The Three-Body Problem

Cixin Liu is a different voice in sci-fi - for someone brought up on western stories, Liu's story structure and background are odd, which makes it very refreshing to read. I had one minor problem with believability in the book, but otherwise I'm looking forward to reading the English translation of the next two books.

The tale is a sweeping one, filled with good sci-fi ideas and nothing less than the fate of humanity at stake. Like John Wright's Count to the Eschaton series, the fate of humanity rests in the hands of a few who know what's going on. Unlike anything else I've read, this book faces that challenge with the background of the Chinese Cultural Revolution driving the protagonists actions, and - here's where the refreshing part comes in - coloring the thoughts of alien minds as well.

If you've ever read the Night Watch books by Lukyanenko, or anything by Stanislaw Lem, after having been brought up on a steady diet of Asimov, Herbert, Clarke, and Niven, you'll understand the subtle and refreshing shift of perspective Liu's background brings. Really looking forward to the last book being translated, so I can take the rest of the series in at one go.

I didn't know what to expect when picking this up. I added it to my "to read"list after hearing an interview with the translator, who was talking about his own writing. Overall, I liked it. It has a lot in common with classic science fiction in style, written in a very straightforward matter and with an eye not so much on the robots and gadgets as the effect of these things. It deals with the psychological and social issues involved with technology and our attempts to find others like us in the universe. The characters are fleshed out enough to make them relatable, but this isn't the kind of writing where the character spends paragraphs contemplating fire or mooning over a love interest. It is set on the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution in China which makes the story feel authentic, and would attract anyone interested in history. I will most likely pick up the sequel once translated, just to see how far the story goes, if anything.