★★★★★ Astonishing, Fun, Entertaining, Fantastic. I consider The Martian my favorite fictional novel of the last 15-20 years. The movie was incredible in that they actually followed the book closer than 99% of other films based on books. It remains my favorite movie of the last 15 years or so as well. I don't know anyone (personally) that loves either of them as much as I do.With that said, I was REALLY looking forward to Artemis. It was good...but, it was certainly not in the same caliber as The Martian was (at least not for me). I enjoyed it a lot, however and appreciated how author Andy Weir chose to go in a completely different direction and not just rehash another similar story, which I am certain would have been great as well.As a result, I was cautious regarding Project Hail Mary. It sounded a little too close to The Martian, but yet, also different in that the circumstances simply could not be more opposite and the stakes so much higher. I'm trying to figure out the best way to summarize without giving too much away from this utterly compelling novel. As I read several reviews, I noticed a recurring theme: SCIENCE. Lots and LOTS of science. Holy cow, they were right. Many years ago I read Apollo 13 and Jim Lovell and his co-writer, try as they might, simply could not dumb down Orbital Mechanics anywhere near enough for me to have even a minor clue as to what they were attempting to say...I just skipped 90% of it and hoped that the sentences written afterwards, would help to make sense of what I had just skimmed over. I'm a lot of things, but a math wizard is definitely not one of them. Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) had an amazing talent for dumbing-down the science of what he was trying to explain in ways that genuinely made sense (most of the time). Not everyone has this talent, and I would say Andy Weir falls squarely in between. He's certainly better than Jim Lovell, but not quite as good as Crichton. But then again, outside of a science textbook, I haven't really read anything with quite as MUCH science as Project Hail Mary. So maybe he's just as good, but he just puts more science into his books than Crichton, maybe that's it...? Either way, be prepared for a lot of astonishingly interesting science within the pages of this novel...and I DO mean a LOT. I don't say this to make you wary or steer you away...on the contrary, Andy Weir has a special talent for making hard science truly entertaining.The book opens with an absolutely amazing and frightening premise: an astronaut awakes from an induced coma to find the only other two people on board have died at some point along their journey...but it gets worse. He has no idea who he is, or why he's on the ship, and oh yeah, they look to be a long way from home. A really, REALLY long way from home. In fact, the sun he sees isn't actually OUR sun at all. He's managed to leave our solar system entirely. And he has no idea why.((Minor Spoilers)) The book goes through some clever flash-backs, which set the stage for why the mission happens, and slowly, carefully explains how they managed to get so far away from earth in such a short amount of time. Basically, earth's sun seems to be dying. At the rate of decay, we have maybe 19 years left before the gradual cooling has catastrophic consequences resulting in the death of billions (best guess). Why the sun is dimming is quite the conundrum in the first place. Turns out it really isn't dying, it's being killed by an outside source...which turns out to be easily the greatest find in history. It's alien life, and they are using the sun for food, essentially. It's alien life, but not intelligent life. But still, wow! ALIENS, right???After this monumental discovery, and some tremendous research done by the most improbable scientist, the investigation into what is happening and why and what to do about it expands exponentially to other nations in order to pool all the resources possible to hopefully save the sun, and by extension, the human race as well. They learn. A LOT. A plan is put together, and with the help of the newly discovered microscopic alien life, which can also double as a power source (along with a few other nifty surprises), they begin to create one last, Hail Mary that could very well be the last chance we might have to save earth. It's audacious. It's dangerous, and it is absolutely critical that it succeed.As our astronaut's memory slowly unravels, so does his identity: Ryland Grace. He's a teacher on earth. Just a science teacher. Not even a college professor. He's amazingly smart, though. But he's no astronaut...and certainly not one who would volunteer to go on a one-way mission to another solar system to "try" and save humanity. Yet here he is. Alone. light years from earth, trying to solve the biggest riddle in all of human history. Ryland accepts his situation, such as it is, with relative indifference (for the most part). It doesn't matter HOW he got here. He's here now and he may as well use that time to be as productive as possible, right? Along the way, he unravels even more information regarding the microscopic alien life which is slowly dimming our sun during some additional flashbacks. The aliens, dubbed, "Astrophage" are quite the galactic plague as it turns out. Stars all over the galaxy are also losing their light, all due to the little buggers. All that is, except one particular star named, Tau Ceti. Now why would that one star be unaffected by Astrophage, when every single star around it has been affected to some degree. The plan is to go there and figure it out and send the information back, hopefully in time to save the sun before the damage to earth is beyond repair.There is an incredible amount of stuff going on. The story switches from Tau Ceti to flashbacks of how the whole mission was planned and implemented (which is VERY entertaining, especially Director Stratt, who may actually be my favorite character in the entire novel). Weir is becoming quite adept at building tension, and abruptly switching the story from Tau Ceti back to earth and building more of the backstory then switching back to Tau Ceti. Keeping it all in check and most importantly, interesting all while mixing in a healthy dose of science, which I am to understand is pretty much all genuine, is quite the juggling act. I have long known science can be astronomically entertaining (see what I did there?) when done right...but unfortunately very few people in a position to teach science actually know the best way to create that interest in others. I can say without reservation, Andy Weir definitely knows how to do it...at least in written form.There is so much I want to say more regarding this truly phenomenal story, but I simply cannot without ruining a lot of the fun and surprises revealed along the way...and it is killing me to keep it locked in. Though I labeled a spoiler warning earlier, I don't think it gave away any more than what the author himself has revealed in interviews he has done regarding the book, and what you can glean from reading the summary here and just a couple other reviews. Tying all of that science together is truly astonishing to me. The creativity to put it into a novel that is remarkably exciting to read is nothing more than incredible talent. Kudo's to Andy Weir for not just hitting a home run, Project Hail Mary is a Grand Slam all the way. I truly did not want this story to end. By the way, I enjoyed the ending quite a bit. I don't know if everyone will. But it was fine for me. I think the ending screams "sequel" at some point too. A lot was left open-ended (IMO) and I wouldn't mind reading a follow-up to this. It doesn't HAVE to happen, but there are a lot of ways where the story could go if Andy chose to do it. Just sayin'.Just run out and buy this book.

