The Three-Body Problem Audiobook By Cixin Liu, Ken Liu - translator cover art

The Three-Body Problem

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The Three-Body Problem

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

Accolades & Awards

Hugo Award
2015
Hugo Award Science Fiction World Literature First Contact Space Exploration Hard Science Fiction Fiction Emotionally Gripping Interstellar Chinese Science Fiction

Interview: Ken Liu on the performance of translation

'... It's just fascinating how writing really changes the way we think about language.'
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  • The Three-Body Problem
  • '... It's just fascinating how writing really changes the way we think about language.'
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Critic reviews

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

Featured Article: The Most Stellar Sci-Fi Authors of All Time


Science fiction is a genre as diverse as you can imagine. There are stories that take place in deep space, often depicting teams exploring or running away from something; stories that focus on life at the most cellular level, such as a pandemic tale; and stories that take place in times that feel similar to our own. Depicting themes of existentialism, philosophy, hubris, and personal and historical trauma, sci-fi has a cadre of topics and moods.

Continue the series

The Dark Forest Audiobook By Cixin Liu, Joel Martinsen - translator cover art
The Dark Forest By: Cixin Liu, and others
Death's End Audiobook By Cixin Liu, Ken Liu - translator cover art
Death's End By: Cixin Liu, and others
The Redemption of Time Audiobook By Baoshu, Ken Liu - Translator cover art
The Redemption of Time By: Baoshu, and others
Thought-provoking Concepts • Original Perspective • Distinct Character Voices • Ambitious Scope • Unique Cultural Backdrop

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The scope of this series is incredible and makes you feel smaller in the universe with each book you read. Mindblowing sci fi concepts that are well researched. some reviewers say charecter development is 'flat' but the author makes up for it with great imagery and imagination. Great almost seemless translation into english and i like this narrorator better than the one for the 2nd and 3rd book

Epic trilogy is one of my all time favorite SciFis

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Outstanding narration. The range of voices from this narrator is impressive.

This book is unique. Imagine a deep forward looking science and technology focus with philosophical underpinnings. As a stereotypical white American male, I found myself reflecting on the author, his experience, Chinese culture and game theory.

I enjoy translated fiction for the self reflection aspects. This is not a book that will reinforce your existing bias.

The book has two halves, a hard-sciences laden mystery with moral underpinnings and a reveal featuring Sci-fi/futurist explanation and philosophical quandary. The greater your understanding of popular recent science, the more you will appreciate.

Overall, this is a unique, nerdy, and delightful experience.

Unique, nerdy, philosophical. Best of 2014.

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The worst thing about The Three Body Problem is that it's not all bad. Cixin Liu can sometimes turn out a beautiful passage, engaging character, or arresting image. Unfortunately, this meant my reading experience was one of alternating boredom, frustration, and actual interest. Every time I decided I had had it and was going to quit, something would happen to string me along. In retrospect, I wish I'd just stopped in the first hour.

Deeply unsatisfying

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There is a lot to like in this book. Its talks about big ideas. It's setting during the Chinese Cultural Revolution is unique and fascinating. It's portrays scientist as actual full three dimensional human beings instead of just dour, lab-coated problem solvers our of central casting. And the story moves along briskly, takes unexpected turns and mostly holds your interest.

But the science gets progressively more and more far-fetched and hard to swallow as the author tries to resolve plot points introduced at the beginning of the book. The zither had my eyes rolling but it was the introduction of the sophons that 3BP really jumped the science tracks headed into fantasy land. I don't think GRR Martin or JR Tolkien could have pulled off sophons. Dragons are much more believable.

And I am willing to forgive a lot of SF BS. Dilithium crystals will let you go FTL? Well, OK. You made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs? If you say so. But a proton sized indestructible, super intelligent AI that zips around the universe at speed of light in order to play tricks on theoretical physicist? Nope.

Hard science? Hardly.

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It’s rare for me to not see what’s coming next in a book...but this one always kept me guessing, wondering what was coming around the corner. Even better was the amount of scholarship that the author evinced. It reminds me of Michael Crichton...but much, much better. Strongly recommended!

Best SF I’ve seen in a long, long time.

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