-
The Three-Body Problem
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $25.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Dark Forest
- By: Cixin Liu, Joel Martinsen - translator
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking listeners to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author. In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion - in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy.
-
-
Amazing
- By JohnD on 11-25-15
By: Cixin Liu, and others
-
Hyperion
- By: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.
-
-
Well written but boring
- By surfgoat on 08-06-18
By: Dan Simmons
-
Children of Time
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Mel Hudson
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Who will inherit this new Earth? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden.
-
-
Couldn't finish what should have been an amazing read
- By HannahBeth on 08-09-19
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
-
Pure Science Fiction
- By Leif on 05-04-21
By: Andy Weir
-
Foundation (Apple Series Tie-in Edition)
- By: Isaac Asimov
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 12,000 years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future - to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire - both scientists and scholars - and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
-
-
Changed the version back
- By chip worden on 09-24-21
By: Isaac Asimov
-
Rendezvous with Rama
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim, Robert J. Sawyer - introduction
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence.
-
-
Mixed feelings
- By Tricia on 01-07-10
By: Arthur C. Clarke
-
The Dark Forest
- By: Cixin Liu, Joel Martinsen - translator
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking listeners to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author. In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion - in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy.
-
-
Amazing
- By JohnD on 11-25-15
By: Cixin Liu, and others
-
Hyperion
- By: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor, Allyson Johnson, Kevin Pariseau, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.
-
-
Well written but boring
- By surfgoat on 08-06-18
By: Dan Simmons
-
Children of Time
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Mel Hudson
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adrian Tchaikovksy's critically acclaimed stand-alone novel Children of Time is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet. Who will inherit this new Earth? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden.
-
-
Couldn't finish what should have been an amazing read
- By HannahBeth on 08-09-19
-
Project Hail Mary
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
-
-
Pure Science Fiction
- By Leif on 05-04-21
By: Andy Weir
-
Foundation (Apple Series Tie-in Edition)
- By: Isaac Asimov
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 12,000 years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future - to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire - both scientists and scholars - and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.
-
-
Changed the version back
- By chip worden on 09-24-21
By: Isaac Asimov
-
Rendezvous with Rama
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim, Robert J. Sawyer - introduction
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence.
-
-
Mixed feelings
- By Tricia on 01-07-10
By: Arthur C. Clarke
-
Leviathan Wakes
- By: James S. A. Corey
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From a New York Times best-selling and Hugo award-winning author comes a modern masterwork of science fiction, introducing a captain, his crew, and a detective as they unravel a horrifying solar system wide conspiracy that begins with a single missing girl. Humanity has colonized the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond - but the stars are still out of our reach. Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt.
-
-
So Good
- By Anonymous User on 12-26-17
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
-
Finally a book I didn’t want to turn off…
- By Love me some on 02-27-18
By: Andy Weir
-
Snow Crash
- By: Neal Stephenson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Neal Stephenson is a blazing new force on the sci-fi scene. With the groundbreaking cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, he has "vaulted onto the literary stage." It weaves virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility - in short, it is the gigathriller of the information age.
-
-
"Couldn't finish, major content warning"
- By Anonymous User on 08-18-19
By: Neal Stephenson
-
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
- Bobiverse, Book 1
- By: Dennis E. Taylor
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a reason We Are Legion was named Audible's Best Science Fiction Book of 2016: Its irresistibly irreverent wit! Bob Johansson has just sold his software company for a small fortune and is looking forward to a life of leisure. The first item on his to-do list: Spending his newfound windfall. On an urge to splurge, he signs up to have his head cryogenically preserved in case of death. Then he gets himself killed crossing the street. Waking up 117 years later, Bob discovers his mind has been uploaded into a sentient space probe with the ability to replicate itself.
-
-
I returned it. Didn't like it.
- By L. Kollasch on 08-28-19
By: Dennis E. Taylor
-
The Ministry for the Future
- A Novel
- By: Kim Stanley Robinson
- Narrated by: Jennifer Fitzgerald, Fajer Al-Kaisi, Ramon de Ocampo, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us - and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.
