The "cold character" thing is just Liu Cixin. He once wrote that he believes the best fiction should be blunt and cold like a news channel, and that reflects in his actual writing. I'm chinese and I can assure you it's just him.

@brendanh8193

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I was uncomfortable with broad statements that Chinese literature is generally uses cold characters. I actually enjoyed the characterisation of the first half of the book, even her resolute acceptance of what life threw at her, and could understand her perceived coldness. What frustrated me was the many unrealistic character flips that happened among the scientific and professional people in the second half of the story. People, philosophically, don't switch from believers in science to believers in an anti-humanity perspective. To me this randomness and suddenness felt more like he was trying to parallel the narrative that the CCP wanted the population to believe about the ubiquity and anti-rationality of the falong gong, and therefore the changes in personality were both insufficiently examined and unrealistic. His ideas were great, but not his inconsistent characters.

@tonykirk8295

2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if another reason this may be is because of translation.

@richardwalker6004

2 жыл бұрын

Man I can’t wait to read the books .

@shiv7873

2 жыл бұрын

this "coldness", I think, adds to the dread. Because it leaves the imagination of the dread to us, which makes it even more scarier.

@kathymei7959

2 жыл бұрын

@@tonykirk8295 no, I read it in chinese and it's the same.

1. Three Body Problem: This is mind-blowing! 2. Dark Forest: WOW, the first one is just a Disney cartoon show. This one can rebuild your worldview and philosophy of life!! 3. Death's End: The second one is just your kindergarten graduation. And nothing matters in your real life after reading this one.

@lukelarssen7072

4 жыл бұрын

After I finished this trio I can't read other books for a while,

@simonbanjitino949

4 жыл бұрын

i prefer the Chinese title Death forever 。

@ciaranshrrr563

4 жыл бұрын

I thought the third one is called death forever

@SAMPAIDAWG

4 жыл бұрын

@@ciaranshrrr563 New book is a fan fic that got made into a real book endorsed by the author. I loved the ending, very clever.

@josephmurphy2315

4 жыл бұрын

Is the new fanfic book worth reading?

When a journalist pointed out to Liu that his characters seemed flat, he acknowledged it and said "I did not begin writing for love of literature, I did so for love of science". He seemed to be more invested in describing his ideas than developing his characters. It's not an issue of a difference in culture, it's just him. Other Chinese fiction I've read can have well-developed characters.

@pricklypear7516

5 ай бұрын

I could almost wonder if the perceptions of characters as "cold" is a generational thing. Let's get this out of the way quickly: I'm about old enough to be King Tut's Auntie. I am also most decidedly NOT a STEM-type of person. So while parts of the book have left me somewhat confused, I didn't find the characters either "cold" or "flat." Perhaps younger people just like the sensationalistic, overwrought, emotionally-charged Superhero-type of characters? What I saw were intellectual scientists and policy-makers doing their jobs as professionals. I'll concede that the dialogue was occasionally stilted or unconvincing. But the book is FAR from being exclusively hard science. The entire premise deals with social structures and their consequences.

The second book - The Dark Forest, left me in a state of shock. When you experience excellence, something so truly profound and original that your mind goes blank and you feel like you uncovered a secret and you want to share that secret with everybody, that is how I felt after reading the second book and after finishing the trilogy. It is incomparable, unforgettable and unforgiving. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

@kirmie44

2 жыл бұрын

Wait until you finish the third

@leftifornian2066

2 жыл бұрын

@@kirmie44 I couldn’t get thru the first one, so boring with that station bullcrap

@kirmie44

2 жыл бұрын

@@leftifornian2066 if it ain't for you, it ain't for you. No need to go looking for a fight. Hard scifi is not for everyone

@leftifornian2066

2 жыл бұрын

@@kirmie44 I love hard sci-fi it’s just the audiobook was unbearable The video game part was awful, people say the other two are much better

@kirmie44

2 жыл бұрын

@@leftifornian2066 hard scifi almost always goes by at a crawl unless you enjoy it. This entire book acts as a prelude to the other two. If you read the synopsis you'd probably even be able to skip the first one but anyone who has read through them would advise against that. The video game part is actually quite amazing. Exploring life and culture that have very different starting conditions than our own.

Dude! I went in as a physics grad student looking for a hard sci-fi after being disappointed by various self proclaimed sci-fi books. Let me tell you that this book not only satiated my need for a hard sci-fi, the many ideas it presents are unbelievably based on genuine science! I’m so glad that I read this book. It has opened up a whole new avenue for me to explore!

@Flomo112

2 жыл бұрын

Have you read any Alister Reynolds? He is a physicist

@esaiaswalker8944

2 жыл бұрын

Read the Halo forerunner trilogy, amazing series

@brendanh8193

2 жыл бұрын

Greg Egan is another, although he does do a bit of "what if we change this one thing...?"

@lenanana8

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree with you. The Chinese hard sci-fi authors do not mess around when it comes to science.

