The Dark Forest: Cixin Liu: 2 (The Three-Body Problem)

Am an old Sci-Fi fan, and this series of books has blown me away, I feel like I have gone on an incredible journey in my mind. Am writing this as a review of the three books together, there is no point debating which book is better as they all just form a whole narrative arc. I got into them through watching the Netflix adaptation of the first book, and as soon as I finished it I wanted to know more and bought the books. They aren't perfect, the narrative can majorly drag sometimes, but then you get to something that is where the slow bit was leading to and there is usually a great pay off in the story. They were originally written in Chinese, but the translations of these books is done really well. Overall it has been the most impactful Sci-Fi I have ever read.

Part 2 of this exciting hard science trilogy sees a mediocre and layabout professor of astronomy Luo Ji (literally the Chinese word for logic) chosen as one of four Wallfacers by the UN. This means he is given full autonomy to deploy resources, without disclosing his strategies in the cosmic battle against the ambivalent alien race, the Trisolarans. This is a necessary precaution as it is believed that the sophons, or AI spying devices sent by the aliens, have infiltrated the Earth. In the first book, Liu had woven the Cultural Revolution into the plot and also introduced the virtual reality game, “Three Body”, that gave us a glimpse of the Chaotic and Stable eras of the planet Trisolaris, which gave the novel a feel of murder mystery intermixed with a cyber thriller . “The Dark Forest” is much more dystopian in scope as the apocalyptic threat of a Trisolaran invasion is much closer, though it is realistically portrayed as taking over a few hundred years, as space travel from the star system, Alpha Centauri, would legitimately take to arrive within the Earth’s atmosphere. Probing questions like what it means to be a (cosmic) civilisation, the shift from geography to temporality as the basis for who we consider our “countrymen”, the rules of survival, and the meaning behind the book’s title are all addressed. Although there are some (to me) rather lengthy and complex political and scientific discussions that slowed down the narrative, they were nonetheless integral to understanding the plot. Attention to detail is Liu’s strong point, but it can be overwhelming at times. What was striking to me in this second book was the attention to character. Despite the huge cast of characters, Luo Ji was the main focus, and I went through a gamut of emotions relating to him, especially when he did not start out being a particularly empathetic character. His close bond to his protector turned friend, Shi Qiang, also had a stamp of authenticity about it, which is not always a common feature in SF. Unquestionably mind-boggling, but nothing quite like what I’ve read before, which means I’ll be looking forward to diving into the last book in the near future, but only after I’ve let the ideas from this stew and settle in my head for a little bit first.

I loved this book. The first part of the trilogy was great, but this one manages to elevate itself above that. All the aspects that made the first book so good can be found here. There's some good, and interesting science here, which provide food for thought as well as a framework for the story. Being told from a Chinese perspective gives it a fresh feeling - I get the same sense from some Russian sci-fi as well. The cultural differences provide an additional layer to the tale which I appreciate. The opening scene grabbed my attention immediately, and it's cleverly told from an ant's perspective, which helps bed the thought of the dark forest concept. In a book full of fascinating ideas, this really stood out for me, and on occasion I found myself musing on it. The book is split into two, the first half concerns humanity's preparations for the alien invasion. The presence of the alien technology limits options, although many of the developments are as you'd expect, there's some different ideas here. The author does a splendid job of conveying and inferring a lot of information, without being bogged down in too many details. The second half takes us into the future, and again the author's imagination is evident with how society has changed. The culture shock of those who awaken into this new world is well described, and brings a human element to the story. We see the ingenuity of humankind, but also learn more about the full capabilities of the Trisolarians before they reach Earth. The only real issue I had with the book was one of the aspects of its conclusion. The ending itself works well, and fits the build-up, while still leaving the story open for the third book. But there's a part that's related to the human condition that is often used as a fundamental truth, or key difference for humanity, and for me it feels a little overused. Although many great sci-fi authors have used the same construct, so maybe it is a fundamental truth :-) With the two books so far, I think this trilogy stands out as some of the finest modern science fiction. It demonstrates great imagination, but also understanding. These are books that any fan of the genre should check out.

As good as the first. A tour de force of the genre. Particular like the focus on science as well as the characters

Incredible, accessible, and detailed storytelling of first contact and humanities response. The first book drew me in, having heard it was being adapted for Netflix. The breadth of story across decades is incredible, but also absorbing. I struggled a little with the Foundation trilogy but this felt a lot more readable. Book 1 demands you read Book 2, and I'm most of the way through. The Physics is dealt with deftly. Concepts (quite difficult ones) are named and described but without burden. They are essential plot mechanisms and as expected concepts are extrapolated, but all whilst keeping the reader on board. Translation is, to me, undetectable. I'd never know this wasn't an English book, save for having to learn the pronunciation of some Chinese names. Looking forward to book 3, and the show!