★★★★★ I have never given a book review before. But I am doing so this time.This is my first Andy Weir book, but not the last, that's for sure!Once in a very long while a story gets its hooks into you and it changes you a bit. That happens to me anyways. Well, this story did that in a major way.I'll be thinking about it long after this I can already tell.I laughed (a lot!!), I cried (all the tears!), I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown a whole bunch of times, etc. It will make you feel it all.Overall it was as if I was there with the characters because it felt so organic if that makes any sense? Idk. Like I said, this is my first book review and idk what I'm doing 🤷🏻‍♀️.Read this book! You won't be disappointed!!

★★★★☆ Lost in Space. I loved the movie The Martian and thought I’d try the new Andy Weir book. It’s my first encounter with this author, and at first I was a bit thrown off by the use of first person perspective, but in the end I decided it fit the story perfectly.It’s about a man waking up on a spaceship having no memories of himself or his surroundings. Classic setting, and one that worked well for the story. All in all I loved the book, but there were a few inconsistencies or errors that prevented me from giving it five stars.I read the book using the Kindle app, and the first impression is that the text should’ve been justified. But I guess the author had someone else do the formatting, so I won’t blame him. However, as an American he should really know how to write the caliber of a bullet. It’s usually measured in milimeters or inches. On page 59 he writes «Which is like shooting a 50-caliber round at a sheet of paper …»I’m pretty confident he meant «… shooting a .50-caliber round …» because that bullet is half an inch in diameter, and in Norway we call it 12,7 mm.The next thing that makes no sense is a few pages later. «You guys know about climate change, right? How our CO2 emissions have caused a lot of problems in the environment?»Our CO2 emissions? Problems in the environment? More CO2 means a greener planet. Plants use CO2 for photosynthesis, and more CO2 makes them grow faster and use up less water. Why do you think farmers pump more CO2 into their greenhouses? It’s good for the planet, not bad, especially now we’re in a time with historically low CO2 content in the atmosphere, meaning many species of plants are almost at a starvation level.Besides, human emissions are tiny compared to those of nature herself. Fifty active volcanos, anyone? And most of it comes from the ocean anyway, and that’s where any excess CO2 would end up too.And then he presents one and a half degree temperature rise as a problem. Excuse me? One and a half? It was much warmer during the Holocene Optimum. Maybe he should read some history? Talk to some geologists? The Earth has been much warmer before, and we know this from ice core samples and tree ring data. Civilizations thrived. The Roman Empire, Chinese Han Dynasty, the Vikings settled Greenland and Newfoundland. No, cold is the enemy, not warmth.Looking past these rookie mistakes I found the book entertaining and fun. Great sci-fi. Great dialog. Loved Rocky and how his entire species was described in detail. I just love it when an author put this amount of detail into his stories. Also amazing detail on the spaceship and its unorthodox fuel.

★★★★★ Gran historia, llena de emoción y descripción con detalles llenos de imaginación muy real. Me sentí inmerso en la aventura.

★★★★★ Project Hail Mary is a gripping sci-fi novel that takes readers on an unforgettable interstellar journey. Written by a master storyteller, this novel showcases breathtaking imagination, compelling characters, and a captivating plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.Pros:1. Stellar Sci-Fi Setting: The novel's intricate sci-fi universe is richly detailed, offering an immersive and awe-inspiring experience for readers.2. Engaging Plot: Project Hail Mary's plot is filled with unexpected twists, intellectual challenges, and emotional depth, leaving readers enthralled throughout.3. Complex Characters: The protagonist's evolution and the supporting characters' depth make them relatable and compelling, adding an emotional resonance to the story.4. Thought-Provoking Themes: The novel delves into themes of resilience, discovery, and humanity's place in the vastness of the cosmos, sparking contemplation and discussion.5. Stellar Writing: The author's masterful storytelling and evocative prose make Project Hail Mary a pleasure to read, even for those new to the sci-fi genre.Cons:1. None Noted: Project Hail Mary's excellence has been widely acknowledged, and there are no reported drawbacks or shortcomings in its delivery.In conclusion, Project Hail Mary is a remarkable sci-fi novel that captivates readers with its ingenious plot, well-developed characters, and compelling themes. From its riveting storyline to its thought-provoking concepts, this novel is a must-read for sci-fi enthusiasts and readers seeking a captivating literary journey.With no reported drawbacks and widespread critical acclaim, I confidently rate Project Hail Mary with a perfect five stars. Embark on a thrilling adventure into the cosmos with this stellar sci-fi masterpiece - a journey that will linger in your mind long after the last page!

★★★★★ Andy Weir é uma das grandes revelações da FC. Com "Perdido em Marte", grande e merecido sucesso, e "Artemis", repercussão menor mas ainda assim um bom livro, Weir se estabeleceu como autor renomado, especialmente após a adaptação de Perdido em Marte para o cinema, num filme de Ridley Scott. "Project Hail Mary" retoma o espírito de seu primeiro sucesso, com o protagonista (Ryland Grace) acordando em um ambiente sobre o qual ele não tem a mínima informação, não se lembrando nem do próprio nome. À medida que a memória retorna, ao longo de todo o livro, descobrimos os detalhes que o levaram até a nave em que está; algumas conclusões já haviam sido tiradas pelo próprio Grace, usando a Ciência (e depois fica explicado porque ele não se esqueceu dos conceitos enquanto não se lembrava do seu nome...). Não posso dar mais detalhes pois estragaria as sucessivas surpresas que o livro proporciona, mas mencionarei que o foco do livro será a biologia, ou melhor, a exobiologia, ao contrário da Física que permeou "Perdido em Marte". Há detalhes sobre Física, muito interessantes, mas não são o foco. Em suma, um livro que, principalmente a partir da chegada da nave ao seu destino, torna-se quase impossível de ser largado. Quanto às páginas finais, deixaram-me emocionado até as lágrimas, numa conclusão bela e épica sobre alguém que continua sendo um professor antes de tudo.

