The Three-Body Problem

Name: The Three-Body Problem
ISBN: 9787229166922

Liu CixinChongqing Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

4.7

Word count: 186K words
Chapters: 40
ISBN: 9787229166922

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Summary

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and a Special Award at the Galaxy Awards. While the Cultural Revolution sweeps across China in full force, the military's top-secret program to search for extraterrestrial civilizations, Red Coast Base, achieves a breakthrough. Yet no one could have foreseen that the first cry Earth sent into the universe would completely change the destiny of the human race. Four light-years away, the Trisolaran civilization, struggling to survive, receives the message from Earth. After using supernatural technology to lock down Earth's fundamental science, the vast Trisolaran fleet begins its long journey toward Earth.

Editor's review

As the opening volume of Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, The Three-Body Problem is far more than a Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel. Set against a vast cosmic stage, it fuses a grave reckoning with modern Chinese history with ultimate speculation about future civilizations, constructing a rigorously logical and grandly imaginative "Dark Forest" sociology of the cosmos. From the past of Red Coast Base to the invasion of the Trisolaran civilization, the story moves fluidly between hard scientific detail and profound philosophical inquiry; its narrative tension lies not only in the alien threat but in its interrogation of the fragility and possibility of human civilization itself. As an editor, I consider the book's greatest achievement to be its elevation of science fiction from mere "prophecy of the future" into a mirror for examining humanity's present condition and historical trajectory. Behind the warning "Do not answer!" lies an eternal inquiry into communication, trust, and the laws of survival. Reading The Three-Body Problem offers not only a breathtaking story but a jolting expansion of the boundaries of cognition and the limits of morality.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in hard science fiction and grand world-building
Deep readers who enjoy weaving history, philosophy, and sociology into their reading
Literature lovers who want to understand the highest achievement of contemporary Chinese science fiction
Thinkers curious about and eager to explore ultimate questions such as the universe and the fate of civilizations

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment who shy away from complex scientific concepts and multi-threaded narratives
Readers who demand very fast pacing and cannot tolerate extensive early background setup

Reading tips

Set aside uninterrupted time for immersive reading to better grasp its complex setting and interwoven timelines
Pay some attention to the basic physics concepts involved, but don't be deterred by temporary confusion—the story's own momentum is powerful enough
After finishing the first volume, if you're eager for more, move naturally on to The Three-Body Problem II: The Dark Forest and The Three-Body Problem III: Death's End for the complete epic journey

About the publisher

Chongqing Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Chongqing Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for its titles in the humanities, social sciences, literature and arts, with about 940 books in its catalogue. Its publishing areas cover world history, science fiction, foreign literature, architecture and philosophy. Representative titles include Xiang Da's A History of Communications Between China and the West, Liang Sicheng's Rules of Qing-Style Construction, Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem II: The Dark Forest and III: Death's End, Ann Rand's The Fountainhead (25th Anniversary Edition), and Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series. Its authors include Xiang Da, Liu Cixin, Liang Sicheng and Ann Rand. The press has developed distinctive strengths in historical source editing, the introduction and creation of science fiction, the translation of foreign literature, and architecture and philosophy titles, balancing scholarly value with general readership. As public information is limited, this profile outlines its publishing directions based only on the books in the catalogue.

版权信息
写在“基石”之前
自序
1 科学边界
2 台球
3 射手和农场主
4 三体、周文王、长夜
5 叶文洁
6 宇宙闪烁之一
7 疯狂年代
8 寂静的春天
9 红岸之一
10 宇宙闪烁之二
11 大史
12 三体、墨子、烈焰
13 红岸之二
14 红岸之三
15 红岸之四
16 三体、哥白尼、宇宙橄榄球、三日凌空
17 三体问题
18 三体、牛顿、冯·诺伊曼、秦始皇、三日连珠
19 聚会
20 三体、爱因斯坦、单摆、大撕裂
21 三体、远征
22 地球叛军
23 红岸之五
24 红岸之六
25 叛乱
26 雷志成、杨卫宁之死
27 无人忏悔
28 伊文斯
29 第二红岸基地
30 地球三体运动
31 两个质子
32 古筝行动
33 监听员
34 智子
35 虫子
尾声遗址
后记

FAQ

I've never read science fiction. Can I understand The Three-Body Problem?

Absolutely. Although the book contains scientific speculation, its core is human destiny and civilizational epic, with clear narration and abundant emotion. Many readers have started their science fiction journey—and fallen in love with the genre—through this very book.

Is the story of The Three-Body Problem self-contained? Do I need to read all three volumes at once?

The first volume reaches a relatively complete interim conclusion but leaves many mysteries and larger questions open. It can be viewed as a standalone story, yet its true epic scale and intellectual depth fully emerge only in the subsequent two volumes.

What is the "Dark Forest" theory mentioned in the book?

It is a core hypothesis about cosmic civilizations proposed in this book, simply likened to "every civilization being a armed hunter stalking through the dark." It offers an answer to the Fermi Paradox and serves as the key logic driving later plot developments; its specific meaning should be discovered gradually through reading.

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About the author

Liu Cixin Author · China · 1963

Liu Cixin, born in 1963 in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, is a leading figure in Chinese science fiction, a senior engineer, and a member of the China Writers Association. His writing is known for its vast cosmic scale, rigorous rational speculation, and solid scientific grounding, often placing human civilization in extreme situations for examination. The Three-Body trilogy, his representative work, revolves around humanity's contact and struggle with an alien civilization, displaying an expansive vision and striking imagination, while works such as The Wandering Earth and Ball Lightning start from near-future crises to explore the tensions between technology, society, and human nature. In 2015, he won the 73rd Hugo Award for Best Novel for The Three-Body Problem, becoming the first writer in Asia to receive this honor. His works are also categorized as premium fiction, science fiction, and social fiction.