening crisis? The first book establishes this crisis as an inevitable one and it ends with humanity starting preparations to deal with it.

The second and the third books take off from this idea and take the readers on an unforgettable journey. The author uses many metaphors to simplify concepts for the users as well as amplify the power of the concepts he is putting forth. By the end of the series, I was left with a haunting feeling of having witnessed something extraordinarily tragic and inevitable. The author’s frightful suggestion of a solution to the Fermi paradox also leaves the readers wondering about the idea of aliens and whether it is advisable to reach out to those out there in the stars.

[Peter Szigeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has some nice ideas on how the human race would react to an alien invasion. Definitely a good read. Liked how it began from a realistic not so far ago past, and went far into the future.

[S. Mdw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy makes a good attempt at becoming one of the most influential works of 21th century scifi and I am happy it became available in English. Cixin manages to play out human civilisation itself as protagonist in this story, with less of importance on individuals themselves. Some characters are quite strong on their own as well though, such as Wade, Da Shi and Luo Ji. What makes the book incredible is that it provides a convincing alien enemy which is the main aggressor of the story, though not unrelatable, and the fact that the events take more than 4 centuries to unfold. This is an excellent attempt at respecting hard realities of physics (interstellar travel is slow, but many other elements as well). It also contains (though only in the first book) a vivid depiction of gamified virtual reality which was quite fun to get immersed in. Going beyond the story line itself, the book makes one think of possible scenarios of first contact and pan-galactic dynamics, which I no doubt will influence scifi writers in the next decennia.

The writing itself is not without its faults, as it sometimes feels unorganic, but this might be due to some things getting lost in the translation I read.

[Rick Couture · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have ever read that made me think;
"If done right, the movie will be better than the book".

Just some random thoughts - I may write a proper review later.

3 stars...I would have given 4 but I feel a need to offset the multiple 5 star reviews.

Maybe my expectations were too high for this series from the beginning.

Don't get me wrong, This is a grand and epic tale of humanity's future. I really liked the story.

The Storytelling, however was rather frustrating and at many times just plain boring. It felt like a chore to read. It was completely humorless, nearly emotionless. Written in a matter of fact manner; 'Character x said this, Character y did that'.

I like to be titillated, intrigued, entertained when reading a novel. This Trilogy did none of those for me. Honestly by time I reached the last novel, I was just wishing for it to be over.

Maybe its the Chinese translation, maybe that's a really difficult thing to do. Maybe its the author. I don't know, but I was quite disappointed. But I am very much looking forward to the movie or anime, whichever comes out first.

[Will Staunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the last few years I've heard a few people sing the praises of this series, though never any details about what it was about. Having read the first two of the trilogy (wait, there's 4? Just seeing that), I can see why people get excited about this series. It's the kind of high-concept sci-fi that's just challenging enough to make you feel very clever indeed for enjoying it. The storytelling also feels unconventional. That could be partly that Cixin Liu is an inventive writer, and partly that I haven't read many (any?) Chinese books.

However... I'm done with the series for a couple of reasons. First, all the plot threads I was interested in wrapped up at the end of book two. (Which is a strange way to pace a trilogy/quadrilogy.) Second, the middle book felt incredibly long, and I found myself skimming pages while eyeing other books on my shelf. Third, the whole series goes from bleak to bleaker. I don't see myself coming back.

Instead: for aeon-spanning civilization-scale sci-fi, go for Forever War. Or the Ender series, which gets better the deeper you go.

[Felipe Couto · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The universe is a dark forest. Every civilization is an armed hunter stalking through the trees like a ghost, gently pushing aside branches that block the path and trying to tread without sound. Even breathing is done with care. The hunter has to be careful, because everywhere in the forest are stealthy hunters like him. If he finds other life—another hunter, an angel or a demon, a delicate infant or a tottering old man, a fairy or a demigod—there’s only one thing he can do: open fire and eliminate them. In this forest, hell is other people. An eternal threat that any life that exposes its own existence will be swiftly wiped out. This is the picture of cosmic civilization. It’s the explanation for the Fermi Paradox.”

[pullguard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting series and highly recommended for sci-fi lovers. This trilogy will take you on a limitless journey so far into the vast space of the universe and so deep in to the psychology of the humanity. Liu covers very well aspects of physics, technology, astrophysics, astronomy, psychology, politics, sociology, cosmic sociology, mathematics, game theory, etc.

I would give it six stars if possible.

[Susan Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without exception, the best science fiction book and series I have ever read. (And I've read many). Profound sweep, good science, meaningful themes, compelling characters, appeal to the senses, compelling plot, thought provoking. Loved every second of it and wish I could find more. This is not for the faint of heart; some parts are long reads; you may want to try listening to it. (I have no science background.) Loved the Chinese cultural perspective on universal themes.

[rosli · Rating 5 out of 5]

started off with the mind perplexing proposition which soon explode into a mind boggling, galaxy- universe scale spanning over million of years. Yes- this is story line is indeed strange , which brings a new perspective from one of the most prolific sci-fi writer from Far East.
i definitely shall wait with anticipation for the next adventure in reading..

[Isaac Helmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparked my curiosity into wanting to learn more about all things science. Definitely one of the more enjoyable books of this genre. It can be a little challenging at times, but I wouldn't let that stop you. The explorations of societal structures were very intriguing. One to re-read for sure.

[Kaz Ogino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am on my 3rd listening of this magnificent trilogy. Lui pushes sentient possibilities light years passed where my regular imagination typically hangs out. There are more examples of this each chapter and each time I 'read' it.

[Thijs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't recommend it.
Imho something was lost in translation. It had at times interesting ideas, but overall, the characters and conversations in the story are 2-dimensional, disconnected, and far-fetched. Quite boring, skipped over large parts, especially in the second book.

[Nathan Almirall · Rating 5 out of 5]

God of sci-fi

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does someone write this galaxy-brain epic???

[Jonathan Chia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frustratingly slow at first, but then weaves itself together marvelously. Highly recommend.

[Ross Mcdowall]

Translated to English

[Marc Schuyesmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

a real masterpiece!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of ideas. Those that work and those that don't. Conversation starter for readers - what would you do. This book has translated well from Chinese to English. This is rare.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best sci-fi series I've ever read.

[Marleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eindelijk is de triologie in het Nederlands verkrijgbaar! Zeer de moeite waard.

[Nikos FILIPU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best sci fi in the last ten years or since Dune...big bold ideas together with tight storytelling makes this a read that will not be over in a hurry....take your time and enjoy it.

[Mayank Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing world creation, a perfect blend of science and fiction.

[Benjamin Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different take on alien invasion and science fiction in general. Loved it. Had a deep verisimilitude.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging read but so gripping and stimulating it was worth every effort :)

[Ward Lehmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strangely, the TV show was better. The aliens seemed like cardboard cutouts, but until we have contact with extraterrestrials, who knows? Maybe that’s what they’re actually like.

[Mike Bodak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read. Full stop.