The Three-Body Problem Boxset Paperback – International Edition, 12 Oct. 2023

A really wonderful literary work. The translation hasn't lost any meaning from the original Chinese version, highly recommend, such an innovative story with amazing scientific insights, this is truly fiction with non fiction elements at its best.

Very well written and moves along at a good pace. The characters are well defined, even if some of them just drop off the map.The concept isn't new and has been brought up many times before. However, this is a good take on the theme of our 'place' in the universe.Thankfully it isn't spoiled by the 'hollywood' effect of a fairy tale ending...

The epic scale of the trilogy is beyond anything I have ever read, including Asimov, and the invention and perception of human existence is breathtaking.It is not always an easy read, however, as parts flow rapidly and grasp the reader’s imagination whilst others drag due to the sheer complexity of technical information.Overall, though, it is an extremely worthwhile endeavour to read this trilogy.

Great product; nicely boxed and arrived quickly as advertised.

Just having finished reading over 1800 pages of the combined trilogy it's difficult to know where to begin, though to start I would describe the whole as an extraordinary achievement.To begin with, I haven't read a series of books which credit the reader with so much intelligence. There are some profound subjects covered, including: philosophy, sociology, game theory, anthropology, physics (including cosmology, quantum, particle, Newtonian, Relativity, string theory), and last but no means least: the Chinese Cultural Revolution.The imagination revealed on the pages is mind-bending. I'm unsure of the extent the author was inspired by others, but whoever came up with the concept of a sophon has something of the genius about them. There are many other concepts introduced which just make you stop agog.Such is the scope and reach of these books that every aspect of my normal life, whenever I put the book down, seemed worryingly trivial. I can't think of many books which have allowed me to soar in such a manner.The books aren't perfect, however. The first quarter of the 2nd book was very slow, and included a very strange prologue which made no sense - though might if I go back now and re-read it.It's also been pointed out the characterisation of the various characters is paper thin, which in most cases it is. But I feel this complaint is missing the point of the books. If you want vivid characters, read Dickens. These books aren't about individuals.It's also a little ironic that one of the complaints directed at the Netflix adaptation is that some of the central Chinese characters have been adapted as non-Chinese. Which is a silly complaint really, as one complaint I can make about the books is that ALL of the central characters are Chinese. Given that the books describe all of humanity's struggle against an aggressive outside universe, it is striking that those characters which have the most profound impact on its direction happen to be only Chinese.

The depth and scope of this trilogy is gargantuan. I don't normally write reviews but having just finished the books I'm trying to get my head back into mundanity. You know how it is.There are so many ways to regard this work. On a simple level, I considered how difficult it would be for Cixin Liu to convey his thoughts to non-Chinese speakers; language is not just about words, it is about culture, feelings, nuances. There were only two instances where I was struggling to gain the feeling properly. The rest is a triumph of translation. Special mention has to go to Ken Liu and Joel Martinsen for taking this on and absolutely smashing it. Some of the prose is stunning and deeply moving. I recommend you read Liu Ken's comments at the end of the first book.Hope, despair, fear, wonder, anger, loss, redemption... it's all in there. Naturally, you get the 'physics' that you'd expect in this type of sci-fi. Get ready to don a thinking cap and work on your visual imagery. It's big, scary and engrossing. On an epic scale. Beyond that, this work emphasises precisely why I love the genre. There are things you can do with sci-fi that can challenge the ability of comprehension, but where it really works for me is when it takes subjects we might be very familiar with and then stretches the parameters to breaking point and beyond. And dealing with that is what makes this work haunting. Of all the things this work is, to me it is one of the most heart-wrenching love stories I'm ever likely to read.

It's not a work to enjoy, but it is a remarkable piece of fiction that warrants reading and mulling over.

Wow! Tough to get through at times, but we’ll worth it. Some amazing concepts. What an imagination Cixin Liu has.