After finishing the Three-Body Problem, I went straight on to this sequel. It was a very different novel in many ways, with quite different strengths and weaknesses. It starts a few years after the end of the first book and ends more than two hundred years later, and there's little to no reappearance of characters from book one even in the early sections. Right from the beginning, the world feels different. In the first book, it was the real world, as we know it, with just some hints of mystery and strangeness. Here, the whole world is aware of the approaching Trisolarian fleet, and cultures and economies and outlooks are changing in response, making everything feel much more futuristic and sci-fi even though only a few years have passed. I thought it did a good job in attempting to answer the question of how the world would react knowing that aliens would invade in four hundred years time and the extent to which we should make sacrifices now and seek near-impossible solutions, or accept our fates and live for the moment. Once the book jumps forward in time, things feel more stereotypically sci-fi, with most of the action taking place in space and the depictions of life on earth also seeming more fantastical. This part was still inventive and enjoyable, just not quite as original and attention capturing, and I did miss the modern Chinese vibe that made the first book and the first part of this one so unusual. On the plus side, I thought the dialogue and characters were much better here. There were quite a few POV characters, and while some of them blended into one a bit or didn't hugely capture my imagination, Luo Ji, probably the foremost main character, was pretty memorable and attention-capturing. Definitely worth a read.

A very different book compared to The Three Body Problem, but an excellent continuation of the storyline. This series continues to be my favourite modern day science fiction (not that I’ve read a lot!), and I’ve actually loved the hard science in the series so far (convincing myself I’m understanding most of it, suspension of disbelief is after all a large part of enjoying fiction). A few characters from Book 1 make it into the second book, one favourite of mine in particular, but the new characters are interesting as well. Though the brilliance of the book lies not in character development, but in the mind-blowing concepts. A very ambitious story that will stick with you for a long time.

Much of this book is atrocious. Poorly written, far too drawn out, with barely believable characters, but worst of all boring. Unfortunately to get to and draw maximum enjoyment from the superb third book you have to read this drivel. It starts and ends well, but the middle is so much needless gumph. The central “relationship” in the book made me want to throw up. But to be fair that is probably the intent.

Dopo aver finito il secondo libro della serie, l'impressione è stata quella di leggere una Divina Commedia aggiornata al futuro! Così se Three Bodies poteva essere considerato l'Inferno, The Dark Forest può essere considerato come il Purgatorio, in febbricitante attesa del terzo volume della serie che presumo corrisponderà al Paradiso. Il volume offre numerosi spunti innovativi tanto dal punto di vista tecnologico che sociale, e introduce alcuni concetti come la "catena dei sospetti" e la sociologia cosmologica, come applicazione del dilemma dl prigioniero in mancanza di comunicazione, davvero innovativi. Gli spunti fantascientifici sono sempre strettamente recati sul possibile e non ho riscontrato manifeste incoerenze. Se devo trovare un punto sospetto è proprio nel problema dei tre corpi per il quale si postula che il pianeta Trisolaris sia fermo nell'universo tanto ch i soli possano muoversi in modo assoluto rispetto a esso, quando si dovrebbe parlare piuttosto di un problema di 4 corpi con uno si essi di massa estraente inferiore alle altre e ch quindi dovrebbe seguire strettamente uno dei soli per essere solo raramente strappato da un altro. In pratica l'istanza della 3 stella volanti, come presentata nel gioco dall'omonimo nome, non può in realtà verificarsi. Ovviamente non è chiaro se il problema si verifichi nella trasposizione della realtà di Trisolaris nel gioco, oppure se proprio nella fisica del pianeta Trisolaris.

Little other view on science fiction. Something I'd recommend

La historia es excelente, al igual que la primera entrega. Aborda temas desde gobiernos totalitarios y democraticos hasta el control de la mente. Totalmente recomendado

Fantastic! So much food for thoughts!

This is the second book of two, that completes the complete story. The first book, "The Three-Body Problem" must be read first. But it is an engaging tale, don't be afraid of starting! For me, I did have some difficulty keeping track of some characters because of the Chinese names - it's just something I am not familiar with, and it took me a little time to get it all straight. But that's just me. Reading presented a problem for me in early life. This is one story that moves in different directions than other works by different authors. There are totally unique ideas and thoughts in here, and it is most defiantly worth the read! Yes, I have watched the Netflix series, but like Harry Potter, there is nothing like reading the books.