The Three-Body Problem
Category: Books Author: Liu Cixin Translator: Ken Liu (English edition) Rating: 5/5 Read: September–October 2024 Last updated: 2026-04-06
Overview
The Three-Body Problem is the first novel in Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy — the best-selling science fiction series in Chinese history. Published in China in 2006, translated to English by Ken Liu in 2014. Jack read all three main books in September–October 2024, triggered by the Netflix adaptation, and gave each 5 stars.
Plot
The story begins during China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, then jumps to the present day, where physicists and scientists begin encountering anomalous phenomena. They eventually discover Earth is being watched by a highly advanced civilization from the Alpha Centauri star system — the Trisolarans — whose planet orbits three suns and endures cycles of brutal chaos and brief stability.
Jack’s Rating
“One of the best book series I’ve read in recent time, ever since the Netflix show has come out. I highly, highly recommend anyone who wants to read this series.”
| Book | Rating |
|---|---|
| The Three-Body Problem | 5/5 |
| The Dark Forest | 5/5 |
| Death’s End | 5/5 |
| The Redemption of Time (Baoshu, spinoff) | 3/5 |
The Dark Forest Theory
The second book introduces the Dark Forest theory: the universe is silent because every intelligent civilization, upon discovering another, will choose to destroy it before being destroyed. The universe is a dark forest. Every civilization is an armed hunter moving in silence.
The theory resonates with Jack’s thinking about AI development races, technological competition between nations, and the nature of intelligence at scale.