@yanleo2260

2 жыл бұрын

The concept of the teardrop made me study materials engineering lol

Tbh don't shy away from talking about your thoughts on deep and uncomfortable topics!!

@willforlife_

4 жыл бұрын

yaa justtt fuckkinnn sayyy ittttttttttttttt

@Horus070

2 жыл бұрын

I agree !

@DeepTitanic

2 жыл бұрын

I like the way Americans have to put a trigger warning on intelligent thought

@KaitlinLuksa

2 жыл бұрын

Everyone acts like they want to hear controversial opinions until someone says an opinion they don't agree with.

@tmerk4292

3 ай бұрын

​@@DeepTitanicis it not like that out there? In the world? 😅 I'm sooo sick of ppl being offended by objective reality or even ideas about objective reality.

I actually went into this without knowing it was an alien invasion story, and I actually really enjoyed it that way.

@alexisdumas84

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I didn't know it was when I picked it up either. Actually, one of my dad's coworkers at Google gave it to him specifically for me, so he just came home and tossed it to me lmao.

@julienmason2769

4 жыл бұрын

Same. It synopsis for the whole book basically spoils the whole book. It’s so good with that mystery hanging in the air! What the heck is Red Coast doing? Why is Ye Wenjie even important? Haha

@meesalikeu

2 жыл бұрын

actually, i …

@jollofj3902

2 жыл бұрын

I guess now I know it is :/

@claraescalante3839

Жыл бұрын

same here. Knowing that its an alien story kind of spoils the mystery of the first book

OMG , finally a review of this masterpiece . Thanks daniel, i hope that a lot of people will read it now

@Supersoniczero

4 жыл бұрын

(The dark forest is the best of the trilogy :P )

@eddywong6688

4 жыл бұрын

@@Supersoniczero im finishing the three problem, and cant wait to read the second book. once i started reading i didnt wanna put the book down.

@Supersoniczero

4 жыл бұрын

@@eddywong6688 dont stop haha , it will blew your mind.

@sirgog

4 жыл бұрын

@@eddywong6688 oh, the second book is something else. First is actually the weakest in the series, the second is (IMO) the best scifi book ever.

@andrew20146

4 жыл бұрын

@@sirgog I just finished 3 body problem. Found it kind of banal as a SciFi story. The background of the cultural revolution was interesting. The characters were mostly pretty two dimensional.

I loved The Three body Problem, especially it's take on alien invasion. But my "issue" was that it genuinely terrified me. It was a great book, I loved it. But when I read sci-fi that takes a more serious tone like I need a major break from it afterwards. I still love the genre but I also need time in-between books.

@Patrick-ValBlanc

4 жыл бұрын

Needing to put something down for a while because it's a lot to process both mentally and emotionally is the sign that an idea-based book did its job right. The combination of a book's ability to make you entertain difficult questions, and your willingness to take it seriously enough to be disturbed by it is, I would argue, a marvelous thing. I wouldn't worry too much that three body unsettled you. I would be concerned if it hadn't.

@nicomal

4 жыл бұрын

The dark forest is way more terrifying in my opinion. Also gives you a lot too think about

@EmonEconomist

4 жыл бұрын

The Three Body Problem was scary, The Dark Forest was brutal, and Death's End was just so sad. (I just finished it a few days ago.)

@kseriousr

3 жыл бұрын

So, I just finished the trilogy, and the existential crisis is killing me. The universe of the three body problem is terrifying, merciless, and the future is bleak. I loved the series, but I wish that I hadn't read it.

@boshengjones1778

3 жыл бұрын

@@kseriousr haha, yeah, it squashes your dimension, and your world became 2D for a while, until you get into another book that is.

Bonus: The English translation is amazing! Not only is it well-written, the translator adds incredibly helpful footnotes whenever historical context is necessary to undersstand the text - and since the book is so very ingrained in a Chinese cultural context and in Chinese history, this is very much a must. Sadly, the second book lacks these additions, with a different translator opting out of footnotes, but Ken Liu is back for book 3 and also brings them back.

@ithemba

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info, I was seriously asking myself wether to read the English or the German translation. Normally I read scifi and fantasy in english since that's the language it was written in most of the times - but I observed that often time the translations from different languages in these popular genres like scifi and fantasy seem to lack standard and skill in english (unfortunately they often do in german, too )

@teej117

3 жыл бұрын

You’re high. The Dark Forest has footnotes, and the translation is still superb.

@SplasH74rul

3 жыл бұрын

@@teej117 Maybe there are different editions ? Which one did you read ? (I want to read this series/trilogy too, and I want to get the "best" one)

@mike140298

2 жыл бұрын

The author even recommends the English translation over the Chinese original.

@cyb3r_81

2 жыл бұрын

I read the Chinese original version first, and then I read the English. Both are very detailed but my understanding on the Chinese version was better.

