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The Three-Body Problem Hardcover – 2 Jul 2015

by
Cixin Liu (Author)
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Cixin Liu (Author), Ken Liu (Translator)
4.1 out of 5 stars 181 customer reviews
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Head of Zeus; First UK Edition First Impression edition (2 July 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1784971553
  • ISBN-13: 978-1784971557
  • Product Dimensions: 23.7 x 3.8 x 15.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (181 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 340,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product description

Review

'Wildly imaginative, really interesting ... The scope of it was immense' Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States.

'A marvellous mélange of awe-inspiring scientific concepts, clever plotting and quirky yet plausible characters, all conveyed in in a plain style capable of signalling hidden depths' The Times.

'A milestone in Chinese science fiction' New York Times.

'The best kind of science fiction' Kim Stanley Robinson.

'Liu Cixin's impressive The Three Body Problem won the 2015 Hugo award for best novel, the first time a Chinese writer has taken that prize' Guardian (2015 Books of the Year).

'It's a stunning, high-concept, rollercoaster of a novel which offers an intriguing Eastern perspective ... this is a trilogy which, like Asimov's Foundation epic, looks set to quickly become an essential science fiction classic' Starburst Magazine (rating: 9/10).

'China has a lively SF scene inaccessible to western audiences until recently, so it's a great pleasure to read this book by Cixin Liu – the country's most popular SF writer – in English. Handled expertly on the terms of the genre, it is seeing this tale played out through a different cultural lens that makes the book fascinating. The translation is exemplary. The book is top-flight SF; smart, informative and engaging' SFX.

'Hard science fiction at its finest, and fans will appreciate the superb attention to detail that drives this constantly evolving and impressive series' SciFiNow Magazine.

'The writing is superb ... The ideas are astounding, real eye-openers that expand the mind and really get the old grey matter going ... A stand-out, award-worthy novel and one that deserves a place amongst the science fiction classics' SF Book Reviews.

'For a book that makes you think, and holds true to some of the traditional values of SF, this one can't be beat' SFF World Magazine.

About the Author

CIXIN LIU is China's number one SF writer. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked as an engineer in a power plant in Yangquan. Translator KEN LIU's short story "The Paper Menagerie" was the first work of fiction ever to sweep the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards.

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsFirst Contact
By J. Ang on 2 Jan. 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is the first book of the phenomenal Chinese hard science fiction trilogy that stirred up the SF community in a flurry of excitement when it was translated into English.

Set across the twentieth century to present day, a Chinese professor, Wang, who is researching nanomaterials, finds himself caught up with mysterious events that start innocently enough with an online virtual reality game, called the three-body problem. He enters a virtual world plagued with Chaotic eras where three suns are in alignment and threaten to annihilate the human civilisation, and where people are literally dehydrated and kept in storage to wait out for the next Stable era. This world becomes more and more real and he soon realises that the game hides something more sinister and at a catastrophic scale than he imagined possible.

What made this novel a riveting read was its close reference to historical events like China's Cultural Revolution, and the intermingling of real characters with fictional ones, giving the story an eerily realistic slant. And to complement that effect, the author's strong grasp of astrophysics and science shone through - while I must admit the amply explanatory portions befuddled a layman like me, they were logical enough to convince me. Ken Liu's translation is also clear and did not betray any of the awkwardness that sometimes mar works like these.

A promising start, though I would need more time to process the qualities of a proton, and how it can turn into a multi-dimensional "sophon"...
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4.0 out of 5 starsAn intriguing hard scifi novel
By The Middle Shelf on 21 April 2017
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
The Three-body problem takes place in China and alternates between two eras: the horrors of the Cultural Revolution and a more or less contemporary era.
In the past, we follow the story of Ye Wenjie, a young astrophysicist whose father has been lynched and who ends up working for a mysterious military project. In the present, we are with Wang Miao, an engineer in nanotechnology who will be dragged, despite his will, in an enquiry about the death of famous physicists. Poor Wang Miao ends up being caught in events he's unable to explain and that seem to overturn all the known laws of physics. Add to that a mysterious video game in VR where players must solve the enigma of a planet where chaotic periods follow stable periods.
Conspiracy? Aliens? The mystery is at the heart of this first volume.

