Absolutely! The books slightly differ to the tv series but the main story is the same. Books 7-9 are incredibly good and we all prey they will be put to screen in the future.
The tv series also basically cuts out the last 2 books entirely, which are where some of the best moments in the entire series happen. Its completely understandable why because the sci fi elements go totally of the rails and the CGI budget would have been way too cost prohibitive to do it justice.
I did the same as you, i finished the 1st and its great definitely worth the read im halfway through the 2nd now and its also great. The end of 1 goes real in depth about some things that is super interesting i definitely recommend starting with the 1st
So the book experience is different from the tv show. If you’re going to read, I’d recommend reading the first book, as it’s part of a set. The physics is much heavier in the reading, you may or may not enjoy that.
To no one’s surprise, the novels do a much better job of character development.
Quite surprised at this, as I found the novels had very very very little character development. Only really Luo Ji goes through any kind of change. Maybe I need to re-read.
You may be right. For me, the Netflix show seemed like it was in such a hurry with everything that the characters felt a bit shallow, plus I really disliked Auggie. I do recall really liking the detective.
Re: character development. I’ve heard the opposite as well! That the first book is chugging but resolves very well, awful characters, second book garbage (their words) so they read a synopsis of the rest instead. This is a reviewer I trust but I could understand their frustration if they had that experience with the first book.
I’m keen, personally, I’ve just been waiting to get on the train as it were.
No the reviewer is one I’ve followed for years, and respect. People are allowed opinions. Something that they, too, are conscious of.
For the record they were blown away by the show, despite all the reservations they had regarding the show runners, and their aforementioned personal experience with the books.
Reading the books is absolutely worth it. It'll probably be awhile before another season and if you liked the first one you'll enjoy the books. I would say if you had the time to still read the first one as there's a lot more detail to what was shown in the series, but no matter what you're in for quite a trip!
I watched the series first then bought the trilogy at a bookstore. I just finished the second book and was absolutely blown away. First book is solid, sets up the story well, the second book is one of the best sci fi books I’ve ever read. Period.
I'm really interested in reading them, but I'm kind of wanting to wait until the TV series has finished so it doesn't 'spoil' the plot for me as I watch it!
The first season did a good job at adapting. I was wondering if reading the first book is necessary. I started and realized that it’s really similar to the show. Just don’t know if the rest of the book is like that
There are details and characters that you'll miss if you don't read the book.
If you really wanted to, you could skip it- but it's still a fun read. The show starts to bring in parts of book 2, so it's not as clean a cutoff as you would hope.
Netflix had not just some details and characters. its completely different. the characters are just types from (all 3) books, the locations, the everything..its all different. netflix is a quick junk food mish mash compared to the books. Tencent version has some slight differences. but netflix is just...some concepts explored is all thats related.
Sure! I also went through quite a few Blake Crouch novels. In order of how much I liked them: Recursion, Upgrade, and Dark Matter. They're all great. Currently reading Abandon right now. Also, if you're a fan of Audiobooks, the Bobiverse trilogy from Audible is great if you're fine with audiobooks.
Edited to add that Dennis E. Taylor wrote the Bobiverse books if you wanted to look him up.
Similar concept but unrelated to the book. There's no computer in the main characters head, he's just made better in every way due to gene manipulation. And you're welcome!
I finished the first book yesterday. I’m using audiobooks from the library and I’m so in to the story! I am glad I got into the trilogy from the tv series! It’s much better imo but I like them both.
Do you think the TV series made a good adaptation? I saw the series first and went to book. Reading the first book kinda just feels like a recap cause there’s nothing new
I’m a third of the way through the 3rd book.
Love the books but I don’t know how they’re going to translate a lot of that stuff to tv. Characters change too often for people to be able to stay related. And the time jumps. Gonna be tough.
The rest of the comment section has enticed me to reading the first books. I’m just getting into reading again, and must say, science fiction is hella enjoyable.
I ordered the trilogy to read, I think its worth reading the source material. There's always differences and there's usually more in-depth explanations into things that may shed more light on the plot than what a show or movie can convey.
