I’ve been looking for a great science fiction book for some time now. The last really great science fiction book I read was Christopher Priest’s Inverted World more than a few years back. Since then I’ve read some good science fiction books here and there but nothing that left a long lasting impression. The Three-Body Problem came up in a few recommended lists (including the Hugo Awards which is how I select most science fiction reading) so I decided to give it a try.
The book deals with first contact with an alien species and the effect that this has on Earth society. I’ve read this kind of story before but an interesting difference here is that the story takes place in China. So we get some interesting cultural perspectives and glimpses into Chinese history (often explained in footnotes), and some different political positioning. Highlighting superpower rivalry in one humorous moment, Red Coast Base’s initial first contact message is edited from a “Our enemies no doubt told you lies about us” to a more sagacious “We try our best to be friends with all other nations”.
Something I did think was interesting about the style of the book was that we’re largely left to interpret the characters’ motivations by ourselves. There are no long, ponderous thought bubbles. Rather, we see what the characters are experiencing and are then left to think about their motivations by ourselves. The villain of the story experienced the bloodiness of the Cultural Revolution in the opening chapter and it no doubt left its scars on her and leads to her ruinous decision at the book’s halfway point.
The book does contain many interesting ideas that are explored through a creative narrative. Philosophical discussions, environmentalism, and particle physics are all discussed and form part of the story. The titular three-body problem is explained through a simulation of a three star system where unpredictable gravity patterns devastate the local inhabitants. The problem itself reminded me of conversations my friends had at school about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and the “God Doesn’t Play Dice” counterargument. (Up until now, I haven’t really thought about physics since first year of college).
The Three-Body Problem was a thought-provoking book and it poses a lot of interesting discussions. It did take me a while to remember the Chinese names – 7 years in Japan and I’m still not great with Japanese names so I hope they’ll forgive me that one! – but otherwise a great read. I look forward to reading the sequel at some point in the future.
