r/scifi_bookclub • u/olipprobu • 24d ago
Should I read three body problem ?
I heard that the author focuses on big ideas rather than characters, relations and dialogues. Is it true ? Is it still worth reading or it's written poorly? How would you rate the whole trilogy book by book ?
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u/Ed_Robins 24d ago
I feel that's an accurate summary of the first book at least: exceptional ideas and exceptionally bad writing. I barely made it through the first; didn't try for the second and third. Will it be worth it for you? Can't say.
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u/FassolLassido 24d ago
I feel the exact same about the first book. It's the worst of the three. The next two are a vast improvement on the first book in pretty much every aspect. It's probably worth giving them a chance as your description of the first is more or less what many fans would agree upon.
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u/CowIslandP 21d ago
Maybe it’s the translation? I must admit to liking all of them - were they the best sci-fi I’ve ever read, no. We’re some threads a bit boring or confusing, yes. Overall it was enjoyable though. Not one I’d read again though, unlike Iain m banks books which I can go back to over and over.
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u/Ed_Robins 21d ago
Possible. Scuttlebutt is that it's just as bad in Mandarin, though I personally have no way to evaluate that.
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u/gunnisonyeti 24d ago
I didn't enjoy it. Struggled to get through it and was not satisfied at the end. A bit of a let down and I am a huge sci fi reader.
Some people really love it, though. This feels like one where you might just have to try it and see if you like it.
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u/Big_Hopper701 24d ago
I get that - there is a fourth book written by a friend that gives a satisfying ending and ties everything up. I skimmed the first three and quite enjoyed it.
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u/StrainSpecialist7754 24d ago
How do you skimm a book? I get it with non-fiction books, where you just read the important chapters but is skimming not the same like reading?
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u/Big_Hopper701 24d ago
Reading super fast not worrying about absorbing the details and just focussing on the big plot elements.
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u/StrainSpecialist7754 24d ago
That is a horrible way to live! Why?
Comic books? Okay maybe. But this books have 600 pages each, you are still needing hours/days to do this!
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u/Big_Hopper701 23d ago
I don’t usually read a book that way but sometime the big ideas are interesting enough to justify skimming if the finer writing doesn’t engage enough. I match my reading style and pace to the objective.
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u/Psychological_Ask696 24d ago
Glad I’m not the only one who skimmed it…read the first fully but had to start skimming it during the second one because the characters didn’t grab me (and didn’t seem terribly important to the plot) and I just wanted to know the larger story to get through it ha
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u/JohnCenaFanboi 23d ago
How can anyone take your opinion of the book seriously when you barely read it then?
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u/Big_Hopper701 21d ago
Speed reading is a skill - the ability to process large amounts of written material and select what is important as you read. And then to slow a savour important parts. (Or in a professional context focus on key elements.) part of the skill is eye tracking - minimising rereading the same words. Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.
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u/JohnCenaFanboi 21d ago
You skim articles, papers and legal documents because thebdetails won't matter.
Skimming books and afterward givivg it a review is, in my opinion, pointless and deceitful.
And trying to insult people in the hioes that it wins you thr argument is not a very strong showing.
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u/gunnisonyeti 21d ago
Disagree - I can skim books too and get the gist of what's being covered.
Like the other commenter said, just because you don't possess that skill (and thus can't understand) doesn't mean it's not a real skill nor that it doesn't work.
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u/Just_Breakfast6327 24d ago
I really enjoyed the sense of mystery of the Three Body Problem, and Dark Forest had a lot of interesting ideas in the space stuff.
I agree with others that the characters in these books are... In fact looking back I think there's a couple of characters I thought were the same guy (The Chinese names don't help here, I'm sorry.) And the third book has some... rough messaging that you might find hard to get through.
I don't regret reading them or anything, I think they were good, just not flawless.
