THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM by CIXIN LIU (2006, in China; US translation 2014)

I decided to binge read science fiction novels after reading an interview in the New York Times with outgoing President Barack Obama concerning what books mean to him. He said that there are occasions when "I just want to get out of my own head. Sometimes you read fiction just because you want to be somewhere else." Then he mentioned that The Three-Body Problem was one of the best escapist books he had read lately.

I, also, would like to be somewhere else right now, so I am beginning my science fiction readings with President Obama's recommendation.

This is old-school hard science fiction, with the emphasis on science, so much of the information and jargon went right over my non-scientific head. However, it is not imperative that a reader have a working knowledge of physics to follow the plot. Wang Maio is a nanomaterials researcher who begins to experience seemingly impossible phenomena aimed at getting him to stop his research. He learns also that several prominent physicists have recently committed suicide. Someone or something appears to be trying to stop the progress of science. Various colleagues either urge him to give up his research to prevent something terrible from happening or urge him to continue so as to help save civilization. The first half of the book should have been a suspenseful mystery as to what is going on, but it is effectively spoiled by the revelation on the back cover of the book that aliens from outer space are on their way to earth. I would have enjoyed the book more if that bit of information had been left off.

The second half of the book concerns the responses of those in the know to the looming threat. Some believe that the aliens will try to destroy humanity and want to prepare for defense. Some believe that aliens will merely subjugate earth's population and believe that an advanced culture will save humanity from destroying itself. Some welcome the idea that the aliens will destroy all human life, believing that it is not worth saving. This half chronicles the efforts of the groups to attain their desired goal: to defeat the aliens, to submit to them, or to aid in humanity's annihilation by preventing scientific progress that might lead to effective weapons.

And then the book abruptly ends.

I did not realize until I finished the book that it is the first in a trilogy, and that after 400+ pages it would just stop, years before the aliens are expected to arrive. I guess I will never know how humanity fares because I don't believe I will read the next two. It was an interesting read but not interesting enough that I am willing to devote time to read 800 more pages.

The Three-Body Problem won the Hugo Award for best science fiction novel in 2015 and was nominated for the Nebula Award.