★★★★★ I read it

★★★★★ Esta novela me fascinó. Hacía mucho tiempo que un libro de ciencia ficción no me atrapaba tanto. Aunque la temática no es nueva, la historia es tan creativa que incluso me dieron ganas de escribir.El protagonista es increíble. En pocos capítulos me encariñé con él por su sentido del humor, es inteligente aunque él mismo no lo considera así, con sus miedos e inseguridades que lo vuelven un personaje redondo y como somos todos. En la vida real nadie es completamente bueno ni malo. Hay pocos personajes, lo cual queda perfectamente con la trama y todos me parecieron bien desarrollados.La ciencia que maneja la historia, aunque es de ficción, está tan bien planteada y explicada que leía las explicaciones como si fuesen de verdad. No son difíciles de entender y aportan mucho al mundo de la novela.Lo único que quizá llega a cansar un poco es que la trama va de problema tras problema por resolver. No esperaba que todo fuese bien, porque sería aburrido, pero en un punto ya estaba yo esperando a ver qué salía mal, porque se volvió lo común.Además de la historia enganchante, el libro presenta dilemas morales y mensajes de reflexión. Muchas de esas situaciones me parecieron muy bien pensadas, porque yo tampoco habría sabido qué hacer.Recomiendo muchísimo este libro, aunque no sean fanáticos de la ciencia ficción lo van a disfrutar. Apenas comenzó el año, pero seguramente este libro estará en mis mejores lecturas.

