Book Review: The Three-Body Problem
Being an avid Sy-Fy Reader and having enjoyed long chains of inter-related storylines (such as the Robot, Galactic Empire and Foundation Series of Isaac Asimov and A Time Odyssey Series by Arthur C. Clarke) it all came as a nice surprise when I found out about this first, more recent, Novel of the Remembrance of Earth’s Past saga from Author Liu Cixin.
Artwork by Stephan Martinière
The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1) by Liu Cixin
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For once, The Three-Body Problem gave me a refreshing perspective from a cultural new vantage point: Liu Cixin successfully introduces readers into some Chinese History while maintaining high-standards when it comes to accuracy of presented scientifical concepts, as they blend into Humanity’s meaning in the Universe as a whole. To get an initial idea about his style, see Liu Cixin’s Opinion on A.I. at the NY Times.
The subject of the first book centers around breaking down a very hard mathematical endeavor, called the Three-Body Problem (and, in the book, applied to the unpredictable movement of Celestial Bodies). Author Liu Cixin manages with fair grace to relay enough information for us to understand the difficulty at attempts for it to be solved. He then proceeds by laying a good foundation for its tie-in to the main plot, as it all will unfold over the course of the next two (2) Novels.
As the Reader, prepare to go on an initial fun rollercoaster ride (of which this first Novel is just the tip of the Iceberg) over problems that concern inter-stellar travel, our Planet’s and Species' future in Space, and Morality-focused hard issues. Everything blending nicely over how it comes down to a Human Individual’s point-of-view, of their choices, intersecting and mixing them (perhaps) for a greater cause. All in a refreshing and informative take on Science-y things!
Noteworthy Quotes
“You’re afraid of the stars falling down?” Ye asked softly.
Feng laughed and shook her head. “What’s there to be afraid of? They’re so tiny.”
Ye did not give her the answer of an astrophysicist. She only said, “They’re very, very far away. They can’t fall.”
Feng was satisfied with this answer, and went back to her needlework. But Ye could no longer be at peace. She put down her book and lay down on the warm surface of the kang, closing her eyes.
Trisolaris communicated with humanity outside the ETO for the first time. After this, they terminated all communications [..] For the remainder of the lives of all attendees, Trisolaris never sent another message.
[..] The message flashed into existence for only two seconds and then disappeared, but everyone got it. It was only a single sentence:
- You’re bugs!
Enjoy reading it!
Until the next one… Sincerely,