There is a tale in Chinese Folklore where the divine archer Hou Yi shot and killed 9/10 suns that was baking the earth to death. The Trisolaran Three sun system might be kinda based on this tale with several scifi updates

@sewerat2947

4 жыл бұрын

I didn't know this before reading the book but the star system mentioned in the book (Alpha Centauri) actually has 3 suns and is the closest star system to earth.

@elioelioinmel5336

3 жыл бұрын

@@sewerat2947 really

@louiswu6300

3 жыл бұрын

@James Wang agreed. Or maybe just an alien comes with a 9 engines space ship. Which seen by houyi. And he shot it. And he thinks he kill the 9 engines....

@Moreau121

3 жыл бұрын

@@elioelioinmel5336 jup

@zzubra

2 жыл бұрын

@@sewerat2947 Yes, Alpha Centauri really is a 3-star system, but those three stars don’t behave remotely like the 3 stars described in the Trisolaran system.

Fact: a Chinese Minecraft animator created 3 body problem into Minecraft animation. There are 4 season until now. And the animation is a high quality animation

@lynnh5430

3 жыл бұрын

Where can I find this minecraft video?

@Ferryman_Jz

3 жыл бұрын

@@lynnh5430 bilibili, pretty much Chinese version youtube

@mangatalk9263

2 жыл бұрын

@@lynnh5430 just search my three body on KZread 😂

@emmajun2090

2 жыл бұрын

There’s also a movie and three different series based on it com8ng out next year

@gaibrielsimpson651

2 жыл бұрын

Where can we watch it?

The Martian is softer scifi than The Expanse?? The Martian is 99% actual real science, no fancy stuff at all. The entire plot is based around the science. Artemis is pretty hard too

@tomxu7041

3 жыл бұрын

Agree,Martian could be true if Elon keeps doing his work in 10 years.

@KateeAngel

2 жыл бұрын

@@tomxu7041 Elon Musk is a conman

@KateeAngel

2 жыл бұрын

99% is an overestimate for sure, in reality any human in main character's situation would die pretty quickly. For multiple reasons

@pobbityboppity1110

4 ай бұрын

Did he say that?

If you enjoyed this book, I would highly recommend that you read its prequel - "Ball Lightning"! Its much easier to read, with a faster paced and more straight forward story line. I actually enjoyed Ball Lightning more than Three Body Problem on first impression.

@mateaukalua4426

8 ай бұрын

Ball Lightning made me want to go to sleep.

@Mopark25

6 ай бұрын

It's not a prequel?

Totally agree that this one was fantastic; just come prepared to grapple with existential dread. As a linguistics nerd, I also feel the need to praise the excellent translation! It was great to hear your review & can't wait to see if you continue on with the series.

I just finished the third book, Death’s End, a few weeks ago, and I’m still thinking deeply about the entire series! It’s so thought provoking! The last book was my favorite subjective favorite! I rarely want to pick up a book/series right after finishing, but this series made me want to re-read and pick up every other book by this author immediately.

So happy to see you getting into this series! It gets utterly horrifyingly mind-shattering at it goes on, like nothing else I know. Gentle correction for future videos though: the name Cixin Liu sounds more like "tsih-sheen lyoh"

One thing that really stood out to me was the first quarter of the book set in the Cultural Revolution. I nearly cried then because I have good friends and coworkers that lived through the Cultural Revolution and it was nearly spot on with their stories and though it actually softens what happened, it really gives you a little glimpse into what people went through during the Cultural Revolution.

@PVAPlayy

2 ай бұрын

There is no greater evil on this planet than communism

No, there is no stereotype that "Chinese are colder" - I would say it's quite the opposite. People are very vocal and straightforward, especially in the past two generations. Though, like United States, Chinese from different regions have different temperaments, cultures, accents and even physical differences. Some cities are known to be more polite and others more confrontational (in a friendly fashion). Regarding the book (which I read in English though I understand both languages), I also found the characters to be on the colder side. I think it's reasonable since the main character (the lady scientist) lived through cultural revolution in which speaking too much can get one imprisoned. And the characters tended to be cerebral, scientist types. A great if a challenging book to go through though.

@shuang7877

3 жыл бұрын

@Ashley Fisher ;)

@shuang7877

3 жыл бұрын

@Ashley Fisher It's okay. Life is stressful - sometimes one just needs to vent~

@renrenk

2 жыл бұрын

@@christopherjenkins3063 I feel so sad for you… you must living in a unhappy life. Give you a hug little poor thing :)

@renrenk

2 жыл бұрын

I just curious how people can be that ignorance try to define a culture by a sci-fi book :))))

@Aurica34

2 жыл бұрын

@@christopherjenkins3063 They are not as indoctrinated as you think. Some come over to UK or US for further studies. Sometimes they see the chaos and anti science you guys have and they think.... wow thank god we dont have nutjobs like that back home.

Great to see you review this masterpiece. And making it an awesome in depth review without going too much into specific details. Be ready to get blown away in the sequels, in which the scope of the story will increase exponentially. All in all a wonderful trilogy that is not only entertaining, but thought provoking as well!

