Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by RonBurgundy, Dec 23, 2015.

  1. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    http://www.amazon.com/The-Three-Body-Problem-Cixin-Liu/dp/0765377063

    Award winning, insanely popular science fiction book in China, recently translated into English.

    I am 19% of the way through (fast read so far) and I just hit the spot where I can see why this is popular. Dialogue is awkward due to cultural differences, but very well written so far.
     
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  2. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
    Staff Donor TMB OG

    Downloaded it last night. Saving for January when it'll (hopefully) be the book club book.
     
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  3. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    sounds great. See you in 0192:26:16 then!

    that was the shittiest half pun I've ever made. Laps taken!
     
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  4. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Mystery is building, good setup, really makes me want to keep reading to find out what's going to happen.

    To anyone who starts, just know the first 15% is all setup, just keep reading.

    Also, DONT READ REVIEWS. Was going to grab book reviews to promote this as a book club book and I was really enjoying the suspense of not knowing wtf was going to happen (other than knowing it was a good book from the Writing Excuses podcast), and the reviews spoiled what the mystery is about (but not the ending). Still slightly bummed.
     
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  5. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    End of chapter 7, 27% complete

    That 3body.net game...
    [​IMG]
     
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  6. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    I am so confused yet so intrigued.

    Captain "Da Shi" Shi Qiang is a great character.

    I’m a simple man without a lot of complicated twists and turns. Look down my throat and you can see out my ass.

    Also through 32% of this book I've learned I have no fucking clue how Chinese names work.
     
  7. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    39%
    [​IMG]
    41%
    [​IMG]
    43%
    [​IMG]
    45%

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    #7 RonBurgundy, Dec 25, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2015
  8. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    39-49% was tough reading at times due to the insane amounts of science and pseudoscience. I think that's in the past now.
     
  9. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    RonBurgundy Is this book worth it? Need a new one to start tomorrow.
     
  10. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    I'm 70% through it. Haven't read it for awhile due to being busy. It's worth a read but only if you like sci fi
     
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  11. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Sci fi is my jam. Will start tomorrow.
     
  12. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    It's a good sci fi book for sure. I'm not a sci fi fan and it's still been a good read but just weird at times.
     
  13. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Started tonight and knocked out a good chunk. Through Chapter 7. Not really sure where we're going. Lots going on but Im really intrigued.

    That was like a short story within the book. Reminded me of Ready Player One. Im done reading for the night, but Im dying to keep going to see what the significance of that was

    Also, Im glad you're having trouble with the names. I am too. I feel like a dumb American. They translated this to English. I wish they'd give them English names like Judy instead of Ye Zhetai and shit. Im only half kidding.
     
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  14. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    Also, I also thought of RPO
     
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  15. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through Chapter 11

    Im over this video game shit. I hate dream sequences as a plot device. This is pretty much the same thing. Looking forward to the next few chapters when it looks like we get to see what happened to Ye at this science compound.
     
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  16. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Well bad news is you are about to go through what I thought was the slowest part of the book.

    Also, I'm at 80%. Fairly underwhelmed because nothing is happening. There was like 2-3 major plot events and since nothing. Thought shit would go down by now.
     
  17. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through Part 2 / Chapter 20.

    Yep. That was pretty damn slow. This book is a physics nerd's wet dream



    I just cant get into this video game. I know it's fake and thus it has no stake for me. Im sure/hope it has some kind of tie - in later. Pls tell me it picks up after this.
     
    #17 Truman, Jan 7, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2018
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  18. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through Chapter 23

    We have contact by Aliens. About damn time. Gonna try to knock the rest of this book out today. Im kind of getting sick of it and just want to finish
     
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  19. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Finished. This book is for Neil Degrasse Tyson level psychics nerds. 80% of the book is science descriptions. The parts that were plot driven were cool, but man that was a slog. I'll probably read the rest of the books and hate myself for it. The english version of the third book doesnt come out until August, so I'll probably wait a bit to read the 2nd.
     
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  20. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Finished. Slog. Science overwhelming everything by the end. 5.5/10 wanted to like it more than I did by the end.
     
