Book Review: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

 

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Content Warning: murder, violence, suicide, torture.

Miao Wang is a well-respected scientist who specializes in the research of nanomaterials. When two police officers show up at his door, asking him questions about an elite group of secretive scientists, his guard is immediately up. Something isn't right. Before he realizes just what's going on, he's already been asked to infiltrate this private society, and it doesn't take long for him to get in too deep...

One of the rules I'd set for this month was to read a Hugo Award winner. It wasn't an easy choice for me, particularly since I read very little sci-fi and fantasy, and I must admit I was quite intimidated by the idea of reading this. It was the option that appealed to me the most, but it's a complex book full of in-depth discussions of physics and scientific theory, something I wasn't sure I'd be able to dive into with enthusiasm.

I'm happy to say that I was wrong! While a lot of it is complicated, Liu has a way of explaining it all that makes the process much easier, not to mention actually engaging. This book easily has the most unique, out-of-the-box concept that I've read in a very, very long time. Every piece fits together in a mind-bending puzzle. It's exciting to find the next piece, to connect the dots, and finally begin to understand what is going on in the world of Three-Body. It has the feel of a thriller or mystery, which certainly only added to my enjoyment. 

Liu also utilizes a dark period in Chinese history, the Cultural Revolution during Mao's rule, and does it both effectively and with touching humanity. It was nothing short of a brilliant move to incorporate history into a genre that more often focuses on the futuristic. The characters, too, are wonderfully written, not simply mannequins meant to move along the plot. Wenjie Ye, for example -- one of the book's riveting female physicists -- is a character I'll be thinking about for a long time.

All in all, it turned out to be an absolutely fantastic read. Highly recommended, and if you have an interest in history, this may be the sci-fi book for you. I can't wait to read the rest in the trilogy (there are two others, thankfully already published and translated), and will be on the lookout for more sci-fi novels!