Just finished Death's End in the trilogy and my god, the story hit an exponential curve of even greater epicness on the third act. Glad you're enjoying the first book as I did last year, whilst going through my matriculation exams for university entry. Keep up the great work you do, thoroughly enjoying your POV in fantasy and sci-fi. And thanks for pointing me towards Wheel of time!

Its so cool just casually seeing your youtube play button in the background like its no big deal lol

Oh Daniel my dear.... my TBR is already a precariously leaning tower ( in some cases literally), and you always persist in adding to that structure. Love to see you making progress on your own massive TBR man. This is the first three body problem review that’s really tempted me to read the book.

This book has been on my TBR for a while. Welp, now I'm going to read it. You got me very excited

@alison4dice

4 жыл бұрын

Listened to the audiobooks from Audible awhile ago. The series is excellent.

"the character development is cold": yeah this is a common criticism even in China, and yeah, a lot of readers don't really care the character is a bit cold, to others the coldness is a bit of problem. "book one's ending is weird": I never thought of it, because I rush through all three books with my dad with in a week.

I'm an astrophysicst who recently read the trilogy, I absolutely loved this book. The science (aside from the Sophons) was flawless and well done. The comment about the characters seeming more cold actually can be seen in academia as well, maybe we just see it more since we see China's research publications more than their social media

@caelblanch2737

2 жыл бұрын

Would you criticize the authors inclusion of the sophons, or do you see them as a necessary evil that helped the plat shine. I saw some other people saying little conveniences like this made the series not worth it for them to read, and I think your take on the matter would be interesting.

@MoldySpace

2 жыл бұрын

@@caelblanch2737 Since I made this comment I finished the 3rd book of the trilogy and have changed my opinion somewhat: I still don't love it, but given the continuity to the story and string theory being their "correct" physics I'd say they weren't even a necessary evil, but rather a great narrative tool and a reminder that "fi" is half the genre. Of course I'd love a story that uses hard science without inventing any new stuff, but that would basically just be a story set today! Suspension of disbelief and the absolutely amazing plot following book 2 and 3 have opened my heart to the sophons.

@caelblanch2737

2 жыл бұрын

@@MoldySpace That’s about how I felt about it. Thanks so much for the quality response! I just finished the third and feel empty inside. Oh well.

First off thank you for turning me on to this!!! So I finished 2 of the 3 books in the series. "The Three Body Problem," really needs that time to processes; totally agree - it needs to "marinate." It is a rich slice of cake, that requires time to digest. I appreciate the cold (even clinical) narrative on how toxic our ideologies can be to our intellectual evolution and progress. This book spoke to thought's I've personally had, about what humanity would need to push us through the "walls" we can't seem to break through. I'm still processing this book and "The Dark Forest," which really fit together nicely; but I will say the second book becomes much more human. Your channel is awesome; thanks again for this review.

I have just finished Death´s End today and I think the trilogie is on of the best literature worksI have ever read in my life. The plot develops into such an unexpected direction and I was captivated all the time. Each successor novel gets better than its predecessor and you actually can not believe that the creativity and ingenuity is improving. I am curious about Baoshu´s installment!!

@lucashou5172

3 жыл бұрын

Who is your favorite character

@bekem4827

3 жыл бұрын

​@@lucashou5172 I really like Wang Miao and Shi Qiang, particularly when they are working together. I was kind of disappointed when I recognized that Wang Miao does not occur in Dark Forest and Death´s End, but Cixin Liu created Dr Luo Ji, who turned out to be my favourite character in the entire trilogie. I also like Cheng Xin, but the Luo Ji´s development and history is more fascinating. What about you?

@lucashou5172

3 жыл бұрын

@@bekem4827 Zhang Beihai is my guy. Of course, Luo Ji too

Read the others as well. Both The Dark Forest and Death's End take things to a whole different level in terms of scale and the mind-bending ideas that are proposed. Death's End is a bit controversial, but it has some of the most fascinating ideas and beautiful writing I've ever come across in a SciFi book. The scene on Pluto is among my top 3 most favorite scenes in SciFi just based on the beautifully translated prose and the sheer heartbreaking magnificence of the events unfolding. One of the others is probably the entirety of The Wandering Earth, also by Liu, released in a short story collection of the same name. If you cant get enough of his writing, that's absolutely something worth picking up as well.

@belleah5562

4 жыл бұрын

AwarthSGN Death’s End was my favorite for sure! (Minor spoilers ahead) One of my favorite chapters/philosophies/themes I’ve come across in literature is the staircase of responsibility! And it has sooo many scenes that are just as beautiful and evocative as the Pluto scene!

@amithagollapalli739

3 жыл бұрын

I personally hold the Pluto scene very close to my heart. Sometimes a book need not be fancy with its writing to instill a strong response. After I finished reading it, I felt this deep sense of sadness realizing that I will never get to read it again for the first time. Beethoven's Moonlight immediately started playing in my head.