-
-
Great ideas, uneven narration
- By depthpsychologist on 12-09-20
-
Ancillary Justice
- By: Ann Leckie
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
-
-
I think I need to read this one
- By MW osu on 12-27-18
By: Ann Leckie
-
Neuromancer
- By: William Gibson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years ago, it was as if someone turned on a light. The future blazed into existence with each deliberate word that William Gibson laid down. The winner of Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer didn't just explode onto the science fiction scene - it permeated into the collective consciousness, culture, science, and technology.Today, there is only one science fiction masterpiece to thank for the term "cyberpunk," for easing the way into the information age and Internet society.
-
-
Story? Classic. Narrator? Ugh.
- By Sage on 11-11-14
By: William Gibson
-
Dune
- By: Frank Herbert
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, and others
- Length: 21 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.
-
-
This classic deserves better
- By Matthew Salvo on 07-01-21
By: Frank Herbert
-
Exhalation
- Stories
- By: Ted Chiang
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Dominic Hoffman, Amy Landon, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the acclaimed author of Stories of Your Life and Others - the basis for the Academy Award-nominated film Arrival: a groundbreaking new collection of short fiction. In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine.
-
-
Masterful and singular
- By Brian on 05-15-19
By: Ted Chiang
-
Childhood's End
- By: Arthur C. Clarke
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer, Robert J. Sawyer - introduction
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city - intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began.
-
-
Still a classic of visionary science fiction
- By Ryan on 09-30-12
By: Arthur C. Clarke
-
Stranger in a Strange Land
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stranger in a Strange Land tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, an earthling born and educated on Mars, who arrives on Earth with superhuman powers and a total ignorance of the mores of man. Smith is destined to become a freak, a media commodity, a scam artist, a searcher, and finally, a messiah.
-
-
We live in the world this book made
- By W. Seligman on 02-26-04
-
Contact
- By: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The future is here...in an adventure of cosmic dimension. In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who - or what - is out there? In Cosmos, Carl Sagan explained the universe. In Contact, he predicts its future - and our own.
-
-
Great Story with a Few Glitches
- By Kyle on 03-27-17
By: Carl Sagan
Interview: Ken Liu on the performance of translation
Publisher's Summary
Soon to be a Netflix Original series!
“War of the Worlds for the 21st century.” (Wall Street Journal)
The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking listeners to experience the Hugo Award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin.
Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
The Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy:
The Three-Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death's End
Other books:
Ball Lightning Supernova Era
To Hold Up The Sky (forthcoming)
Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks for Fans of Dune
Ever since its publication in 1965, Frank Herbert's Dune has set the bar high for epic science fiction. In fact, Herbert's beloved novel is considered to be one the best sci-fi books of all time. Dune was the recipient of multiple awards, including the inaugural Nebula Award for best novel in 1966. And in October 2021, more than 50 years after the novel's initial release, fans of Dune are being treated to a film adaptation, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Three-Body Problem
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeff Koeppen
- 06-06-20
Harder Science Fiction Than I Could Handle
I'm a fan of hard science fiction. I knew only of the basic concept of the novel, which sounded interesting, and saw that it was narrated by Luke Daniels who always does a great job. This was translated from Chinese by well-known science fiction author Ken Liu and won the 2015 Hugo Award. I had high hopes going in.
I thought the book started out strong. The novel's beginning is set back in the Chinese Cultural Revolution and is fittingly dark and full of some neat Cold War era science. As the book progresses, the science becomes increasingly more complex and hard to follow, and caused me to tune out for long stretches at a time as my brain numbed. It was incomprehensible to the point where I just didn't care anymore.
There is a video game which plays a major role in the plot which also lost me. Called "Three Body" it was a kind of virtual reality game in which scientists try to solve problems for a world with three suns. I found the video game play to be annoying as it made no sense to me and was too long.
Towards the end, the plot finally began to appeal to me and hold my interest, and the finale had me considering reading the next book in the trilogy. But since I found most of the book to be confusing and/or uninteresting I'll probably pass. I don't want to take another chance. I really wanted to like this but I'm in the very small minority of those who did not.
