The Three-Body Problem
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The Three-Body Problem
Buy Now for €21.04
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Narrated by:
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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
Continue the series
Critics' reviews
“A breakthrough book . . . a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation.” —George R. R. Martin, on The Three Body Problem
“Extraordinary.” —The New Yorker, on The Three Body Problem
“Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Three Body Problem
"A must-read in any language.” —Booklist, on The Three Body Problem
"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... forever into the canon of science fiction. - NPR, on Death's End
"The best kind of science fiction, familiar but strange all at the same time." -- Kim Stanley Robinson, on The Three Body Problem
This science fiction novel offers a fascinating and original perspective, following the life of a Chinese protagonist from the time of the Cultural Revolution through to a distant, speculative future. The story begins in a very grounded historical setting and gradually builds toward a plausible and thought-provoking first contact with alien life.
The central idea—merging political history, scientific theory, and elements of virtual reality or gaming—is genuinely brilliant. The interplay between reality and simulation is one of the book’s most compelling aspects.
That said, the novel can feel dense at times. The large number of Chinese names, while authentic, can be confusing, especially in audio format. Toward the end, the pacing slows noticeably, and I found myself disengaging—I didn’t finish the last two hours of the audiobook.
What kept me engaged for most of the experience was the excellent narration. I listened to the English version, read by the actress who plays the lead in the Netflix adaptation, and her performance added clarity and emotional depth to the character.
In the end, it was the Netflix series that led me to the book—and I found the adaptation more dynamic and accessible. Still, the novel remains an ambitious and intelligent work with a powerful core idea that lingers well beyond the final chapter.
merging political history, scientific theory, and elements of virtual reality or gaming
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Love it - mind blowing!
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The Reader makes the difference
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The voice performance is monotonous and it is not easy to follow who is actually speaking. I think there is another version with a different voice actor. I’d give that a try.
Additionally, I am not familiar with Chinese names which made it really hard in the beginning for me to follow the characters. Combining my challenge with the voice performance created a tiresome start of the book.
An actor is not necessarily a voice actor
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Mess
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