@Annabeth123456

3 жыл бұрын

Man the Pluto scene haunts me

Interesting talk about classic sci-fi, I loved The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein, and I’m definitely going to check Cixin Liu out!

been waiting for you to review this since i saw you unbox it!

I totally forgot about the invasion part of this book. I just remembered when they used human bodies and horses to build a computer

@cookie80088

3 жыл бұрын

lmaaaoooo i literally forgot about that part but it was iconic 😌

Three Body Problem blew my mind. Not many Sci-Fi books have gripped me that much. I'm also super into Astrophysics and Astronomy so that made it even more fun for me.

7:58 "unrelenting in it's themes". Immediately made me cringe for the Netflix version of this. It is being written by David Benioff and DB Weiss of Game of Thrones fame. You know, the two writers who scoffed at the idea of themes, saying, "Themes are for 8th grade book reports." Yikes.

@lennysmileyface

3 жыл бұрын

RIP

I was actually trying to search this book a few days ago because I remember you mentioned it in a fantasy (sci-fi) news episode a while back. I held off on buying it because I was unsure if I'd found the right one, but now I can go ahead and order it. Thanks!

Love your video reviews! Awesome job. I’m a regular listener.

I went into it not knowing it was about alien invasion. I thought it was about an unsolvable mathematical problem. I was pleasantly surprised. Loved it. S-tier Sci fi novel.

I read this whole series this month. Absolutely fell in love with it. The Dark Forest is my favorite and it's easily a top 10 (top 5) favorite SF book. So so good. Hope you read that one too. The third one is quite good too but I didn't like the ending

@alexisdumas84

4 жыл бұрын

The ending is kind of wack but I loved it for that. Gave me chills.

@katieamarsh

4 жыл бұрын

The Dark Forest blew my mind.

@katoozie

4 жыл бұрын

Dark Forest blows the first one out of the water honestly

@Supersoniczero

4 жыл бұрын

The dark forest is mind blowing. Luo ji is a character so well developed , the best one of the trilogy

@Dino23968

4 жыл бұрын

I got a question. What are some good high fantasy series with both spiritual and psychological themes?

I am SO, SO happy you liked this Daniel! Since I saw one of your old videos on scifi I've been hoping you'd run across the three body problem!! And just you wait, the next two books it the series are arguably even better, and certainly MORE. - Wallfacer Dumas

@lordJUDE10

Жыл бұрын

Wallfacer Dumas, I am your Wallbreaker!!!

I think the themes surrounding humanity is what makes this book so memorable. It wasn’t my favorite while reading it but I also haven’t been able to quit thinking about it

Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead are classic science fiction that have great characters.

@GhostEmblem

4 жыл бұрын

IMO Enders Game is much more of a bang bang shooty shooty lasers take on alien invasions and from what I've read it is a)more interested in character than technology and b) doesnt explain how anything works irl just there is gun that kills everything when you shoot it and there is no realistic explanation behind how that would be built what kind of effect that sort of weapon would have on society or why doesnt everyone use it all the time. I just dont find stories interesting where only one character is smart and everyone else is an idiot and dont do obvious things so the protagonist can seem like a genius especially if the author keeps trying to hit me over the head with how smart their MC is. DNF Enders game btw it grated on me.

@alexanderfyock1838

4 жыл бұрын

Ghost Emblem Have you actually read it?

@GhostEmblem

4 жыл бұрын

@@alexanderfyock1838 I did say DNF which means did not finish but after I read a spoiler summary cause I didnt want to read it anymore.

@alexanderfyock1838

4 жыл бұрын

Ghost Emblem Oh, sorry I don’t know abbreviations. If you have only read a summary, don’t judge it. Finish the actual book then you can actually speak intelligently.

@GhostEmblem

4 жыл бұрын

@@alexanderfyock1838 So your just going to ignore all my reason for disliking it because I didnt finish it?

This review confirmed that I will never read everything on my list, as Daniel Greene is always adding something

This sounds amazing. Thanks for keeping my love for reading alive.

Hey thanks for sticking my book face-out on your top shelf there. Trust me, authors can spot their own novels in a tornado of flying debris

@dilafd5743

4 жыл бұрын

Finished it 10 minutes ago and I enjoyed it a lot

"I don't know how to address those people, but they exist." As consistently great as your content is, this might be the best thing I've ever heard on this channel.

Definitely continue the series if you haven’t already. The next book will make you forget about the first. And the final will make you forget about the first two. They are that crazy in scope. Best sci books and perhaps the best books I’ve ever read.

Thanks, you've helped me finally make up my mind and get the book, as I've been seeing it pop up on Amazon as a recommended read for a while, but never committed. I do like the hard/operatic sci -i end of the spectrum like Asher, Reynolds and Hamilton, so am hopeful I will have another go-to author :)

Will be picking this one up soon now. This video and comments are really getting me excited for it!

