The Three-Body Problem

After sitting on this book for a minute after reading, I think this is one of my favorites in the world of science fiction. There are so many interesting facets to this book that they all work towards one harmonious story. Ultimately, I think it deserves a half point extra.

[Mild spoilers below]

Initially, I did struggle to stay focus and interested in the historical portions, especially coming into the book expecting something more along the lines of Foundation or Dune. But then Cixin starts dripping in a bit of science fiction themes here and there which serves as a decent hook to keep reading. But then there is a back and force shifting of modern day and the past, which made me question, “is this book really going to progress to anything related to science fiction?” The answer is yes, but that theme is really just woven throughout this story of history and society, from the point of view of the “Eastern” world.

By then end I understood what Cixin was trying accomplish in weaving these explorations of science, history, society, internationalization, and so many other topics. After that last page, it leaves you questioning what is and isn't science fiction. This book is certainly more of an exploration of something closer to this moment in time than far far in the future. Plus, I am particularly fond of the non-Western viewpoint of what a more science fiction future holds.

But, this book does have its struggles. The first I mentioned above with the heavy reliance on history and other topics for a large portion of the book. The other is the particular granularity of physics and science jargon. With a background in science and math, I found myself able to follow the story, but at times my knowledge lapsed. I have no doubt that others would struggle with the physics-heavy topics, despite Cixin's delicate hand at explaining them.