The Three-Body Problem
by Cixin Liu (2006)
2024 reads, 9/22
“Can the fundamental nature of matter really be lawlessness? Can the stability and order of the world be but a temporary dynamic equilibrium achieved in a corner of the universe, a short-lived eddy in a chaotic current?”
What a wild ride. I don’t read much science fiction, and my only two standouts among those I have read were Neuromancer and Hitchhikers Guide. But The Three-Body Problem now also takes a place at the top of my favorite sci-fi books. And one thing that this book did for me that the others didn’t was encourage me to pick up more sci-fi in the future.
This book is engaging, but be warned, it’s one big prologue; many loose threads and characters come together nicely at the end to form one giant loose thread (so naturally I quickly picked up the second in the trilogy). The Neuromancer-like virtual reality game, the mysterious happenings to scientists around the world, and Operation Guzheng (if you know you know) were standout parts. Da Shi quickly became my favorite character of the book, being comedic relief while consistently saving the day. I also really enjoyed how the classic astrophysics problem of three gravitational bodies related to the plot – it wasn’t clear at first, but I loved the payoff.
“The seed of civilization remains. It will germinate and again progress through the unpredictable world of Three Body. We invite you to log on in the future.”
I actually started reading this before I realized the Netflix adaptation was coming out, which was some incredible timing. The show is great, but as usual, the book gets more involved and takes the time to really flesh out the story. If nothing else, watch the Netflix series, but I do recommend this book for anyone looking for some profound science fiction.