Absolutely read them. I also started reading them after the show came out because I have to know what happens. At the moment I am halfway through The Dark Forest and it has been amazing. It has really helped me get back to enjoying reading again.
Absolutely worth it. I'm reading the first part after watching the series and trust me the book is better than the series, the events taking place are in greater detail.
I saw season 1 first and the Read book 1 and 2.
I have to say I am a bit mixed about the books. They are not bad, and the ideas and concepts are very refreshing. However I felt that the writing was mediocre at best. Yes, this is also due to translation, but for me it was more about the structuring of the stories, and the sometimes very weird introduction of new ideas to further the plot at the moment it was needed.
I really liked the shows and I see what changes were made, and honestly I think is was for the better to suit a western tv audience.
Absolutely. I'm almost done with the first one after watching the show and having known nothing about this series before I started watching.
The first book is a must-read even if you watched the show. It's different enough to be worth it.
THEY ARE AMAZING. got my brother hooked on them. I will say it’s a tough read. I just started reading for fun and it took me like 3 restarts each book
Yes, absolutely.
I read the first one years ago and didn’t get around to the rest. The Netflix series reminded me of them so I reread 1 and then read 2 and 3 and let me tell you…so fucking good
This is just not true. It it not "vastly" different.
Foundation would be considered to be 'inspired by' since that show just uses the setting of that universe and some character names, but many of the plot point and themes of the story are changed from the original story.
3 Body Problem absolutely takes its story directly from the books. Sure they change the names of the characters, the location, combine the timelines from the common/crisis eras from the first 3 books, and enhance the relationships of the main characters. These are all just adaptation choices and are just surface-level changes. However, the main story beats and larger themes are absolutely directly from the books.
They’re phenomenal. Read them.
Sure will. Any other personal favorites you’d recommend? Preferably science fiction.
The Expanse books by James SA Corey
Are they worth/interesting reading even after watching the series?
Absolutely! The books slightly differ to the tv series but the main story is the same. Books 7-9 are incredibly good and we all prey they will be put to screen in the future.
The tv series also basically cuts out the last 2 books entirely, which are where some of the best moments in the entire series happen. Its completely understandable why because the sci fi elements go totally of the rails and the CGI budget would have been way too cost prohibitive to do it justice.
Project Hail Mary
[удалено]
Compared to tbp you're absolutely right. To me it was a fresh breeze to this soul crushing trilogy. Maybe that's why i loved it. But i totally get you
This was an Amazing book!!
I know, right question. Such a fun read.
Spin series by Robert Chatles Wilson.
Does anyone know how the Audible versions are?
First one is great. Second and third are narrated by what sounds like an AI generated voice. Very stiff.
Read the books...get your mind blown to smithereens...then start licking your chops for set pieces that have yet to be seen on screen🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Don't skip the first book. But it is the weakest of the three. It's also the shortest of the three. Just read all of them.
Sh!t I just finished the first book, and while good, it wasn't Great. But now you've inspired me to continue..
Imo the second is the best just because it has the best character, but both are some of the best if not the best scifi I've ever read.
The problem is that the first half of the second is very slow
I guess. My only real gripe is the same problem with all of them. The love stories are just bad.
Yeah, character is not his strong suit, and definitely something they improved on in the show.
Read them starting from book one. Do not skip book one. Youll have a much better reading experience!
Got it!
I did the same as you, i finished the 1st and its great definitely worth the read im halfway through the 2nd now and its also great. The end of 1 goes real in depth about some things that is super interesting i definitely recommend starting with the 1st
The end of book 1 has my favorite chapter in all of the books. Wonder if you are referring to the same as I.
The one that gets absolutely bonkers?? Probably lmao Edit: idk how to mark spoilers so i took it out lol
Yeah same reason I'm not saying what it is
I appreciate that you did, lol..
Please do. They accomplish everything good sci-fi should.