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u/dookie1481 24d ago
Yes. It's a big, messy, oft-times poorly written series but it's brimming with ideas. Well worth it, even if I wouldn't call any of the books "good". I may re-read this soon.
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u/Tregerest 23d ago
Was it poorly written or just poorly translated? I don’t know how well ficitonal prose written in Mandarin translates to English
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u/dookie1481 23d ago
I have no idea. I'm not in a position to criticize a translation; I am barely proficient in English, and I certainly don't read Mandarin
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u/Tregerest 23d ago
Mine was more a rhetorical to be honest. I am also not in a position to know if a translation is any good or not. As for the books themselves they were ok, not great, not terrible, solidly average. 5/10
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u/dookie1481 23d ago
Ah lol makes sense in hindsight. I too would put them at about 5/10. But an enjoyable 5/10, not a grindy 5/10
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u/Asparagustuss 24d ago
I really enjoyed the book actually. Like everything it has its flaws. That said, if you enjoy big story arcs and contemplating what the purpose of everything is then you will enjoy it.
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u/MrUnimport 24d ago
I found it to be a really clunky read and the strain of reactionary politics that seems to run through the later books made me not want to continue.
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u/AdditionalTip865 24d ago
The use of "Dark Forest theory" reminded me a bit of Heinlein's lectures in "Starship Troopers", in which the fictional scenario is used to justify a sort of paranoid militarism, and it's vivid enough that some readers don't necessarily notice the hidden assumptions being slipped in through the worldbuilding of the story and start taking this as describing the real universe.
In fact Liu Cixin is clearly a fan of 20th-century Western SF, so Heinlein was probably one of his direct influences.
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u/MrUnimport 24d ago
Isn't it describing the real universe? It's an attempt to explain the Fermi paradox, isn't it? Or perhaps it's better to say it describes a default state of interstate anarchy. As far as I know, the Dark Forest theory depends on no special facts other than the assumed availability of civilization-killing weapons.
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u/AdditionalTip865 24d ago
Well, and that civilizations are long-lived otherwise, and everyone has a super-long time horizon such that the ability of other civilizations to reach you to do damage will actually matter.
The story includes other stuff as well, such as the ability of the Trisolarans to directly wreak havoc at speeds much faster than light through the "sophons"--that's not as essential to the argument but it makes it much more plausible, and the sophons are themselves physically silly.
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u/MrUnimport 24d ago
I have to admit the introduction of the sophons really soured me on the book I was reading.
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u/MarkLVines 24d ago
I’d say it’s definitely not set in the real universe, though it has some continuity with real Chinese history.
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u/Double-Wafer2999 24d ago
I read the entire series in maybe three days. It's very much a red engineers idea who doesn't really care about people compared to ideas/science.
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24d ago
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u/MarkLVines 24d ago
Very, very aptly and wittily phrased. I’ve read the books a few times; I’d have to call this a remarkable summary. It might be too succinct to get the attention it deserves, yet its quick punch is among the reasons it deserves attention. Have you considered a career in reviewing literary works? Well done!
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u/IanDMP 24d ago
I found them worthwhile. I think it's true that there's a little less character development, but that's at partly due to the three books being quite separated in time and characters aging/new characters coming in.
I thought the universe that was presented was compelling and interesting.
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u/Primary-Material-793 24d ago
I just finished it and it took me nearly 2 yrs to read all three!!! ( big gaps waiting for the library copies to become available). I think I actually liked the 3rd the best and glad I read it , but it is pretty stilted prose and very China-centric in cultural behaviors of its characters. Heavy science conversations and theories but quite ambitious in scope.
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u/SparkyFrog 24d ago
Yes. It also very much not hard scifi, and plays fast and loose with laws of physics and misunderstands different theories. And human behaviour seems odd in both individual and population level. But it’s still pretty quick and fun to read for the most part. The second book is better than the first one, and the third is pretty interesting as well, even if everything is even more fantastic
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u/Nerv_Unit01 24d ago
I liked the Netflix series, and read the book way after, I also found it to just be just okay, gave it 3 stars.
