The Three-Body Problem

What begins as a fascinating historical fiction novel quickly explodes into a sci-fi epic.

Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, Cixin Liu imagines a revolt against humanity by a lone individual. The repercussions of this persons actions raise questions about politics, science, society, and the human spirit’s ability (or lack thereof) to unite individuals under a cause that dwarfs them to the millionth degree.

While I struggled through some of the more technical sections of this book, that in no way affected my ability to engage with the wildly imaginative future Liu puts forward. I got whiplash from looking back at some of history’s largest figures and forward to an eclectic collection of those shaping the future. And I loved it.

Favorite Quote

Every family has bug spray, every desk has a fly-swatter under it...this long war has been going on for the entire history of human civilization. But the outcome is still in doubt. The bugs have not been eliminated.