★★★★★ Fall In Love With Murderbot. This book series got me through the latter half of 2020 (specifically the period of the American election and its fallout) which is no mean feat. I read them repeatedly, over and over again, so many times that I genuinely could not even venture a guess as to how many times I've read the whole series through anymore. I still pull them out in between the other things I'm reading. I adore Murderbot and its adventures. It may honestly be the most relatable character in fiction I've ever met. My single solitary complaint about the entire series is that there isn't more of it and I already have the next part on pre-order, which I await with baited breath.(I've gifted copies of the first volume to five different people so far, and the only reason I haven't given it to more is because I'm just not that sociable as to be regularly exchanging gifts with all that many folks.)For those of you unfamiliar with the Murderbot Diaries (which I assume is most if not all of the people reading this, as that's generally the point of perusing book reviews) let me curtail the aimless gushing and focus on some specifics: the first four books in the series (this one included) are short novellas, and while I'm generally a fan of longer fiction their length is absolutely perfect. They're all self-contained adventures, but they build together into a longer connected storyline -- sort of like the episodes within a television season. You can read and enjoy each one on its own merits, but you'll probably find yourself wanting to do them all in proper order so you can get the full experience of Murderbot's life. (Yes, the main character is named Murderbot. It chose the name itself, and while the first volume gives you enough information to understand why you will learn more of the story behind that name, and its emotional weight, as the series goes on.)After the four novellas, there is an extremely brief short story that you can find online for free (titled "Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory") and while a number of people have complained about it, I honestly thought it was a great interlude. And given that it's free and will probably take you less than twenty minutes to read, I don't see why there's any reason to skip it. It's fun to get a different perspective on things, and it offers some lovely background characterization of one of the most important secondary characters in the series. It makes a nice bridge to the novel which follows, too.The novel reads a lot like the shorter adventures, especially at the start, and in a way it just feels like it's longer because there are more events taking place so it takes more words to tell what happened, rather than that the author set out to specifically "write a novel" as opposed to a novella -- which is nice, because the tone and style and everything remain beautifully consistent throughout the whole series -- but at the same time, the fact that it DOES spend more time on one plot and one group of characters means there is a chance to get a little more in-depth with various things and people, and that's nice too. Some stories/series are more suited to one type of writing or another, but I feel like with the Murderbot Diaries there is no wrong length. Whether you're sitting down for ten minutes or ten hours, you're going to get the same delightfully enjoyable experience out of these books.As to the writing itself, it alternates between engrossing, hilarious, heart-rending, and painfully accurate. You're going to identity with and relate to Murderbot so much that you'll find yourself (at least, if you're anything like me you will) also thinking of humans as an "other" during the course of your reading, as you mentally (or out-loud; no judgement if you're one of those people who exclaims aloud as you read; I rarely do, but this seems like an appropriate book series for that sort of behavior) shout at them to not do stupid things and just listen to their SecUnit, please!It's very much a found-family story, albeit a slow-build one, and despite the occasional body-count (really a rather small number, given that the series is about a character named Murderbot) it's