The first one was 3/5, I could see the greatness of ideas but it was written so odd. I then understood it was mainly due to translation. The second one? My God, I just finished it and I'm blown away. Please Daniel review them all.

Chinese culture is definitely not “cold”. The usual view by Chinese people is that Westerners are more rational compared to the more emotional Chinese.

@iamsheep

2 жыл бұрын

@Jennifer Wang you don’t know your own culture then

@iamsheep

2 жыл бұрын

@Jennifer Wang Chinese culture is based on ancestor worship, respect of elders, honour culture and devotion to family. A culture based on those things are based on emotion, rather than the pursuit of reason, such as the Greeks who influenced European culture and is the basis for the Renaissance and Enlightenment movement.

@iamsheep

2 жыл бұрын

@Jennifer Wang The imperial exams existed more than a thousand years before the scientific method was invented. It was greatly diminished during the Yuan and Qing dynasties as those Dynasties used prejudiced systems to elevated the Mongol and Manchu ruling minorities, but hampered a system based on merit.

@iamsheep

2 жыл бұрын

@Jennifer Wang I'm not trying to educate you, just saying what I have heard and read. Anyways, if you can read Chinese, the phrase I have always heard in China is "西方人很理性，中国还是比较感性“

i started this a while back and wasnt sure if i wanted to continue but this review is kinda making me wanna give it another go, so thanks!

Exactly what i asked for 2-3 videos back, thanks!

Hi. TBP did popularize SF in China to a point, as in, SF existed there but TBP brought the genre into popular culture. It also was one of the first major SF novels to be translated to English and popularized. With the help of Ken Liu (the translator) it has brought a lot of chinese SF into American culture. Also, Tor has continited to publish Cixin Liu's backlist into english as well! Ken Liu has published two short story anthologies of translated Chinese SF (which are very good!) in order to highlight more amazing Chinese SF authors. All good things !

The scifi im writing is trying to do both. Wish me luck in succeeding bc i want to talk about the ideas in depth and the consequences of different tech but i want my characters to be super interesting and real as well

I have been wanting to pick this up for a long time. We like our hard discussion ideas 😍

Its crazy youre reviewing this book. I started looking for books to read when my interest in reading was rekindled about a year ago. I found your videos and started reading fantasy again, and eventually scifi and this book. This book went off like a bomb in my head. I love how challenging it is, i love experiencing a completely new and different culture while also trying to keep up with the really hard science. The philosophical aspects are just... Amazing. Stuff you can think about for weeks. I am so glad you gave this book a video. Theres so much to find in this book other than a alien invasion. Thanks for your reciews and getting me excited about reading again.

@Briguy1027

4 жыл бұрын

I agree. While technically the book is about an alien invasion, it's so much more. It's more about the Universe and why we are here, and is there a point to anything or everything. Extremely thought-provoking. The politics of the cultural revolution, while interesting, were just a smokescreen for the real plot of the stories.

This Series was so profound on me, as an epic SciFi reader, it was hard not to slip into a deep litterary depression after reading it. I know there are large threads around of 3-body readers asking "What on earth could I possibly read now... That was so _______." Honestly my biggest gripe was the lane-change with a new translator for book 2, but charge ahead and the better translation comes back in Book 3 where things really pick up. I highly suggest you and anyone who reads this (and has the same experience) pick up the book "Seveneves" as a pallet cleanser. It's an amazing one-off with similar scope, epic-introspection, dark themes, and human ingenuity. You'll be ready to pickup anything else after Seveneves, and break that feeling after finishing 3-body (i.e., Rememberance of Earth's Past Trilogy).

You need to read Iain M Banks. His Culture novels are some of the best space opera stories out there. His characters are strong, as well as containing amazing world building and brilliant plotting.

@user-te2kk2nt4q

4 жыл бұрын

This! Banks is amazing!

@hagenlala6409

4 жыл бұрын

They vary though. The best Culture novels are amazing but some of the latter ones are weaker and too wordy.

@Witty_Jackson

4 жыл бұрын

@@hagenlala6409 I personally think the later ones are under appreciated. Matter, for instance, is definitely in my top 3.

@user-te2kk2nt4q

4 жыл бұрын

@@Witty_Jackson I really like the later ones too.

@hagenlala6409

4 жыл бұрын

@@Witty_Jackson That's funny. I didn't like Matter at all. Surface Detail, on the other hand, was pretty good so maybe I was out of line above. Nevertheless, I think the earlier novel do have a bit higher quality.

Excellent! I’m jumping into this series with both feet now.

Aaaaagghh! What do I read next? I went to B&N yesterday, so of course I bought some new books...several are recommendations from you, Elliot and Merphy. My TBR was already enormous, but that didn’t stop me buying more. I’ve had Three Body Problem on my Kindle for a few weeks. I finished a book just minutes before clicking on this and was thinking about what to start next. Three Body Problem just became one of the finalists. I’m also working my way through WoT, mostly on audiobook, but also Kindle. I’m 55% through Lord of Chaos. I can no longer work so I have lots of time to read and it’s still not enough!