It's not exactly necessary to brush up on your knowledge of the string theory and of Henri Poincaré work for this novel, but it helps! Yes, it's hard scifi and mathematics and physics are everywhere in the novel.

But where many hard scifi novels may seem a bit dry, Cixin Liu offers a story with a very intriguing mystery while some moments in the novel are completely esoteric. The characters are well rounded and are much more than only agents of a concept.
Because it's a Chinese novel taking place in China, it also adds a touch of strangeness for the readers more used european and american scifi. Some historical references, some social codes, will probably be obvious for those who know well China, but a welcome discovery for others. And Ken Liu, the translator, did a tremendous work to make this culture accessible to everyone using footnotes.

In the end, it's the nature of the novel itself that makes it so intriguing: is it a conspiracy thriller?Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsThe first book of the most creative science fiction series I have ever read!
By Jonathan Payne on 30 April 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Well all I can say was this was incredibly creative, from start to finish.

When I first downloaded it and read the first chapter or two, I concluded I had accidentally downloaded the wrong book, and read something else first. Then I confirmed it was the right book and came back and continued ready. What a treat!
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3.0 out of 5 starstedious science fiction
By The Cognologist on 28 May 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
tedious science fiction, but more interesting in painting a picture of life in China. Don't know why it got a Hugo, though..
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3.0 out of 5 starsMostly a good read, first of a (very verbose) trilogy
By PaulDirac on 19 May 2017
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
The first in a trilogy, the intro is a bit boring (cultural revolution in China), but still a good story.
Warning, the whole three have a total of about 1,800 pages and in my estimates should have been up to 700, so expect long pages of, well, poetic thoughts.
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3.0 out of 5 starsStarted well but did not finish
By Louis999 on 22 Feb. 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This book started really well. I reached about 75% and then put it down. The concept was brilliant but then became silly when all characters were gathered together.
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4.0 out of 5 starsProper sci-fi
By Kindle Customer on 30 Oct. 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Proper science fiction. The plot is a bit clunky in places. I am not sure if this is down to translation in some instances. However, the ideas are really good and interesting. Giving too much detail will spoil the plot, but I will say it is well worth reading.
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5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent. At loss with words
By wsuh on 19 May 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Excellent. At loss with words. One of the most jaw-breaking SF I have read. If you love Asimov Foundation's twists, the character plot and development, you will not regret picking this one up. Thankfully, it is part of a trilogy and mind you, the next book "Dark Forrest" is so good you must read this to find out.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsa real pageturner

These books are a real treat: the author presents us with an astonishing breadth of ideas, woven into an intricate cultural background. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Gibreel
3.0 out of 5 starsIntrigued at first.

I was intrigued by this at first but I lost interest towards the end of the book and was disappointed to realise that there is at least one more book in the story.

Published 1 month ago by Mr Alan F Gilbert
4.0 out of 5 starsSo I backtracked and read this--a great read and very thought...

I had not read any sf for a decade or two and was looking for a way back in. I bought The Dark Forest from a charity shop, and 100 pages in, realised I should read the first book... Read more

Published 1 month ago by G. Goodland
3.0 out of 5 starsInteresting ideas but variably good execution

The 'Three-Body Problem' is a book with significant promise and some very interesting ideas, which it aims to address. Read more

Published 1 month ago by AK
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

I forgot I have this

Published 1 month ago by E. Philpott-Kent
3.0 out of 5 starsNice idea odd execution

It's an interesting premise and obviously has some good facts to back itself up, but the telling of the story falls a little flat and lacks emotion, empathy for characters or a... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Lisa
4.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Book

Great Sci-fi. I did find it difficult to follow the story sometimes because of the Chinese names, but that is just me.

Published 1 month ago by Bethnal Green Butcher
5.0 out of 5 starsUnusual & Gripping

Absolutely loved this. Very unusual but gripping. It's Part 1 of a trilogy and I immediately had to start Part 2 (The Dark Forest). The story is huge... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Nick McDonnell
5.0 out of 5 starsFantastic Book

Fantastically entertaining and original book. Well worth reading!

Published 2 months ago by Amazon Customer

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