Book Review: The Three Body Problem Series
Future Telescope 24
This NTO track is a great accompaniment to today’s post:
I first listened to the audiobook of “The Three Body Problem” series, also known as “The Remembrance of Earth’s Past”, back in January of this year. I wrote about the joy of books that it inspired within me back then.
I’m listening to them again, and this time around, my focus is on the scientific progress and resulting technologies described in these books. Through Future Telescope, I want to share with you a perspective on how to decode the technological progress we as humans are making. This book recommendation post is a part of those same efforts, and I hope these books help you look at humanity from a new perspective, and appreciate the progress we as a species are making.
The first book in the series was written back in 2006, and it is a wonder that the author Liu Cixin has a pulse on the emerging technologies that have since developed and become mainstream.
The Future Unfolds
"The future is already here — it's just not evenly distributed." - William Gibson
I believe there's no better way to get a glimpse of our unevenly distributed future than through the lens of science fiction. Science fiction challenges us to think of what is and isn’t possible in our current reality, and if we were to progress to a reality it describes, what efforts, resources, and timelines would even be involved.
This is where "The Three-Body Problem" series excels. These books are not just a journey into the cosmos, but a deep dive into the human psyche, and sometimes a testament to the unyielding spirit of exploration and discovery.
We're introduced to a world where the boundaries of science are pushed to their limits. The books are based on a tantalizing question: What will humanity do if we found out that aliens from 4 light years away have sent a war fleet towards Earth, and will arrive here in 400 years?
Book 1 - The Three Body Problem
The first book, “The Three Body Problem” deals with what leads to this scenario. It is set against the brutal backdrop of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, showcasing various shades of humanity that turn the first book’s protagonist into a history-making individual. The book itself is written in a way that mimics historical narratives, establishing events and scenarios as if from the lens of an archivist, ensuring that the narrative hits you from all possible points of view and angles.
The timeframe covered in the first book is from the 1960s to the point humanity finds out that the aliens are coming. Through a set of exceptional narrative devices, the author shows us the point of view of the aliens and what compelled them to attack Earth. He does this in ways that almost make you feel… something for the aliens. Sympathy, perhaps?
The most exciting part for me in this book is the description of a new kind of artificial intelligence, the “Sophon”. A Sophon is a single hydrogen proton on which an entire artificial intelligence computer is created, and is labelled as the smallest AI in the whole Universe. Fascinating stuff.
Overall, this first book in the series is one full of eye-opening scientific, technological, psychological and even political questions. It is a book that grabs you by your mind and then refuses to let go. It makes you think.
Book 2 - The Dark Forest
If the first book is a historical look back at what led to the alien invasion, the second book known as “The Dark Forest” is an excellent character study. Its protagonist, a simple man named Luo Ji, goes on to become the most important person in human history, holding in his hands the key to human survival. And it is this journey of his, from common man to messiah, that ends up being the strongest part of this book.
That’s not to say that nothing else in this book works. In fact, this is my favorite book in the series, one with a strong grip on the characters it builds, the future it predicts, and the behaviour of those strong characters in this dark future.
The timeframe covered in the second book is from the point humanity discovers that the aliens are coming to it, till the point that the aliens actually attack. Close to 400 years of the human collective reconciling the fact that it is under attack, under surveillance, and under technological lockdown. It is one hair-raising scenario after another.
The axioms of Cosmic Sociology revealed in the book are a central hook of the entire narrative, guiding the reader from one conclusion to the next seamlessly. The biggest achievement of this book is not the consistency with which its characters operate within the rules set up by the author, but how these characters still manage to surprise the reader through their actions, or sometimes, inaction.
“The Dark Forest” is, in my humble opinion, science fiction at its best.
Book 3 - Death’s End
The third book in the series, “Death’s End”, is by far the most imaginative and vivid of the three. While the first book feels like a historical narrative, and the second feels like a character study, “Death’s End” almost feels like a fever dream.
The timeframe covered in the third book is from the point that aliens first attack humanity till the end of the fricking Universe. Now THAT’s a massive timeline to cover in a few hundred pages, that’s for sure.
With these time jumping narratives, the third book introduces us to a new protagonist, whose world-view is a stark contrast to the world-views of the protagonists from the previous books. This leads to certain unique choices and outcomes that manage to keep us surprised and hooked at every turn. However, it must be said that this protagonist certainly feels less hands-on than the previous two. The protagonists in “The Three Body Problem” and “The Dark Forest” represented the side of humanity that does things to change the future, while the protagonist in “Death’s End” represents the side of humanity to whom things just happen as the future unfolds. A protagonist driven by inaction. And that for me ends up being the weakest part of this narrative.
However, no points can be cut for the sheer inventiveness of “Death’s End”. The book very comfortably upends any last signs of hope for humanity, introduces us to the vast cosmic playground of different vicious alien species, inventive modes of interstellar warfare, and science and technology beyond our wildest dreams. On those fronts, this is the most inventive book of the three.
Conclusion
The Three Body Problem trilogy is a testament to the power of science fiction, and a reminder of the potential that lies just beyond our current grasp. These books challenge us to think about our place in the universe, to question our understanding of technology and science, and to dream of a future that we can barely comprehend. After all, science fiction is the OG Future Telescope of humanity.
But here's the thing - these books aren't just about the future. They're about us, about our innate curiosity, our relentless pursuit of knowledge, our undying spirit of exploration. They remind us that the future is not something that happens to us, but something that we create.
So, if you're like me, always looking to the horizon, always dreaming of what could be, I highly recommend these books. They will challenge you, they will inspire you, and make you treasure this beautiful world we live in.
That’s it for the twenty fourth draft, see you next week!
Loved this series!
I really really loved your Project Hail Mary recommendation. Looking forward to this one too!!!