The Three-Body Problem
Liu Cixin · b. 1963 · China
Originally San Ti (Chinese) · translated by Ken Liu
Why it matters
A Cultural Revolution betrayal sets off a chain of events leading to humanity's first contact with an alien civilization. Hard science fiction married to real philosophical dread, and the novel that put Chinese science fiction on the global map.
At a glance
speculative fiction
Difficulty 5/10fast pace399 pagesHard-science exposition and a nested virtual-reality game complicate an otherwise brisk plot.
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