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  21. lhprop1

    lhprop1 Fullsterkur
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    I had a hold on it at the library for the last few months and I just picked it up last night. I only made it through the first 90 pages, but if I didn't have to go to bed and get up for work, I'd still probably still be sitting on the couch reading.
     
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  22. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Im glad we have someone else reading it. Looking forward to your thoughts
     
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  23. lhprop1

    lhprop1 Fullsterkur
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    To this point, I think it's entirely original and very intriguing. I've always been fascinated by the Soviet era and the shitty things they did to their people. The Cultural Revolution is something that I haven't heard a lot about, so I do enjoy reading about that, as well.
     
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  24. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Yeah. I hate to be a wet blanket but the first 25-30% was the most interesting to me. I knew very little about Mao and the Cultural Revolution. Did a lot of wiki-ing while reading the first part of this book.

    Also learned that 3 Body Problem is a well known basic physics theory/problem. Neat!
     
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  25. lhprop1

    lhprop1 Fullsterkur
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    Only about 80 pages left. I'll finish it in my next sitting if I don't fall asleep.

    I have a general knowledge of science and I didn't think it was too much. It could get a bit technical at times, but I think most of the sciency stuff was necessary to explain what was going on. I'll definitely be picking up book 2 soon, and book 3 when it's translated.
     
  26. lhprop1

    lhprop1 Fullsterkur
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    2nd book, The Dark Forest, is much better. There's very little technical science, no jumping back and forth between the game and real life (IIRC, the game doesn't even exist anymore in the 2nd book), and it's very plot driven with lots of appearances by Da Shi.

    My only problem with it is that the ending seems pretty conclusive. I'm interested to see what the plot for the 3rd book will be.
     
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  27. Name P. Redacted

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    Gone through Three Body and Dark Forest, found them both to be really great.

    Third book releases this month.
     
  28. Name P. Redacted

    Name P. Redacted I have no money and I'm also gay
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    For chinese names, the last/family name comes before the first name and apparently you reference someone by their entire name. I read Three Body and listened to Dark Forest on Audible, my pronunciation of the names was WAY off. Da Shi is pronounced like da shur.

    Truman do you not know how to spell Physics?

     
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  29. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Looks like you answered your own question.


    Have read the second book. The first one was such a slog, but Im going to give it a go
     
  30. brolift

    brolift 2sweet
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    I thoroughly enjoyed the book and finished it in two sessions. The way the author really blurs the lines between science and fiction which is tight to me.
     
  31. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Heard Amazon is optioning this for a series.
     
  32. LuPoor

    LuPoor Cuddle with the homies watching Stand By Me
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    They've budgeted a billion dollars for it.

    Halfway through book 2 rn
     
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  33. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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  34. LuPoor

    LuPoor Cuddle with the homies watching Stand By Me
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    Boooooo please stop hiring them
     
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  35. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Just finished this book and laughing at how bad my takes were the first go around. :laugh:

    In my defense, i was a pretty novice reader and i just didn’t get it. Really enjoyed it this time around and looking forward to reading the next two. And the TV series
     
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  36. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Just finished the trilogy. One of the more challenging/ mind fuck things I’ve read. Just a lot to comprehend. Really enjoyed it. But also that last book was so long and dense. It could / should have been 2 book. By the end , I was hitting a wall.

    still a great series. Highly recommend and I get why it’s modern sci-fi canon
     
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  37. Name P. Redacted

    Name P. Redacted I have no money and I'm also gay
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    I listened to the audio books. Even then it was a struggle at times but damn what a series.
     
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  38. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    With all the non western names, I would have been totally lost
     
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  39. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Three Body Problem comes out on Thursday!! They delay it 3 months only to start it the same day as the NCAA tournament. This is some bullshit!!
     
  40. Irush

    Irush Well-Known Member
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    Read this trilogy back in 2019 when a friend bought all 3 books for me as a Xmas gift. I’m willing to watch the first episode to see if it catches my attention but I’m not a fan of making half of the relevant Chinese characters into British people