Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.

How was it?

Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem presents a dense narrative that delves into complex scientific theories and concepts blended with philosophical speculation. While the author’s detailed exploration of these ideas is digestible and may appeal to some readers, for others, like myself, it became a hurdle to immersive myself completely with the story. I may have understood the dense scientific exposition since it was explained well but it did not grip me.

Throughout the book, I found myself zombie reading* chunks of it having to go back and re-read, struggling to connect with the plot or characters. Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution and the present day, the story follows humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization, the Trisolarans, however, this was a mystery to me since I had not read the blurb. So the identity of who or what was behind the strange happenings in the scientific community failed to engage me completely. I was interested enough to keep going, absorbing the hard science fiction elements, and political intrigue woven into the story but it did little to enhance my enjoyment of the novel.

Overall, while The Three-Body Problem offers a unique blend of science fiction and philosophical speculation, its dense narrative and lack of compelling intrigue may leave some readers feeling disconnected from the story yet I’d agree in saying that this is a thought-provoking book.

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