The Three-Body Problem

By: Cixin Liu, Ken Liu - translator

Narrated by: Rosalind Chao

This program is read by Rosalind Chao, who stars as Ye Wenjie in the Netflix adaptation, 3 Body Problem.

WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL

Over 1 million copies sold in North America

“A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times • “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street Journal • “Fascinating.”—TIME • “Extraordinary.”—The New Yorker • “Wildly imaginative.”—Barack Obama • “Provocative.”—Slate • “A breakthrough book.”—George R. R. Martin • “Impossible to put down.”—GQ • “Absolutely mind-unfolding.”—NPR • “You should be reading Liu Cixin.”—The Washington Post

The Three-Body Problem is the first novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.

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 Three-Body Problem Series
The Three-Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death's End

Other Books by Cixin Liu
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up the Sky
The Wandering Earth
A View from the Stars

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books

Critic reviews

<p>“<b>A breakthrough book</b> . . . a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation.” —<b>George R. R. Martin</b>, on <i>The Three Body Problem</i><br><br>“<b>Extraordinary</b>.” —<i>The New Yorker, </i>on <i>The Three Body Problem</i><br><br>“Remarkable, revelatory and <b>not to be missed</b>.” <i>—Kirkus Reviews, </i>starred review<b>, </b>on <i>The Three Body Problem</i><br><br>"A <b>must-read</b> in any language.” —<i>Booklist</i><b>, </b>on <i>The Three Body Problem</i><br><br>"A meditation on technology, progress, morality, extinction, and knowledge that doubles as a cosmos-in-the-balance thriller.... a testament to just how far [Liu's] own towering imagination has taken him... <b>forever into the canon of science fiction</b>. - <i>NPR,</i> on <i>Death's End</i><br><br>"<b>The best kind of science fiction</b>, familiar but strange all at the same time." -- Kim Stanley Robinson<b>, </b>on <i>The Three Body Problem</i></p>

I would go with the original audible

Story itself gets confusing in places but has very interesting elements. But I don’t think the narration in this version is great. I would go with the original (pre-Netflix) narration version if I were doing it again. There just seemed to be mistakes here and kind of random variations in the narrator’s enthusiasm, probably due to her taking breaks.

love it!!!

I am a novice at physics, but the descriptions and analogies made it easier to understand. love the story!!!

Unique and terrifying

I was surprised by the unique take on sci-fi in this book. And using China as the backdrop added a great layer to the story. Reading a non-euro centric sci-fi was a real treat.

This book builds up slowly, and the real reveal only comes in the last few chapters. The threat to humanity is quite terrifying. As far as monsters go, this one definitely tops the list. Not least because this is a plausible scenario for human race. The 3-body problem is an intriguing story within the main plot. All the high level physics sometimes went over my head, but it was great fun to explore anyways. The author, I expect, is very well versed in Physics which brought authenticity to the characters and the problems. The various “miraculous” experiences were treated with subdued drama and it fits the tone of the book. To have a scientist experience this miracle was a great choice!

This is ultimately a story of human nature screwing its own well-being while squabbling over personal conflicts and ambitions. The book is almost a reflection of our reality with few extra dimensions thrown in.

Very Average Story

I honestly don’t understand all the love for this book. It rambles and lacks a clear direction. The narrator is good, but the story is SO BORING. If you enjoy books just because everyone else seems to love it, you will be happy with this book. If you are an intelligent and independent thinker, be prepared to be disappointed.

Simply the best

I’ve read this series multiple times and with the Netflix show now out, it was time for another dive. Loved this audiobook, great narration by Rosalind Chao, who btw is excellent as Ye Wenjie in the show. The 3BP trilogy is hands down my favorite SFF series of all time.