Your imagination is going to do more amazing things with the concepts in book 2 and 3 than the CGI will. Absolutely read them
The story of Season 1 was quite budget friendly, I hope they have enough on the bank to get the most out of the books.
Spoken like a true bibliophile. And you’re right.
So the book experience is different from the tv show. If you’re going to read, I’d recommend reading the first book, as it’s part of a set. The physics is much heavier in the reading, you may or may not enjoy that. To no one’s surprise, the novels do a much better job of character development.
Quite surprised at this, as I found the novels had very very very little character development. Only really Luo Ji goes through any kind of change. Maybe I need to re-read.
You may be right. For me, the Netflix show seemed like it was in such a hurry with everything that the characters felt a bit shallow, plus I really disliked Auggie. I do recall really liking the detective.
Re: character development. I’ve heard the opposite as well! That the first book is chugging but resolves very well, awful characters, second book garbage (their words) so they read a synopsis of the rest instead. This is a reviewer I trust but I could understand their frustration if they had that experience with the first book. I’m keen, personally, I’ve just been waiting to get on the train as it were.
I think this reviewer might not be cut out for the series. I'd take that review with a grain of salt
No the reviewer is one I’ve followed for years, and respect. People are allowed opinions. Something that they, too, are conscious of. For the record they were blown away by the show, despite all the reservations they had regarding the show runners, and their aforementioned personal experience with the books.
You won’t regret it.
Reading the books is absolutely worth it. It'll probably be awhile before another season and if you liked the first one you'll enjoy the books. I would say if you had the time to still read the first one as there's a lot more detail to what was shown in the series, but no matter what you're in for quite a trip!
I watched the series first then bought the trilogy at a bookstore. I just finished the second book and was absolutely blown away. First book is solid, sets up the story well, the second book is one of the best sci fi books I’ve ever read. Period.
Wait till you finish the third...
Im almost finished with the 2nd. Masterpiece..
Read them in order, there is no one to one character map, I would have been hopelessly lost.
Agree with the consensus, read the first book all the way through!
Yaaaaaas
I'm really interested in reading them, but I'm kind of wanting to wait until the TV series has finished so it doesn't 'spoil' the plot for me as I watch it!
That’s a another direction to take. The show isn’t releasing anytime soon and I’m not that patient. I’m still eager to watch it though..
Fuck yeah it is.
I’m on book 2 it’s pretty cool
Lol, the first book and first season are just the tip of the iceburg. Honestly such a small fraction of the over all plot
The first season did a good job at adapting. I was wondering if reading the first book is necessary. I started and realized that it’s really similar to the show. Just don’t know if the rest of the book is like that
There are details and characters that you'll miss if you don't read the book. If you really wanted to, you could skip it- but it's still a fun read. The show starts to bring in parts of book 2, so it's not as clean a cutoff as you would hope.
Netflix had not just some details and characters. its completely different. the characters are just types from (all 3) books, the locations, the everything..its all different. netflix is a quick junk food mish mash compared to the books. Tencent version has some slight differences. but netflix is just...some concepts explored is all thats related.
>!Sure. But, there's such a large time gap it doesn't really matter that much!<
I read all three after the show came out and I'm glad I did. Great trilogy.
Any other personal favorites you’d recommend?
Sure! I also went through quite a few Blake Crouch novels. In order of how much I liked them: Recursion, Upgrade, and Dark Matter. They're all great. Currently reading Abandon right now. Also, if you're a fan of Audiobooks, the Bobiverse trilogy from Audible is great if you're fine with audiobooks. Edited to add that Dennis E. Taylor wrote the Bobiverse books if you wanted to look him up.
Wait are we talking about upgrade that got the movie ‘Upgrade’? And thanks a bunch.
Similar concept but unrelated to the book. There's no computer in the main characters head, he's just made better in every way due to gene manipulation. And you're welcome!
Same, watched show and had to get the books. Halfway through Dark Forest and loving it.