ultimately a story of good people and happy endings. Murderbot will sometimes punch you straight in the heart with an emotional moment or observation, but it's the good sort of pain that only the best stories cause. I love these books more than I can fairly describe, and I hope you'll give them a chance because I think you'll love them too.P.S. for anyone concerned, there is surprisingly little gore for how much violence is inherent in the life of a Murderbot. A fair amount of swearing, yes, and the occasional (usually annoyed, sometimes disgusted, always disinterested) reference to the existence of sex as a human activity that exists, but there are no lengthy passages expounding in great detail upon the injuries or deaths that take place throughout the series. I suppose some people might find the no-nonsense way Murderbot presents such things disquieting, but I don't think even squeamish people are likely to be too upset.The only trigger-warning I can think to give is to caution people that there are definitely parallels/references to abuse in Murderbot's past and the emotional kick of those might be unpleasantly familiar to abuse survivors. YMMV of course, but I expect that the way current characters deal with Murderbot and its trauma likely makes for a more positive and supportive process than a triggering one, but if that is something to which you think you may be sensitive, please do brace yourself ahead of time.

★★★★☆ Nice, fast-paced novella. This is a fast-paced novella that you can read in one sitting. Or in a week, if you’re busy.The story is about a cyborg that acts as a bodyguard to scientists exploring a planet, in a distant future. It’s not a complex story but characters are decently developed, plot is consistent. It’s a nice little book. It does not have ambitions of space operas as of Baxter’s, Clarke’s and many others. It’s basically an adventure book on a sci-fi setting.I am still thinking about reading other books from Well’s Murderbot series.

★★★★★ Just go read it, probably. I bought this book when it came out in 2017 and read it around then, enjoyed it, decided the series was not quite worth paying full-length novel prices for novellas, and went around for almost seven years firmly believing that The Fall of Ile-Rien was Martha Wells' best work (and also a contender for my favorite series ever, if that gives some context for what I'm about to say next).I was wrong. I read the rest of these when I noticed most of them were on Kindle Unlimited, and by the time I finished Network Effect (the fifth book, and the first full-length one), I decided that I really needed to pay more money for these books just on principle and ordered all of them in hardcover even though I only read on my Kindle. I also kind of want to name a cat Murderbot now (not that cats have anything to do with Murderbot, just that naming a cat Murderbot seems a lot more normal than naming my first-born child Murderbot). I am not sure I can express how deeply I loved these books. So I guess the main point of my review is to say if you're kind of on the fence after reading the first one, like you liked it but didn't love it and aren't sure whether to continue, I would strongly urge continuing; the fantastic parts are yet to come (on the other hand, if you actually hate the first book, probably do stop).But this is a review of the first book, so I suppose I should also say something that will help you decide whether to even start the series. This is a sci-fi series about an AI, but it's probably really more about humanity and the (platonic) relationships people form and being entertained by a strong narrative voice (and unfortunately the first few pages available as a sample aren't really representative of the good stuff, in my personal opinion). A lot of the appeal of sci-fi to me is in playing around with how humanity would respond emotionally to technology that we don't actually have and may not be particularly plausible in the future either. I think the author does a great job of that here. But I also suspect that there are people who like more realistic technology and fewer emotions in their sci-fi, who may be disappointed by Murderbot.