82 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- alicia garcia
- 05-06-18
Epic trilogy is one of my all time favorite SciFis
The scope of this series is incredible and makes you feel smaller in the universe with each book you read. Mindblowing sci fi concepts that are well researched. some reviewers say charecter development is 'flat' but the author makes up for it with great imagery and imagination. Great almost seemless translation into english and i like this narrorator better than the one for the 2nd and 3rd book
45 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aaron Bailey
- 06-04-19
High sci-fi from a stunted soul
It takes a grim, Nietzschen view of humanity from China’s grim past, and extends it to the stars. Definitely clever and visionary, dealing intelligently with big themes and big time scales, but also morally ignorant and fundamentally hopeless. Christianity gets a one-line write off as too human-centric to be worthwhile, but the story then finds nothing else worthwhile either. Interesting, but unpleasant.
38 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- K
- 06-23-18
The science blew my mind!
This story takes time to reveal its gems and when it does it is totally worth your investment. The science made my brain hurt in the best way possible. Asimov would have wished he wrote this. Getting the second book right now.
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr. Andre
- 11-02-18
Astonishingly bad, tremendously stupid
This book felt more like the work of an ambitious 8th grade creative writing class than an actual, celebrated and successful work of science fiction. The characters are entirely unengaging and flat with one exception, and he is cartoonishly one-dimensional.
The fundamental plot of the book is laughably stupid -- that scientists would start committing suicide when they get unpredicted results from their experiments. It gives the overall impression that the author simply went back and forth between their draft and wikipedia articles on particle physics and tried to force some exposition in along the way.
The dialogue is terrible, and like another reviewer said, a C- grade for show-don't-tell as the author regularly just delivers important aspects of the story development in a matter of fact sort of -also this happened-. On more than one occasion key information is literally delivered in block letters in a video game.
And speaking of the video game, it is the stupidest, most poorly conceived idea for an engaging game. The author tries an "emperor with no clothes" conceit by saying that only intellectuals and elites really got into the game... no, there is no game and the idea is stupid and resonates with several open-world, high-brow MMPORGs that failed miserably.
I could really keep going and going but I've already spent more time than I should on this. I picked up this book because it was on President Obama's reading list and he was effusive in his praise of the book. Now I wish I had never voted for the guy because anybody who would recommend this book [insert nasty comment here]. I only listened to the whole thing because I couldn't return it.
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Josh P
- 12-07-14
They create a computer using a 30 million man Army
Any additional comments?
It's very difficult to describe this book. It's reminds me of the book "Spin" by Robert Wilson. It takes many strange science related events and use many characters smaller stories to relate these events, which in the end add up to something big and sinister going on. This book was apparently translated from Mandarin to English. I am 1/2 chinese, growing up up in America but my family spoke Hakka do I can't really say how well the translation is done. I will say that if I wasn't told it was translated, I would have assumed it was originally written in English by someone with a Mandarin background.
While reading, I had to do a lot of searching on Wikipedia as large portions of the story occurs during the 1960 - 1980's. I personally did not know much about the cultural revolution, youth red guard, or the period known as the Great Leap Forward, and other things that occurred in China during that time but this book made me want to find out. I don't think you have too do a lot of research to enjoy the story, for example if you don't know what a "Struggle Session" is (I didnt), the story gives you enough information to infer what it is. Though if you do a little research I personally think you will enjoy it a lot more.
The other portion of the book takes place in a modern to slightly futuristic setting. Say a state that the world could theoretically reach in the next 10 years. During this period, strange this are happening in the areas of science both in academia and industrial application. These strange things almost seem to have a supernatural force causing/guiding them from the background. To unravel the mystery a bunch of smaller stories of these strange occurrence are told from multiple characters and eventually they are slowly linked up to help you get a larger understanding.
I wish I could describe it better but like I said the closest book I've read to this type of story telling is "Spin" by Robert Wilson. The book is a little slow so I'd suggest trying to get a least 2 hours in before you decide whether you like it or not.
Luke Daniels does a great job narrating. I actually liked the fact that he didn't use a lot of Chinese accents when reading. As the bulk of the characters are Chinese and they are supposed to be speaking Mandarin, Mr. Daniels just chooses to to different voices with no accents. Rough throaty voice voice for the hard boiled detective, soft we'll spoken voice for the academic professor, nonchalant blasé voice for the lazy uncaring stay at home husband. It works well.
