12-22-2015, 05:34 PM
This was the 2015 Hugo winner in the novel category. The translation was done by Ken Liu, a Nebula and Hugo award winner in his own right.
The story starts in the grim re-education times in China, with a good helping of politics. I was worried that the title might refer to three political factions rather than to the astrophysical three-body problem. But I needn't have worried, as it soon become apparent Liu Cixin is a sense-of-wonder guy. There's an old-style Golden Age science fictiony feel to his writing. It's deftly plotted and ever full of surprises, and the sense of wonder just keeps growing. Some of his ideas require considerable suspension of disbelief, but he does a good job of making you want to.
I didn't read the other nominated novels, so I can't say this was the best of the year, but to my mind it's worthy of the award -- something that cannot always be said.
Very much worth a doppelgander. No, wait. There's no twins, so strike that. But I found it an enjoyable read.
The story starts in the grim re-education times in China, with a good helping of politics. I was worried that the title might refer to three political factions rather than to the astrophysical three-body problem. But I needn't have worried, as it soon become apparent Liu Cixin is a sense-of-wonder guy. There's an old-style Golden Age science fictiony feel to his writing. It's deftly plotted and ever full of surprises, and the sense of wonder just keeps growing. Some of his ideas require considerable suspension of disbelief, but he does a good job of making you want to.
I didn't read the other nominated novels, so I can't say this was the best of the year, but to my mind it's worthy of the award -- something that cannot always be said.
Very much worth a doppelgander. No, wait. There's no twins, so strike that. But I found it an enjoyable read.