★★★★★ interesting. I wasn’t expecting it to be such a quick read, or I just liked it so much that I couldn’t put it down. From Murderbot to Galatic Explorer, it kind of reminds me of the old tv reels….stay to til next week, same murderbot time, same murderbot station,I like that. Now let’s see what happens next

★★★★☆ original. I enjoyed the story. It was creative, original, and well written.Not sure I’m ready for another ongoing series, but I’ll consider it when opportunities arise.VFL.

★★★★★ I loved the whole series. Its an easy and quick read (or listen - Kevin R. Free is a really good narrator). It’san often funny series, sometimes poignant and on point, but it is not great literature or exceptionally crafted sci-fi and doesn’t pretend to be.The series is not about the science. It is about Murderbot, the misfit construct just trying to find his place in the universe. Other than the price, which is high for novellas, the series is well worth checking out at your local library, borrowing from a friend, finding or searching for on sale or used copies. I did buy all of the audiobooks even though they are a little pricey, but for me they also turned outto be my new go to relaxing sleep book.

★★★★★ Really enjoying the murderbot series

★★☆☆☆ Het verhaal is prima, maar je wordt er niet door weggeblazen. Het boek is veel te klein voor de prijs die ze ervoor vragen! Het is hooguit een short story.

★★★★★ "All Systems Red" é um relato em primeira pessoa de Murderbot (como ele mesmo se denomina), um andróide responsável pela segurança de uma equipe de cientistas que exploram um planeta desabitado. O que diferencia Murderbot de um andróide de segurança padrão é que ele hackeou seu módulo de controle e se tornou um "rogue", com o que poderíamos chamar de "livre arbítrio", algo que os andróides normais não possuem. Essa autonomia revela-se providencial quando os clientes de Murderbot se veem envolvidos em conflitos com outras equipes de cientistas, não tão bem intencionadas, atuando no mesmo planeta. A autora Martha Wells dosa muito bem ação e humor nesta novela que inaugura a série "The Murderbot Diaries" e venceu o Hugo e o Nebula, os dois prêmios mais prestigiosos da ficção científica.

★★★★★ It probably sounds strange to call the story told from an android’s perspective „character-driven“, but it is. And what a cool and wonderful character „Murderbot“ is! I loved to listen to its internal musings, its anxiety when it comes to social interaction and its comments on human and android life.„Murderbot“ had at one point in his life hacked it‘s own governor module, which no one at the company that lends the androids as security units, realized. So it is really a free agent who fakes being a regular android and loves nothing more than being left alone to stream as many series as possible (yep, „Murderbot“ is a binge watcher…). These premises alone were hilarious, but things get even cooler when the regular routine is disturbed by some problems the humans „Murderbot“ is working for get into. They are scientists investing an uninhabited planet and not really equipped to deal with problems outside their expertise. So they have to rely on „Murderbot“ - who in turn is shaken by the prospect of having to interact with humans who actually want to talk to it (and know how it feels - the horror!). The adventure is gripping and the outcome unexpected. And I loved loved loved this incredible main character. So cool.

