Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy

Yuzo Makitani -

What It's About

Remembrance of Earth’s Past (commonly referred to as The Three-Body Problem Trilogy) is a modern science fiction series by Cixin Liu. The series is composed of three novels: The Three Body Problem, Dark Forest, and Death’s End. The trilogy follows humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization named Trisolaris and the resulting catastrophes, triumphs, and rapid changes in sociology and technology it experiences. The books paint a believable picture of how humanity and technology would look like decades, centuries, and millennia into the future based on research and logic.

How I Discovered It

I saw the Netflix adaptation and saw the book series strongly recommended online.

Thoughts

Remembrance of Earth’s Past is my favorite science fiction series to date. The second book, Dark Forest, left the strongest impression because introduces the dark forest solution to the Fermi Paradox.

What I Liked About It

“And then it escalated further” is a succinct summary of the book. It fluidly switches from character building to world building to introducing profound messages about the nature of the universe. I was amazed by the creativity and imagination of Cixin Liu throughout the series. I especially appreciated how he makes future technologies sound plausible rather than magical by extrapolating current known science.

Out of the three novels, I liked Dark Forest the most for its content and characters. I especially found Zhang Beihai to be the most interesting and striking character. Meanwhile, Luo Ji’s maturation from a lazy nobody to wallfacer to sword bearer to elderly man in the last two books was a good progression. In Dark Forest, Liu introduces his thesis on cosmic sociology (solution to the Fermi Paradox), which is the framework that governs events leading up to and past this revelation. So I found Dark Forest to be the most profound.

I also liked Death’s End for its creativity and writing style. It took the story from ordinary science fiction and propelled it further and in time and imagination. The novel is a collection of writings from various sources. I liked this writing style because the title of each section immediately gave context as to what I was about to read. It also allowed the story to unfold from multiple perspectives without losing coherence, adding depth to the narrative.

What I Didn't Like About It

While all three novels are extremely good and they must be read together, The Three Body Problem was a bit of a slow start. Like some other trilogies, the meat of the content begins in the second book.

I also preferred Ken Liu’s translations (1st and 3rd novels) over Joel Martinsen’s translations (2nd novel). The translation of Dark Forest felt clunky compared to Ken’s translations. This seems to be a common feedback from readers. However, the translation did not take away from Cixin Liu’s fantastic world building and messages.

Finally, Liu did a great job making Cheng Xin in the 3rd novel a hatable character. The reason she is despised, as told by Liu, is that she volunteers for massive responsibilities but continuously fails to prioritize humanity’s survival over her conscience. I found AA, her sidekick, to be annoying too. However, Cheng Xin can be seen as a metaphor for humanity’s humanity. That is, she represents humanity’s naive ideal for a better universe. The problem is, she (humanity) is a blind, dreaming sheep surrounded by a mountain of wolves like the Trisolarians and Singer’s race.

Who Would Like It?

I think anybody who wants to expand their understanding of the undiscovered universe and glimpse at humanity as a space-faring species among aliens should read the book. I think for people who aren’t interested in science or technology this series may be a slow burn, but I still recommend them to try it.

The Netflix adaptation also does not do the trilogy justice. If you liked the premise of the show, I highly recommend reading the trilogy for its more nuanced story line and much more likable and complex characters. The trilogy delves much deeper into the science, philosophy, and emotional arcs that the adaptation only touches upon.

Blindsight by Peter Watts

  • A dark, intense exploration of alien intelligence, Blindsight examines the nature of consciousness and humanity’s place in the universe, similar to the first-contact themes of The Three-Body Problem.

The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey

  • This epic space opera series, beginning with Leviathan Wakes, explores interplanetary politics, war, and alien technology, presenting a vast, intricate universe akin to the sweeping narrative of Cixin Liu's series.

The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov

  • Asimov’s classic series explores the cyclical rise and fall of civilizations over millennia, focusing on the role of science and knowledge in shaping the future, much like the grand, long-term perspective in Remembrance of Earth’s Past.

Diaspora by Greg Egan

  • A deeply philosophical novel that investigates post-humanism, artificial intelligence, and the nature of reality, Egan’s work aligns with the intellectual depth and futuristic speculation found in Cixin Liu’s series.

The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter

  • A thought-provoking novel that delves into the impact of technology on human society, particularly in terms of communication and the nature of truth, reflecting some of the societal and philosophical explorations in The Three-Body Problem.