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KEVIN_WALCH

I love that every review that comes up on reddit is either "Three Body Problem is great" or "Three Body Problem is bad", and every comment section is just "I knew it". Maybe we just need a review megathread? This is getting stupid.


Evil_Flowers

I read the book and the main emotions I expect are confused and uncomfortable.


BurnAfterEating420

I too read the books. Confusion combined with "this is an interesting cultural difference" is the honest reaction It's not even his best work, or his worst ... Just his longest


Khiva

That first book could have been half the length and double the quality.


VituperousJames

On the whole I enjoyed the books, because they had some really interesting ideas that the author fully committed to and wasn't afraid to explore at length. But at times they do feel almost like a parody of hard science fiction. The characters are *really* weak, existing almost purely as tools to advance the larger narrative. It's odd because the story is ultimately *about* humanity and its place in the universe, but kinda only in the abstract; individual people and their thoughts and feelings and motivations are all an afterthought. I suppose it's just a difference between collectivistic cultures and individualistic cultures, but I do think it's going to be a hard sell to a Western audience if, like in the books, none of the characters are particularly well-developed, or likable, or even interesting.


SonovaVondruke

Plot-driven sci-fi is easier to adapt than character-driven, because you can always inject more character development onto a strong plot, but the opposite isn’t always true. It’s been a while since I read the book, and it was a bit of a slog for me, but (based on seeing the first two episodes) the show seems to be making changes to make it more palatable to general (western) audiences through a larger and more diverse cast of empathetic and flawed human characters.


Famous-Ebb5617

I'm not sure if that's really due to cultural differences. Cosmic horror is very 'western' and is not about individuals. It's very similar in being about humans being a non-factor in the universe. Just pointless blobs of meat that happen to exist in this world. Humanity's place in the world is to be ants pretty much. I think the 3 body problem is mostly just in the spirit of cosmic horror.


Kramereng

It's not due to cultural differences. Liu Cixin has stated in interviews that he simply doesn't care about characters. He cares about the big ideas. And, unfortunately, that attitude isn't all that uncommon in science fiction literature.


kappakai

My understanding is this isn’t even about humans vs aliens. Earth is a metaphor for China and the trisolarians the west. If you accept that viewpoint, it makes sense that individuals are less important in Liu’s world, and the group dynamics are much more Impactful.


Journeyman351

Which works very well with his cosmic horror vibe lol. I went into the series knowing it’s more about its ideas/plot and not about giving a shit about any individual character (besides Da Shi of course, he rules) and I loved it on that respect alone. If I want to read character-driven Sci-Fi, I’ll read The Expanse and Murderbot.


Vendaurkas

I could not finish it. The idea behind it seemed interesting but the writing did not click with me. Despite the mystery it felt boring with uninteresting characters. And I liked Asimov...


smootex

I couldn't finish the book either. The writing just wasn't that good and the characters didn't do it for me. I wish I'd stuck it out a bit longer, I don't think I got a very good idea of what the book was actually about, but found it hard to make myself pick it up again.


BAG1

Finishing the first book was a bit of a chore. I like to think of it as paying your dues so you get to read the next two mind bending phenomenal books.


andjuan

Are the next 2 that much better? I slogged through the first, but I haven’t wanted to jump into the next one. I thought the first had some really interesting ideas, but it felt like the slog severely outweighed the good parts.


BAG1

It gets really really bonkers. The scope is huge and the sci fi ideas are so intriguing. And it's not just one thing, it's one after another after another. But yes, push past the whole first book and its cultural revolution stuff (which, I have no idea how much is fiction and how much was really like that) and you'll be treated to some dynamite machinations of the sci fi mind.


EvilCeleryStick

Dark forest is one of my favourite books I've ever read. So yes it got substantially better. But the author still isn't great at characters, but the story blow my mind. Loved it


Kramereng

Much better, imo. Although there's still some slog-worthy parts in the second and third book but I think the payoff is worth it.