★★★★★ This is a good read. It well deserves the Hugo Award that it won. This book is the first part of a four part Science Fiction series written by a well-known (in China) author of stories in this genre.I read the book after having seen the Netflix six-part series based on the book. The book was much clearer on the science of the three body problem (apparently a well known problem in physics), a situation in which a planet is in a solar system that has three suns. The length of days and years is highly variable and unpredictable in this configuration, which strongly influences the development of civilization on the planet.The book made the psychology and motivations of the characters much clearer than the Netflix series did, as well as the relationship between the characters, and the meaning of a computer game (also called Three Body Problem) that is a major vehicle for developing the backstory of the alien civilization on the aforementioned planet.The producers of the Netflix series took a few liberties with the story in the book. At least one character male character in the book is female in the series, and some incidents are in a different order, but on the whole the series portrays the SF aspect of the book very well.The quality of the writing is really good. I understand why the book won a Hugo award. I plan to at least begin the second volume of the trilogy. The concept of a trilogy like this is reminiscent Of Asimov's Foundation trilogy, and even Heinlein's Future History, not only because each is a series of novels and stories, but because this book is such a good read.

★★★★☆ Compelling. Decided to read this after watching the series that was released on Netflix, so I already knew the general story coming into it. I think if you liked watching the series, definitely check out the book.It wastes no time in getting right into the thick of things, the pacing is truly superb, there are no dull moments from start to finish. I think it is less character focused and emotional than the Netflix adaptation, Ye is a big focus and we get her backstory here but not much for Wang Miao or anyone else. There is one scene with Wang's wife and kid but even there they are more just in the background, then we don't hear about them for the rest of the story.The book does spend more time in diving into the science behind things going on though which is interesting, also details a divide in the group that want the Trisolarans to come to Earth.Overall, I enjoyed reading it and I have ordered the next two books to find out what happens next.

★★★★★ Mind-boggling science fiction. Award winning Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu has said, “Science fiction is a literature that belongs to all humankind. It portrays events of interest to all humanity, and thus science fiction should be the literary genre most accessible to readers of different nations.” I think this is true, or at least it can be. For science fiction to appeal to everyone on the planet it is necessary that its stories portray situations that are relevant to everyone, that they are written about in a way that doesn’t exclude those whose cultural or societal beliefs fall into one political camp or another, and, most of all, it requires a literate world in which everyone has enough of their basic needs met that they have time for leisure reading.We are a long way from the ideal state described above, but some books are a movement toward it. Cixin Liu’s “The Three-Body Problem “represents a step in that direction. Liu lives in the People’s Republic of China. When I think of science fiction audiences, China doesn’t come immediately to mind, but that is because of my ignorance, not reality. “The Three-Body Problem” not only won the Hugo Award after its translation into English in 2014, but it also won China’s Galaxy Award for best science fiction in 2006, the year of its publication in China. Cixin Liu has won the Galaxy Award, which I didn’t even know existed, 9 times.“The Three-Body Problem “is hard science fiction, meaning that it is literally filled with science, some of it real, much of it speculative with kernels of real science leading to wildly fantastic consequences. One of its themes is the overturning of the basic principles of modern physics, or at least the apparent overturning of them, since another theme is the deliberate undermining of belief in those principles. The underlying plot of the novel is the mutual discovery of another race in our galaxy, mutual in the sense that we discover them at the same time that they discover us.The ideas contained in this novel are mind-boggling. What appears fanciful becomes less and less so, as more science behind it is revealed, although the science too, get stretched until everything seems fanciful, but I as a reader, was never sure if it was based on realistic science or not. That’s part of the entertaining quality of the book. The extraordinary discoveries come one after another, gradually unfolding the true plot that is determining the characters’ actions.There are political criticisms in “The Three-Body Problem,” almost entirely of China’s Cultural Revolution of the 1960’s and 70’s. As such, they are a criticism of constraining science because of political or philosophical reasons. The author himself has made some political statements, almost entirely in favor of Chinese government policies, which have earned him enough suspicion in the U.S. that several Republican Congressmen objected when they heard that Netflix was creating a film version of his work. But modern Chinese politics are not an issue in the novel. Liu’s comments at the end of the English translation of the book make it clear that he hopes science fiction such as his can bring the world together.A word about character development in “The Three-Body Problem.” The early portions of the book cover several years and skip from one character to another, many of them who die. Finally, the story settles down to a small set of regular characters. Some Western critics have complained that the characters are “shallow,” which may be valid when comparing the novel to many Western ones. I suspect that this reflects a difference between Western and Eastern cultures, as well as difference between science fiction as a genre (at least old-style science fiction) and other fiction genres. Our Western mindset is to attribute the causes of a person’s behavior to elements of their personality. They are adventurous, courageous, lazy, lackadaisical, psychopathic, etc. Sociological research has suggested that many Eastern cultures tend to see the causes of behavior as due to events and circumstance or even luck, rather than to ongoing personality characteristics (it is a more vs less difference, rather than an either-or difference). Liu’s novel takes the latter approach, giving a detailed description of the circumstances leading characters to do what they do in the novel. It is not a lack of depth of characters so much as it represents a different approach to character motivation that is reflective of the overall culture of the writer. In the case of “The Three-Body Problem,” this results in the novel gradually providing the basis for different characters’ otherwise puzzling behavior by providing after-the-fact stories of what happened in their lives to cause them to behave as they do.I found this book to be absolutely intriguing and impossible to put down until I got to its end. I am eager to read the two novels that are its sequels. It is science fiction at its very best