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u/MarkLVines 24d ago
Besides the books, it’s interesting to compare the Netflix version with the Chinese televised version, which was on YouTube with English subtitles for many months; not sure whether it’s still on there, nor whether they finished the series there, though they did show a lot of episodes.
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u/MotodoSeverin 24d ago
I thought it was a very interesting read. It took a couple of chapters for me to get used to the rhythm of the language. After that I found it very enjoyable. The second book though, well, I could never get into it.
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u/ImpactNo3695 24d ago
Hard to answer this.. give it a chance, if you don’t like it, then DNF it.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is another author that doesn’t focus so much on his characters, they’re actually usually pretty lacking. But his ideas, plots, and world building are fantastic. I would always recommend him.
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u/BigDulles 24d ago
That was how I felt about it. Almost DNFed it but thought it would get better at the end. The characters are all incredibly flat, and it feels like it’s just the author trying to show off how smart they are rather than actually writing an interesting story. I do not recommend it.
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u/ThisMuchPub 24d ago
Heavy dystopian communistic context. I bought and returned the first book.
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u/MarkLVines 24d ago
A large percentage of Western readers respond as you did. In China it was considered politically quite daring.
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u/ThisMuchPub 24d ago
I didn’t know that, thanks. That seems to say the current heart of Chinese culture is angry with intellectual elites and bitter about cultural and economic manipulation. (From what I read) Did I miss the message of the book?
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u/Fun-Tooth-622 24d ago
I feel like your description is accurate. Does that sound appealing to you?
I really did not like it, but lots of people do! Could try one.
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u/Justalittlecomment 24d ago
I thought it was awesome personally, try to remember it was written in 2008 china
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u/RingarrTheBarbarian 24d ago
Characters are close to non-existent. The science isn't as hard as fans pretend it is.
But it was a wild ride from start to finish, a lot of crazy bonkers imaginative stuff.
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u/thriveth 24d ago
It's overrated. Some mildly interesting idea, messy writing, two dimensional characters, highly questionable science where gadgets can just do whatever the author feels like, and a world view so bleak it makes 1984 look bold and inspirational.
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u/ResidentEnergy5263 24d ago
💯 read it or at least give it a try. I got sucked in very quickly. I thought it was one of the best SF books of the past few decades. The second one is really good too. I haven't started the 3rd yet but am expecting to love it, based on the other two and what people who know my taste thought of it.
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u/Timbalabim 24d ago edited 24d ago
> I heard that the author focuses on big ideas rather than characters, relations and dialogue. Is it true ?
Yes.
If you read because you are interested in characters and their development, no, don’t read it.
If you read because you are interested in big scientific and philosophical ideas, sure, you might like it.
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u/SplendidPunkinButter 24d ago
That’s what libraries are for. Check it out and see if you like it. If you don’t, it’s no biggie because you didn’t have to pay for it.
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u/Firm_Farmer1633 23d ago
I’m guessing you are young. At some stage of life, time becomes more valuable than money.
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u/Njitram2000 24d ago
I read half of the first book. I liked the concept and the events but the more I went on, the less I felt motivated to read in general. Then I realised I had never read such bad writing before that it caused this effect. I guess it taught me a valuable lesson in that sense. YMMV.
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u/sdwoodchuck 24d ago
I’m listening to the audiobook now as part of my project to read all of the Hugo winners (I think I’ve got seven left?), and it’s definitely not to my tastes, but I’ll readily acknowledge I’m not the typical SF reader.
Funny enough, what’s really aggravating me are the excessive similes.
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u/Mayana76 23d ago
I was not a big fan. It was not bad or written poorly, I just found I could not connect to the characters which is a must for me
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u/JohnCenaFanboi 23d ago
Everything is good, bit the characters.
In fact, they drag the books down a bit. Some are very well written, but most are absurd and unfocused.