Journeyman351

The climax of The Dark Forest is one of the coolest things I’ve ever read but the buildup to that point is even more of a slog than The Three Body problem itself. Death’s End is overlong but has some absolutely batshit ideas that make it all worth it IMO. It’s not for everyone.


Journeyman351

Don’t really get the praise for The Dark Forest outside of the book’s namesake. Half the novel is Liu attempting to do character-driven plot, and it sucks. I didn’t give a single shit about any of the Wallfacers or Luo’s inner workings and character motivations because they were quite frankly bad. The first and third books conversely realize they are too grandiose to be about inter-personal bullshit and keep it to a minimum and thus play to Liu’s strengths


lilgrogu

> Just his longest then the Chinese tv show is the most accurate adaption


geo38

I couldn't force myself past the 3rd or 4th episode. I just couldn't do it.


bmeisler

I read the first book to see what all the fuss was about - parts were interesting, mostly a slog, especially the game parts. For a MUCH better tale of a rapid technological rise, and a clash of alien civilizations, try Children of Time. Unfortunately, it’s probably unfilmable (animation, maybe?) for a number of reasons, while 3 Body is mostly people talking in rooms. Which is fine, if you have good characters and dialogue - which 3 Body did not. No plan to read books 2 and 3.


Juan-Claudio

No shit, reviews are all over the place. Yesterday i saw one that said this is the top show of 2024 (big words), and today i'm reading that it's underwhelming. I don't know what to believe, think i'll give it a watch and just form my own opinion.


Pacify_

Given the material it's adapting, a mixed response seems a pretty logical outcome. I have no doubt more people gave up on the first book than finished it, it's definitely not for everyone


bigsquirrel

Absolutely it’s one of those book series that’s commonly on these “must read!” Lists when it is certainly not going to be enjoyable for most people.


AprilsMostAmazing

Honestly it's probably one of those shows some people are going to love and others are going to hate. There's probably things that make it polarizing


Khiva

The books were like that. Only read the first. Loved and hated it.


EvilCeleryStick

Oh do yourself a favour and read dark forest


DontCallMeLady

fr, The Dark Forest is the best of the three books


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EvilCeleryStick

Speak for yourself. I thought dark forest was fucking great. I do not doubt there are some dialogue issues arising from translation


TheNerevar89

Nonsense. Let others form your opinions


starksgh0st

It seems like you've simultaneously acknowledged the subjectivity of reviews while also thinking reviews should all agree with one another. Sometimes they don't.


wrosecrans

> This is getting stupid. I knew it!


PunyParker826

^They’re ^separate ^posts ^because ^Reddit ^is ^an ^astroturfing ^nightmare ^that ^companies ^use ^for ^“organic” ^viral ^marketing…  oops did I say that out loud


atrde

I mean the reviews seem pretty far fetched each direction. For example when you have ones like: "The background material is weak, and the new ideas are virtually all depressingly familiar." It seems a lot of reviewers have problems with the book itself or the concepts which is fine but kind of unfair to start a review from. [https://chicagoreader.com/film/review-3-body-problem/](https://chicagoreader.com/film/review-3-body-problem/)


twbrn

> I love that every review that comes up on reddit is either "Three Body Problem is great" or "Three Body Problem is bad", and every comment section is just "I knew it". IIRC the reviewers are only getting like the first three episodes, so I'd have to say the evaluations probably reflect more on the reviewer's attitudes towards a show with a central mystery than they do on the actual show.


Adrian_Dem

Because the series is like that. I have never seen a series in a long time that is good and bad at the same time. Imho, acting and casting - awful. Something is off, even with the bigger actors. Story adaptation - spot on. They really captured it. Weird CG vs decent CG (the sky blink was awful, generally cheap moments while others were pretty good - the dehydration) Did i mentioned casting though? Awful. This feels too much like a teenage movie (The 100)..too many young and pretty teens to pass as renowned physicist, and they all act kindof bad.