Two personal things I really enjoyed about this book is if you were heavy into math or science in college, this will probably trigger some memories. I learned both assembly and machine code in college and as I stated in the reviews title, there is a scene where they create a human computer using a 30 million man Chinese army holding flags to represent or/x-or, and/n-and gates. I pretty much died laughing during that scene. Wish my college professor would have made us do that when I took the class. Would've made understanding logic gates and transistors so much easier. Also this is the first book I think I've read where China, the U.S., and U.K. are all on the same side working together. While the book does show the differences in ideological views between the east and west and doesn't try to hide past and modern animosity, it does portray a situation where the governments recognize their differences and are able to work past them due to a larger issue being at stake. It was really nice to not have the stereotype of the eastern block as being the enemies. It was pretty cool for the author to imagine what could be done if east and west were able to work together as allies and equals.
Apparently this book is the first of a trilogy and I believe while all 3 books are complete only the 1st book has been translated to English. I believe the 2nd book is being translated now for written release but no word yet on a audio release. If you enjoy the book like I did please send audible a content request for the remainder of the series.
418 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- pondo
- 08-27-17
WOW! Even after being translated to English
Any additional comments?
Thank You Liu. The journey opened my mind to some prior incomprehensible concepts. Would recommend to anyone who likes to push the boundaries of what physical reality can be.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DarthVal
- 03-11-16
Hard science fiction
This is one of those science fiction stories for which the SCIENCE should be capitalized. It is definitely hard science fiction. In fact, the science can bog the story down at times, just a bit, but not enough to detract from what is an amazing story.
63 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tango
- 03-17-15
Not in love, but definitely intrigued
No science fiction works without a great plot/concept driving it and The Three-Body Problem has zero problem on that score - an experiment, done out of a kind of desperation, actually results in first contact with an interstellar alien community and sets up a pending crisis. But even a great concept still needs good characters, setting, and fluid writing to make for a great sci-fi read.
I didn't have much trouble with setting. This first book of a trilogy draws on the Chinese Cultural Revolution, past and current geopolitics, and current and theoretical quantum physics to set the stage for the saga - interesting, with plenty of potential to sustain the trilogy. My only quibble with the setting used was with the sequences that take place within an on-line game. It is in the game that characters attempt to resolve the Three Body Problem and I found those segments of the book to be rather dull and confusing. No doubt some of the information in those sections will come into play in later books, but they read like bad dream sequences where you don't have any context to make sense of what is going on. And, there is no plot or character development happening during those passages so I just wasn't engaged during those sections.
The flow of the writing feels a bit choppy, but I would chalk that up to the fact that this is a translation. The translation seems pretty good in that the meaning is clear, but English and Chinese are such very different languages there is bound to be some loss of fluidity. Ultimately, my biggest difficulty with The Three-Body Problem is the characters. The book starts with Ye Wenjie during the Cultural Revolution and she is a very interesting character throughout the book and the only character that is ever really fleshed out. Much of the book is from the POV of Wang Miao, a character that gets little back story and is hard to connect with, and none of the other characters is more than sketched. The Aliens may have some potential in the sequels, but ruthlessness is about the only characteristic they show in this first book.
Luke Daniels does his normal phenomenal job of creating great character voices which is a huge help with a book with unfamiliar names and he adds much to making this a good listen.
Bottom line, The Three-Body Problem is challenging, but intriguing and I will listen to the sequels when Audible has them available.
114 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Darryl
- 02-20-17
didn't blow me away
I dip now and then into the supposed SF masterpieces of the new writers, and often I'm disappointed. This is all the rage at the moment, and while it was good and had some interesting ideas and is no doubt well researched, I found myself listening just for the plot and ideas; I didn't connect with any of the characters really. I think again this shows a fundamental problem with current writers of SF and other genres, but especially SF, where the science and ideas are the story, and the writing is at times atrocious (not here) and the characters and human-ness and individuality are at best secondary. Maybe much is lost in translation, I'm willing to concede that possibility. There are some nice moments and writing and imagery here, but over shadowed by plot. There are many references to SF writers (Clarke Asimov) and novels (Fountains of Paradise, Foundation) along the way which was fun in an easter egg type of way.
