THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM (Remembrance of Earth's Past #1) by Cixin Liu ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Have you ever entered a conversation and immediately panicked because the topic might be way over your head? This book may be the epitome of that sentiment. To anyone who can realistically follow along verbatim with the science unraveling here, fucking kudos. To everyone else, a tip of the cap for pushing through anyway.

While that may sound like the beginning of a negative review, alas, we survived the trek to tell a tale of appreciation.

What a deeply existential exploration of humanity and space, and the ‘what if’s’ of our reach out there. I know the book series has a pretty split opinion — some calling it a mess of unfocused gobbledygook, some hailing it as a masterpiece — but there’s something undeniably special in the way Liu crafts an epic story that takes the micro and the macro-scale of our existence and then expands on it times a thousand. Whenever I read a book like this, with mad theories and coordination I couldn’t fathom in a lifetime, I always think the same thing: how do you fit this much inside one person’s head?

It always amazes me as a writer that someone can contain the skill for both detailing dense technical jargon and creatively weaving it into a flowing narrative. Liu does so by exploring the storytelling perspectives; traditional 3rd-person structure, Rashomon-style story-within-a-story, in-game virtual reality experiences. I don’t know if this method of blending them is inherently an Eastern thing, but something in its essence — down to the way it rolls off the page — feels fresh and exciting. Reading translated work from that side of the world always does.

I understand the nitpicks though. There’s no doubt this has a planet-sized barrier for entry. While I consider this first act in the trilogy well-written, even against the odds of a translation barrier and the hand-waving of a few plot points, there were moments I wondered if the pay-off for straining my brain would ever come. But the depths it finally took that tired brain were worth the extra push. It may not be for everyone, but there is something there for those that want to try. And if the next two acts can compound on that, this one will shine even brighter.