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The Three-Body Problem

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The Three-Body Problem

Written by: Cixin Liu
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
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About this listen

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)

©2006 Liu Cixin (P)2014 Macmillan Audio Fiction First Contact Genre Fiction Hard Science Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Space Exploration Interstellar China Technology Computer Science Chinese Science Fiction

Publisher's Summary


A civil war is raging, and Earth is facing an impending invasion. Follow along in this modern first-contact sci-fi masterpiece steeped in China's harrowing history, The Three-Body Problem.

A New York Times bestselling author, Liu Cixin is a beloved Chinese science fiction writer who has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to the genre, including the novel The Wandering Earth. His literary sensation The Three-Body Problem was first published in 2008 and quickly became one of the last few decades' most successful Chinese science fiction novels. It is the first Asian winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel and was a nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novel. Rooted in the history of the Chinese cultural revolution, this audiobook is a deeply moving reflection of secrecy, betrayal, resistance, and political disillusionment. The social commentary is only compounded by the mesmerizing storytelling and tropes that make the genre so popular and long-lasting.

For the first time, the English translation of The Three-Body Problem is available in audiobook format and is impeccably narrated by Luke Daniels. The epic audiobook, based in Beijing, expertly melds Chinese history's compelling characters and culturally charged undertones in ways that will transport listeners on an unforgettable journey.

An American live-action series of The Three-Body Problem has been given a 2023 release date. At the helm of Netflix's The Three-Body Problem series will be executive producers D.B. Weiss, David Benioff (best known as co-creators and showrunners for HBO's Game of Thrones) and Alexander Woo. The series will star Tsai Chin as Ye Wenjie, among other notable Chinese actors. In 2022 it was also announced that The Three-Body Problem video game is in the works.

Editorial Review

In the midst of a civil war, Earth faces an impending invasion. Do you side with the invaders and forsake Earth—or do you stand against the coming storm and join forces with the resistance? Grounded in China’s troubled history, The Three-Body Problem is a modern sci-fi masterpiece.

Two civilisations in turmoil collide. While China seeks to remedy the ongoing civil war and a cultural revolution that looks to overthrow the current system, alien beings respond to an intercepted signal. Reeling from their own losses, this alien race redirects and aims to capture Earth for its own. A complex and exciting tale of adventure, The Three-Body Problem is rooted in the history of China’s Cultural Revolution, from secrecy to betrayal, resistance and political disillusionment. Add to this background the fear and excitement of alien civilisations, invasion, and power struggle, and you have a tale rich with metaphor, political parallels, and social commentary.

Originally written in Chinese, and widely regarded as one of the best science fiction novels in China, this audiobook sees Liu Cixin’s work translated into English and narrated by Luke Daniels. Since its publication in 2008, The Three-Body Problem has achieved commercial success and attracted critical acclaim on an international scale. It was the first novel from Asia to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel and was also nominated for the prestigious Nebula Award.

This audiobook is truly epic. The wonder of science fiction mixed with compelling characters and a culturally charged subtext makes The Three-Body Problem a must-listen for any sci-fi fan. Get ready to be swept away on a journey of galactic proportions.

Featured Article: 20 Best Sci-Fi Audiobooks for Exploring New Worlds

There is no genre that lends itself better to audio narrative than Science Fiction does. There is a magic that transports listeners to new worlds of wonder and mystery that is heightened by expert voice actors and narrators. A great writer can create an imaginative new world or dystopian civilisation, but it is up to the narrator to bring this world to life around you. We’ve gathered together 20 of the top science fiction audiobooks ranked not only for their stories but for the emotive and compelling narrative performances. Let these award winning tales and voices carry you away to worlds unknown.

Featured Article 20 Best Sci-Fi Audiobooks for Exploring New Worlds
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There were many long stretches of fantasy-science, explained tediously. I listen to the audio a few times to be able to follow things i had missed. Wouldnt recommend for enjoyment, yet it did listen to it all the way through, so the story does keep you involved! And would buy and listen to the next book.

tedious fantasy science?

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that was a mind boggler. loved it.
time to move on to book 2.

awesome 👌

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I read this book in the span on two days. When I started I couldn’t stop. I also went in blind which is highly recommended.

Intrigue and mystery guide you through the plot. Several stories take place through several time periods and each one was genuinely interesting. There are occasional twists and turns which keep the reader engaged as well the big question, wtf is going on? Is everything connected or is this a series of events that unrelated yet important events?

My only hold back from 5 stars is that it can kind of drift. As I said, some things are seemingly unimportant, and while in the grand scheme they might actually be important, they don’t feel that way when reading them.

From my experience, most readers seem to gloss over the VR game that is brought up. It’s an interesting idea but you kind of get the point after a while and it begins to feel redundant.

Other than that, solid book, 4/5. I’d almost say a necessary read just so you can get to the true goal of reading The Dark Forest

Soft-Scifi And Mystery Afoot!

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I have never read or heard a science fiction book so well written. The story is built up so perfectly. Liu managed to create an exciting slow burn.

This is what all other science fiction pretends to be

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The plot takes a while before it coalesces. I had to step away from the book on more than one occasion only to return and plod on. It feels as though some of the cultural significances and nuances got lost in translation. The dialogue feels uterly clunky at times. Thankfully, the narration and the science pushed me to read on. I did not hesitate to buy The Dark Forest after I finished reading The Three-Body Problem.

An interesting premise that requires some patience

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randomly picked for my book club having known nothing about the book or the author I feel so foolish for that now. this was an incredible page turner and as a sci-fi fan the concepts explored and suggested here will not disappoint. I can see why this is getting a major development deal as it is one of the coolest takes on an invasion story I have ever read.

incredible read!

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it kept me entertained and interested all the way through.
I've probably listened to this story so many times that watching the Netflix series is so garbage compared to the original

science and Fantasy at it's finest

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I picked this up because I heard a lot of great things about this book. I was surprised with the story and it really engaged me throughout. The science can be a bit much but it really doesn't take anything away from the story.

The voice acting is fine, doing an excellent with all the foreign names.

I will certainly be continuing with this series.

Very interesting read

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One of my favourite sci-fi books, and I love how deep this particular story went regarding cultural revolution. The problem for me is that it’s hard to focus on the book with this monotone performance.

Great sci-fi book, poor narrated

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Thought provoking and well read. I felt it had a few holes that need exploration but overall very cool!

Intriguing!

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