★★★★★ Incredible Hard Sci-fi. This book is so important for the sci-fi genre. I prefer reading sci-fi, some fantasy, and political commentary from various viewpoints.I would say that not only this book, but the rest of the trilogy contains some very dark moments and I would call it Horror-Lite, not because of what the book says in plain language, but what is left to the imagination, in a similar way to how Lovecraft did it.But the horror element is different from what I want everyone to take away from this review, the book spans many heavy subjects in science and current theory. There is a group of great characters to follow, but the time frames explored during this series are so expansive that you say goodbye to some characters and others are introduced.Another thing I loved about this book and the reason for the 5th star on this review, is the format, using exerpts from the future looking back at events and the way the chapters are laid out talking about certain times in certain eras. There is a clear timeline located near the beginning of each book so you can see what they are called, when each one started and ended.It is a fantastic story and highly recommend it!

★★★★★ Trata muy bien temas fundamentales de la existencia de la raza humana.

★★★★★ The story was excellent and backed up with solid science. The book also gives a westerner a great glimpse into Chinese culture during the revolutionary and post revolutionary years. Because of this the book entertains and educates. Kudos to the translator for their excellent explanatory foot notes.

★★★★★ Uma estória surpreendente, única e rica, uma ótima surpresa.

★★★★★ One of the greatest science fiction novels of the century. Profoundly thoughtful, thought provoking, intelligent and intricately designed. The Netflix adaption is a travesty which succeeds only in making a complete mess of the story and missing every important aspect of it. It should be disregarded. I would invite anyone who was responsible for it to justify, amongst other things, relocating most of the story to Britain. There is, however, a thoughtful and faithful Chinese adaptation available on Amazon Prime in 30 episodes which is entirely excellent. But be advised, the Neflix version is shockingly dreadful.But read the book first.

★★★★★ Ich fand das Buch bemerkenswert und spannend. Man muss aber schon Interesse an Astrophysik und SiFi haben um es zu schätzen. Nach dem Buch sah ich mir auch gleich die Netflix Serie an. War jedoch kaum noch wieder zu erkennen. Ob besser oder schlechter kann ich nicht sagen- aber das Buch gefiel mir sehr!Der Autor fiel mir auf nach seinem anderen Buch’ the Wandering Earth’. Ein ziemlich cooles Gedanken-Konzept das so mir noch nie begegnete. Toller Autor aus China mit tollen neuen Ideen