I'm probably not that helpful here as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Basically there is a bit of a 1984 style opening; there is a Contact type of plot; there is a Gibson-esque virtual reality game element (which normally leaves me cold but worked along with the story to reveal important ideas); there is a bit of a Crichton use of science element which I liked very much. In all there are enough story elements to keep you interested as it shuttles about, I just wish I had been able to attach to the characters better. It may be that part of the trouble for me was that many names sound similar (not being racist here) and our unfamiliarity with Chinese names hinders english speakers a bit. A couple of times a name is given and someone mentions what the name means in Chinese; it may be that all of the names mean something we're unaware of and for Chinese speakers this helps to delineate who is who.
I did go on to the 2nd one, Dark Forest, but may not 3rd.
Again, I like very much the ideas and science and plot and the logical thought processes and the philosophical and buddhist pondering; if I could have really gotten attached to a character I might have given it 5 stars.
25 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- colin steele
- 03-07-16
Very technical hard Sci fi
Great story, but didn't get too stuck up on the details. If it was a book I would have re read some parts to understand it more. The story line was jumpy but that's not a criticism, as it's quite common but difficult to understand the narrative at times. It all comes together at later points and returning themes and characters can be quite enjoyable. For. Fans of complicated hard Sci fi. Some. Great ideas and explains the technical parts very week.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- C. Ellis
- 01-11-17
Impenetrable
Since I am unfamiliar with Chinese names I couldn't keep track of the characters and the slow story failed to grab me.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- redfeend
- 10-11-16
Concentration required
The narration was excellent.
The story was both absorbing and frustrating at times and I sometimes found it difficult to connect the different elements of the novel. At times I was left thinking 'oh, how did that happen'. Or 'what's the connection'
Some sections consist of long narratives about 'hard' science. I don't know if this was real or imaginary physics, but it took application and concentration to stick with those sections.
The end of the book wraps up the story without leaving one thinking things gave just stopped in limbo.
This book is a translation from the Chinese original. Perhaps that explains some of its minor shortcomings.
Would I listen to it again? Yes I would.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Robin
- 09-11-16
Disappointed
I really had my hopes up and was expecting a slow burner. But it's really the last two hours I enjoyed the book, the rest spent waiting for it to get good.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Stephen
- 07-23-16
awesome
wish it had been longer, will look for more from this author and narrator, recommend
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Niall
- 07-07-16
Excellent Narration!
Good narration with clear vocal character definition. You have to suspend disbelief at some point but well worth the time
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Daniel Suss
- 06-01-16
Interesting and odd
Definitely got better. I enjoyed it more as it went on. Still has an oddness to it, although I think it probably is meant to be delivered with more humour than the narrator gave it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- kingsrollo
- 04-14-16
sublime
excellent story and a wonderful way of handling complex material. very good and nuanced translation.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mrs
- 03-01-16
Very enjoyable
It's structure was quiet unique I suspect that is due to it originating in another language.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- P. Ellis
- 10-17-15
wonderfully original
Abstract concepts explained with such amazing clarity. wonderful. If you like computers or science, you'll like this book
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ben taylor
- 04-29-16
Zzzzzzzzzzz
Terrible narration, story was soooooo slow and confusing, probably lost in translation. Thank god for the refund option. I couldn't get through this one... Gave up halfway through.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Roger
- 04-01-16
Interesting content, difficult to digest
While I enjoyed the overall story, it's slow and has so many tangents. I think high ratings come from the novelty of the core theme and story, not so much the journey to get through that.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nick
- 04-20-15
Scientificly deep within the grasp of mere motals
While listening I was embracing new ideas and concepts stepped in the history and culture of modern China. For those uninitiated in high physics this will streach their minds to accept the ideas central to the story, but it is presented in a way that allows the listener to keep up with the level of discussion between characters.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Andy Yang
- 01-21-15
Complex but interesting!
I purchased this audiobook on recommendation from a Chinese friend who had read the original Chinese version. I'd be lying if I said this was an easy read, the physics references alone would scare off most people, but trust me when I say if you just ignore most of the technical stuff and focus on the core story it is definitely worth it because this is such a fascinating treatment of a story that has been done so many times before. I eagerly awaiting the translation of the next book!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Takudza
- 09-13-15
I want my credit back.
Maybe something got lost in translation but this book is awfully boring. I thought it was hard sci-fi but it's full of airy-fairy nonsense. No wonder there was a big uproar when this won the Hugo. I thought this was a straight up alien invasion story but no it's some spiritual pseudoscientific tale about what I can't really tell.