The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (5/5)

The Three-Body Problem is a heavy dystopian sci-fi novel written by Liu Cixin, with the setting written around the time period of China’s Cultural Revolution (founded in 1966). There are, however, multiple parts to the book, taking place in different time periods. The book revolves around science and physics, and also includes fictional characters from China. The story begins in the Cultural Revolution, where Ye Wenjie, an astrophysicist, witnesses the public persecution of her father by Red Guards, an organization that aimed to preserve the

communist ideology of their leader, Mao Zedong. Later, Ye Wenjie is sent to a labor camp, where she is eventually employed at Red Coast Base, a military project designed to search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence. While working at Red Coast, Ye secretly makes contact with an alien society, the Trisolarans, and she invites them to Earth, hoping that they will restore order to humanity. Decades later, Wang Miao, a scientist, discovers a mysterious virtual reality game called Three-Body, a simulation of the world of Trisolaris. Wang learns that the Trsolarans are traveling to Earth in a fleet that will arrive in four centuries, and that they have developed a technology that inhibits humanity’s progress scientifically. Ultimately, the citizens of Earth have to prepare for a war with an unstoppable alien fleet over the next four hundred years. The complexity of this novel, filled with physics, mathematics, and other branches of science, really stood out to me while reading it. The main theme of the book is the conflict and differences between science and politics, as the setting of the novel is centered in a time where communism is highly praised. Another feature of the book that made it extremely intriguing was the use of real scientific theories throughout the book, and the author was able to manipulate this usage to make the novel very believable in certain parts. The novel itself is a very challenging read, and I recommend it to people that have a passion in science and physics, and also for those who can find time to take in all the details that Liu Cixin infused into the book. Overall, the extraordinary detail brought into this novel is what makes it one of my favorites, and I highly recommend it to anyone with the time and scientific passion.