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The Three-Body Problem

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The Three-Body Problem

Written by: Cixin Liu, Ken Liu - translator
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
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The inspiration for the Netflix series 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

Fiction First Contact Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Exploration Interstellar China Technology Computer Science Chinese Science Fiction
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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.

What the critics say

“Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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.

Continue the series

The Dark Forest cover art
The Dark Forest Written by: Cixin Liu, and others
Death's End cover art
Death's End Written by: Cixin Liu, and others
The Redemption of Time cover art
The Redemption of Time Written by: Baoshu, and others

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Interesting premise, far too verbose to be engaging. Luke Daniels' butchering of names was distracting.

struggled to finish..

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Excellent story and book; however the narrator was butchering many of the names and the pronunciation of anglicized Chinese words.

Great book, narrator should learn pronunciation

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this is a really weird book but I like it... it has everything you could want. nerdy science, authoritarian militant government, aliens... everything!!!

weird but good

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This didn't live up to the hype for me. the characters are weak. the story just kind of meanders around. The book utilizes many scientific and sci-fi elements that I enjoy and the overall story is very interesting....I just didn't find the journey the book took me on to be satisfying. I like some dry hard sci-fi, for example the Giants Series by James P. Hogan, but this one just didn't hold my attention.

I'm also on the fence with Luke Daniels reading of the book. I enjoy his general narration, but don't like the character voices he does. Da Shi was particularly painful to listen to. Sounds like a bad cartoon detective.

Im actually glad this has been optioned by netflix. I honestly think this story will work better as series.

too much hype

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At first I was confused keeping track of the Chinese names but the writer does a great job at keeping you up to speed. One of the most unique and interesting stories I've experienced in a long time

A Must Listen

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