This is my favourite book, I used to read it whole night when i was a middle school student back to China. It changed my mind about the universe.

Can’t wait to read LIu’s new book! I love this one, such a mind blowing one! This is the best scientific fiction

I just checked my goodreads review from last September and it's basically identical to yours. I even ended it with "I definitely want to continue the series, just not right away." This video actually made me want to continue soon.

Great job again as always Daniel. I'm strongly considering picking this up in the near future as I'm wanting to delve into some hard sci fi.

I almost exclusively read hard sci-fi. I love all the scienc-y stuff, especially plausible speculative scienc-y stuff based on our current understanding of physics. Something darkly intense in this book made an impression. I finished the last page with a kind of “meh” feeling, and didn’t move onto the next book. But here I am months later still thinking about it. There’s a reason why. And I’ve just ordered the second book in the series. Hopefully it won’t disappoint.

Have you read “the Hyperion Cantos” series by Dan Simmons? Fantastic sci fi with memorable characters mixed with hard sci fi ideas for days. A modern continuation and evolution of classic Sci fi. 👍

@nightlydrugs6927

3 жыл бұрын

Omg one of my absolute favorites!

This is the first video of yours I've watched and I'm really appreciating your thoughts and analysis. I've come away from reading several of Cixin Liu's novels feeling little empathy for his characters. It's not that I can't put myself in their shoes but that the characters (barring a few) seem emotionally distant for me. I put it down to cultural differences, and have come to see his narrative as being from another perspective from the western gaze in how Liu approaches solving the problems posed.

Yesss! I was waiting for this for so long. This is the best series I've read in the last three years probably and you've hit on many of the same points I had. Also if you liked this, the second book will blow your mind (it has definitely blown mine and it and the third one have way better endings).

How do you feel about space opera books in the sci fi genre like Hyperion?

I just finished a (I guess you would call it) "modern sci-fi" called Lockstep by Karl Schroeder. It was actually super good, I finished it in like 3 sittings. It gave me some hardcore Voyager vibes.

Like ur book reviews!! I’m glad ur honest!! Happy reading to u!! And hello 👋

Cannot wait for you to review the other ones as well

Regarding cold characters, being a native Chinese reader, I have a few points that I'd like to put forward. 1. Liu Cixin is sometimes criticised for being bad at creating interesting female characters. Some said the females in his novel, especially in this book are hollow, inhumane and appear only for functional or symbolic purpose. 2. As a female reader, what do I think? I think it's fine, I don't necessarily feel the same way. I think the reason that the characters appear cold in this novel is that the entire story was started at one of the lowest points in China's contemporary history, the cultural revolution, which kinda sets the cold and stern tone of the entire storyline. It is unlikely that under that kind of crazy and dark circumstances, anyone would put up a bright front. On a side note, Liu Cixin did write some shorter stories with excellent heros and heroines, like there are two called “With her eyes” and "The village school teacher", they are both really touching. So I personally think he's fully capable of shaping rich and lively characters, just he chose not to give all the characters too many warm touches in this book. 3. Maybe the cultural difference is that you couldn't understand how terrible and harmful cultural revolution is for China, it's probably as destructive and mad as a genocide. Following on, humans quickly devolved into a huge existential crisis, so I don't think there's a lot of chance for bright and hopeful characters as well. 4. I do think that the book has a somewhat "depressing" tone, there's almost no humour or little "daily life" breaks to give you some breathing time. Yet I think this is perfectly fine, given the structural integrity and consistent style of the book.

@thomaspan6514

4 жыл бұрын

I do not think book 1 female protagonist was cold but rather that she confined herself within. The female protagonist in book 3 was stereotyped, at least to me as a male. And it was quite an unsatisfying experience tagging along with her.

I loved the book and read all 3. I found them to be very interesting and ,like you said, full of topics and themes that you don't normally see in media (even on sci-fi). ***Spolier*** However, I found it to be very optimistic, cause even thou mankind is outmatched, (it's basically an ant colony vs the US Army, humanity being the ants) they find a way to survive. Yeah, they never achieved a total victory like in Independence Day or those kind of movies, but even when all feels lost and all solutions are exhausted, they seem to find a way, the best example of this is the ending of the second book. I hope more people read the book cause that kind optimism is rare nowadays and consequently people might have a more cynical view of the world. This 3 books can be a cure for that for sure!

Thank you for reviewing this book, Daniel! I read this book thanks to it. I have to disagree about your thoughts on the ending, though. I personally loved the ending and it actually got me really excited to continue reading the next books! Which I hope you end up reviewing as well

Daniel, my dude, you're giving me financial problems by adding to my book buying list. 10 since we found you a few days ago...we already have 2000 physical books man...AND I NEED MOAAAR. More sci fi reviews please.

I think the book quite reflects Chinese philosophy: survival is the most important.