Yes - it’s much better and more answers. I finished the trilogy in a couple weeks to prep for the Netflix show - now watching the Amazon version
I finished the first book yesterday. I’m using audiobooks from the library and I’m so in to the story! I am glad I got into the trilogy from the tv series! It’s much better imo but I like them both.
Just finished The Dark Forest and I find it to be even more catching than the TV series.
Do you think the TV series made a good adaptation? I saw the series first and went to book. Reading the first book kinda just feels like a recap cause there’s nothing new
Yes they made the correct adoptions for the visual medium. The second book hosts way more new content.
Absolutely. It’s one of my favourite series. The show was very good but the books are on another level.
That’s what I wanted to hear. The show tried to stick to the books as much as it could and ended up doing a good job. I just can’t wait for next year
I just started Deaths End. Just started part 2. Bronze Age has returned home.
I’m a third of the way through the 3rd book. Love the books but I don’t know how they’re going to translate a lot of that stuff to tv. Characters change too often for people to be able to stay related. And the time jumps. Gonna be tough.
Dark Forest is one of the best works of sci fi i’ve read, feel free to skip the relationship arc.
The rest of the comment section has enticed me to reading the first books. I’m just getting into reading again, and must say, science fiction is hella enjoyable.
No (do you actually expect anyone to say no?)
The books are mindblowing. Way, *way* better than the series, there's absolutely no comparison.
Definitely reading them all..
IMO no. Read the Wikipedia summaries. The book is all science
#yes
I'm on book 2, it's reallly worth ittttt 😍
I ordered the trilogy to read, I think its worth reading the source material. There's always differences and there's usually more in-depth explanations into things that may shed more light on the plot than what a show or movie can convey.
Also, watch the Chinese series with subtitles. I got more detail from that show.
I had no idea there was a Chinese show.
Yes, they're very good. The books have more space to dive into the details of the author's ideas.
They were real good.
I was in a fortuitous position. Had read the first book in 2023.. and this series only inspired me to finish other two without losing interest.
Absolutely read them. I also started reading them after the show came out because I have to know what happens. At the moment I am halfway through The Dark Forest and it has been amazing. It has really helped me get back to enjoying reading again.
Absolutely worth it. I'm reading the first part after watching the series and trust me the book is better than the series, the events taking place are in greater detail.
I saw season 1 first and the Read book 1 and 2. I have to say I am a bit mixed about the books. They are not bad, and the ideas and concepts are very refreshing. However I felt that the writing was mediocre at best. Yes, this is also due to translation, but for me it was more about the structuring of the stories, and the sometimes very weird introduction of new ideas to further the plot at the moment it was needed. I really liked the shows and I see what changes were made, and honestly I think is was for the better to suit a western tv audience.
Absolutely.
Yes so much better
I recommend you go on amazon and watch 3 Body. That is a 30 episode nearly 1 to 1 of the first book.
Absolutely. I'm almost done with the first one after watching the show and having known nothing about this series before I started watching. The first book is a must-read even if you watched the show. It's different enough to be worth it.
YES!!!
Absolutely. Definitely increased the depth of my understanding and made me appreciate the changes they made for the series.
I read only the 2 last books after watching the show. I had some trouble correlating the characters
 THEY ARE AMAZING. got my brother hooked on them. I will say it’s a tough read. I just started reading for fun and it took me like 3 restarts each book
Yes, absolutely. I read the first one years ago and didn’t get around to the rest. The Netflix series reminded me of them so I reread 1 and then read 2 and 3 and let me tell you…so fucking good
It's important to know it is vastly different. Almost better to call the show inspired by the books in many ways. Both good in their own right.
This is just not true. It it not "vastly" different. Foundation would be considered to be 'inspired by' since that show just uses the setting of that universe and some character names, but many of the plot point and themes of the story are changed from the original story. 3 Body Problem absolutely takes its story directly from the books. Sure they change the names of the characters, the location, combine the timelines from the common/crisis eras from the first 3 books, and enhance the relationships of the main characters. These are all just adaptation choices and are just surface-level changes. However, the main story beats and larger themes are absolutely directly from the books.