The Three-Body Problem: An Excerpt

A scene from the past with too many echoes today

For those who haven’t seen the recent Netflix series or read the book, the following scenes are excerpted from Cixin Liu’s novel The Three-Body Problem, the first book in a Ring-type saga, a trilogy-with-prequel called Remembrance of Earth’s Past.

The book captured the science fiction world since first publication. It won the Chinese Galaxy Award in 2006, and the 2014 English translation won a Hugo for Best Novel.

First, I’m presenting this excerpt, with thoughts, as an extra for paid subscribers, as a way to say thank-you. This is a limited publication in a private newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I hope it inspires you to purchase and read the book.

Second, I’m presenting this excerpt for its drama. The moment builds to a powerful conclusion, one I didn’t expect as I read the book. This is a writerly reason; I’m going to be adding fiction to the offerings here, reviews of fiction and perhaps some work of my own.

Third, this scene is appropriate for today. This is a political reason. See my comments below for an explanation.