@tubbytoad

2 жыл бұрын

Post Mao Chinese philosophy. There is no way you are telling me confucianism, buddhism, and taoism are about personal survival at the expense of morals.

@doryfishie2

2 жыл бұрын

@@tubbytoad More like post-Qing or perhaps earlier when the West started sticking their fingers into China. When there are wars and famine, people value themselves and their family over others. It wasn't like life in China was amazing before Mao, Mao was more like the climax.

Examining if the human race is worth saving is a concept a love reading about because personally I think the human race is disgusting. You’ve totally convinced me to move this up on my TBR!

@oliverplougmand2275

Жыл бұрын

Very late reply, but did you read the books, and if so, how was this theme handled? I too have a great disgust for the human race, and I don’t want to experience another series where the final message is this “we sure have a lot to learn, but humankind is still truly amazing!” nonsense. Would you recommend it or not?

too many books i need to read now since finding your channel! LOL can't wait to get to this one

Well, you've sold me on this book. I've pondered a lot on whether humanity is worth keeping around or if we are a detriment. I'm excited to see a study of the idea. Thank you for all your hard work, you are amazing ^_^

@Briguy1027

4 жыл бұрын

You should read it. Before I read it I often mused as to whether or not humanity had a purpose or are all living things on the earth about as useful as mold growing on an orange. Incidentally, I am not sure that the book answers that question, but it tries it's best to show how humanity would react to the situation.

Daniel, - I need you to review the next two books in this trilogy like yesterday. They will terrify your soul and instantly make your top series of all time. Pls & TY

@Turgon92

2 жыл бұрын

i can attest to that

I think the cold character is actualy Cixin Liu himself. He is not a typical writer per se. He somewhat talks like an engineer.

@megasalexander927

Жыл бұрын

He is an AI sent by aliens.

@jasonhu7995

Жыл бұрын

He actually was an engineer working in a dam when he wrote this book.

I shall read this series. Thanks for the review.

This book is sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read! This review definitely makes me even more eager to read it!

Who are here after watching the Netflix series?

@thebeardyjoker

Күн бұрын

@@NischalManandhar I haven't watch yet since I have started reading this before the series released.

The best hard SciFi I ever read. It just blew my mind.

This was my first Daniel Greene video... and, man, I'd love to hear your take on some of Greg Egan's work. You got me fired up. I will be ordering the 4 book set shortly, once Christmas is paid for : )

I also made a break between the first and the second book, but boy did the second pack a punch. A-mazing! It kept me up at night. It broke my brain. It broke my heart. I don't know what to do next.

Oh man, wait til you read books 2 and 3. He really takes those ideas to mind-blowing places. The trilogy as a whole is an absolute masterpiece.

The trilogy is among the finest, more intelectually interesting sci fi of the last decade.

Sounds really interesting, i'm intrigued. I liked how you highlighted some core themes explored in the story without giving too much away. I think i'll try the Audio Book. Cheers for the Video. Liked & Subscribed 👍

just finished it this last sunday september 13th. about halfway through i put it down for 5 mins, and order the other two. incredible. i cannot wait for the next one to get here.

If you're willing to go comics, "The Eternaut" by HG Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López is an Argentinian classic about Alien Invasion and surviving the apocalypse (and fighting no matter what). Great Read.

I am Chinese and I’m sure that the character thing is not a cultural reason, there are Chinese literature that highly concentrate on character development( actually most of the mainstream Chinese literature do ) this is just Cixin Liu’s writing style, if you could check out some of his interviews, he actually said that the character in his story is merely tools to interpret the sci-fi concept, but he said he didn’t think it’s the best way of writing and he wanted to improve that

I'm a fantasy reader who's recently getting into sci-fi, so this is really helpful :D more sf reviews please!

@Briguy1027

4 жыл бұрын

I read mostly fantasy. It's odd though, as you know, a lot of fantasy has their own gods, and of course wars, etc. And often many people die in fantasy stories. Somehow, because it's fantasy it doesn't bother me, especially if they are the "villains" who die. However, in TBP, because it's based on human history, each death is a lot more real. If you haven't read the books though, you should. They are among the best I've ever read.

I loved this book through-and-through. Finished it in a weekend (books usually take me a month) and I'm itching to get into book 2!

these books blew my mind, I especially loved the Dark Forest, book 2!

Most SF master piece: A tiny pearl buried in a Jewelry Box. Three Body series: A full carton box of pearls.

This type of alien invasion tale is much better than the usual "Independence Day" or "Battle of LA" type of crap.

@wisdomfox857

3 ай бұрын

Yeah but it's just a different type of crap its just a bunch of leftists wanting the aliens to kill off our race

@goodluckiz2669

3 ай бұрын

@@wisdomfox857oh just shut up

I've been mulling over starting TBP for a couple of years now, but this has put a fire in me to pick it up. I downloaded a sample from Amazon so I'll see if I go whole hog or not.