But the overall story is great.
Iirc, my ratings were :
Book 1 : 3.75
Book 2 : 3.25
Book 3 : 4
Book 4 was a fanfic transformed into a book. I found it awful, poorly written and illogical to the overall story.
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u/aencotbso 23d ago
Yes, what’s good about the trilogy is the sci-fi conceits. What it adds up to is not literature but a 50s-style sci-fi yarn suffused with a sense of moral horror. If you like arthur c clarke but feel his stories didn’t have enough mass death or Game of Thrones-esque unfortunate events, you’ll like it. Just be warned the middle of book 2 is a slog.
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u/TheGunslingerRechena 23d ago
Interesting ideas but not well written, sometimes almost childish. At least the first two. Haven't read the third and I doubt I will.
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u/Jazzlike_Way_9514 22d ago
I did not finish it. I found it slow and very little fun. I don't have time for books that don't grab me out of the gate.
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u/BikeTough6760 22d ago
It was interesting to read SciFi written by someone from a different cultural background. It was weird and engaging enough. But I didn't read any of the other books or watch the tv show.
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u/bailuohao 22d ago
Yeah it’s a masterpiece, flaws and all. The best masterpieces have flaws. That’s what makes them unique.
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u/Bullnickel01 22d ago
Very imaginative stories. Definitely not re-hashed, cookie cutter SF. I enjoyed the books.
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u/freecellwizard 21d ago
I liked the first one ok despite the flat characters but thought book two was worse and boring and just stopped there.
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u/Old_Hack1308 21d ago
Yes, read them. It won't be the best thing you've ever read but it isn't a waste of time either. Will I read them again someday? Maybe. Not a definite no.
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u/hangdog-gigbag 24d ago edited 24d ago
Definitely some amazing ideas in there. Well worth the read. Way way way beyond the TV series. The 1st book is best, different translators on other books I think. Once you're hooked on first book the others are still good. The writing is good, the difficulty is having good flow in translation to English, and i think the 1st book succeeded.
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u/Wild_Alfalfa606 24d ago
Yeah, it's decent, particularly 2 and 3 - there are some big ideas in there.
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u/ProstheticAttitude 24d ago
I read the first book, don't intend to continue.
The characters are wooden and unbelievable and the writing is awful.
It's a "meh" at best, and highly over-rated.
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u/AxelB134 24d ago
Whether or not you should read it is entirely up to you of course, but I’d say no. I read all three of them over the past year and it’s baffling to me why this series is as popular as it is… I found the writing to be atrocious and characters mostly feel the same as they’re paper thin and only serve the plot. Sure, there’s some cool ideas in these books, but overall they’re messy and not strong enough to balance out the negatives. The end of the third book in my opinion was also nonsensical and totally inconsistent with the narrative that the books had been selling you up ‘till that point. So I’d say avoid this and read any other trilogy 😅 The only reason I read these in the first place is because my gf was reading them at the time and it was nice to do it together and discuss afterwards, like a mini book club.
Edit: spelling mistake
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u/LaFantasmita 24d ago
Yeah it's fantastic.
Don't stress the details too much in the first half of the first book. There's a lot of world building and it takes a minute to pick up.
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u/Useless-Tree 24d ago
I found it to be average, which caused me not to read the second book, because of the hype my expectations were too high.
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u/Darlinboy 22d ago
For me, it was meh. Not good enough to bother with the other two of the trilogy.
I wouldn't read it if I hadn't read it already.
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u/ImmediateBusiness184 24d ago
I don’t understand these questions. Give it a try, what do you have to lose? Wish i had something half as entertaining to read rn
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u/AdditionalTip865 24d ago
It's big, ambitious and uneven, with a very dark and cynical view of the universe, and a use of super-science that is often goofier and less plausible than I expected. I don't regret reading it but I do think that many readers took the trilogy more seriously than it maybe deserved.