## [RT][HSF] The Three-Body Problem

* Author: u/hyenagrins *
* URL: http://www.amazon.com/Three-Body-Problem-Cixin-Liu-ebook/dp/B00IQO403K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
* Score: 2

* Created: 2014-11-12T16:27:22

### Post:

[Link to content](http://www.amazon.com/Three-Body-Problem-Cixin-Liu-ebook/dp/B00IQO403K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=)

### Comments:

> **u/lehyde** [+3]  *Nudist Beach* (6 hours later)
> 
> Do you mind telling what you liked about it?

>> **u/hyenagrins** [+2]  (9 hours later)
>> 
>> It's a fairly old book, age close to a decade. I read the original Chinese version when it came out, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. Have not read the English version yet, but the Amazon reviews seem to praise the quality of the translation.
>> 
>> On the novel itself, it has a resemblance to the golden age hard science fictions stories from Asimov and Clarke. The story centers around a well-know problem in physics and added enough spice and twists to make it both informative and thought-provoking. For instance, one of the "gimmicks" is using a online game as a context, with a virtual cast including historical philosophers and scientist (up to Einstein and Von Neumann) and document their efforts in tackling the three-body problem. Some of these scientists did contribute to the problem historically, and others who haven't also got a chance to make their remarks and attempts in a believable fashion - usually in a style closely related to their IRL breakthrough contributions in science. To me this was the most interesting piece in the 400-page story. 
>> 
>> The three-body problem itself is also cleverly woven into the story and setting, the reader slowly discovers that three-body problem is not merely a intellectual exercise, but something critical whose solution determines the very fate of human science and civilization.  
>> 
>> Last but also most relevant to the sub, the characters in the book in fact behave rationally. The protagonist is a physicist himself and tries to solve both the mystery/conspiracy and the three-body problem with scientific methods. The main antagonist was even better portrayed, she condemned humanity in cold blood with totally realistic motivations and proper character development.

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