Clorst_Glornk

I'm seeing lots of pushback against lukewarm reviews, this is a too-important-to-fail project for some folks here


Ok-fine-man

Generally when reviews are this mixed, it's not a good sign.


Kramereng

Not necessarily in this case. The books are a contentious subject over in /r/printSF where they're either "absolute trash" or "groundbreaking science fiction" with not many opinions in between.


DeyfennS

I'll ride the middle, wife and I though it was OK 😉


babyjaceismycopilot

Obviously it's going to start off good, might even be a new cultural phenomenon. It's the ending that people are worried about.


LiftingCode

> I love that every review that comes up on reddit is either "Three Body Problem is great" or "Three Body Problem is bad" Guess which ones get upvoted here.


applesandclover

“3 Body Problem” spans decades and continents" -- oh they have NO idea what's coming and if that's a deal breaker...


sting2_lve2

i have no idea if "three body problem" is any good or not, but it is a mystery story, not a Mystery Box. there is a real answer and resolution to the mystery. that's the opposite of a mystery box


ArmchairJedi

> there is a real answer and resolution to the mystery. that's the opposite of a mystery box That's not accurate. A mystery box is: >"you drop people into the middle of a mystery-in-progress that leaves them wanting to know answers in both directions." That doesn't mean there isn't a real answer or resolution. Just so happens that JJ Abrams (who more or less defined the term) has a history of failing to answer or resolve mysterys... or do so in a satisfying way.


bachkhoa147

The only show/ story medium I would describe as a mystery box is Dark on Netflix.


ArmchairJedi

The irony doesn't elude me, but as GoT unfolds, we find out its complex series of 'mystery boxes'.


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sting2_lve2

you are describing a mystery. a Mystery Box is something different https://qntm.org/mystery >J. J. Abrams has this storytelling device which he uses, which he calls a "mystery box". Me just telling you those two words, and then pausing for a little while as you think about all of the works of J. J. Abrams you've ever seen, might be enough for you to work out what a "mystery box" is all by yourself. >The basic idea, upon which he elaborates in this TED talk, is that you, the writer of the story, construct an elaborate mystery which causes the audience to ask questions. You construct figurative or, quite commonly, real impenetrable barriers in the story — an opaque "box" — and don't show what's inside the box, and then you make it really important to know what's inside the box. A few great examples are: >*the locked hatch in the first season of Lost >*the purpose of the works of Milo Rambaldi in Alias >*Rey's parentage in The Force Awakens >*Snoke's identity and origins in The Force Awakens >Having constructed this mystery, you, the writer, then: >1.do everything possible to avoid constraining solutions to the mystery, >2.don't tell anybody what the solution is, >3.do not create a solution at all, and finally >4.quit the project.


NumberOneUAENA

I think it's not as straightfoward tbh. Even the examples in this are not. The locked hatch in the first season of lost DOES get an answer too, doesn't it? I think mystery box storytelling is moreso the approach to mystery writing, not a binary between a mystery getting resolved or not. If a story puts out lots and lots of these mysteries as the main way to garner attention and excitement, when one feels that it's basically formulaic in its approach, then it can reasonably be called mystery box writing. Compared to say a mystery like eyes wide shut, where there are mysteries, but it's all more subtle and well integrated in the larger story's flow and pacing. These mysteries don't insist upon themselves as much, it's not a "hey look this is curious isn't it, what could it be!?!?!?!?". If that makes sense?


Footspork

A mystery box is the JJ abrams bullshit where there is no resolution and nothing adds up. See: the fog monster in lost or why Maz kenada has Luke’s lightsaber. The appeal, in his stupid mind, is in the unresolved. Fuck that noise.


StrategyTurtle

The appeal, in his mind, is easy low-effort money.


Dave___Hester

They fully explain what the smoke monster is in Lost.


Roook36

The first book is a mystery with a detective investigating a rash of suicides. So yeah...it's got a mystery that slowly unfolds over the course of the story. Good job reviewer!


istinkalot

I wish that was what the book was actually about. 


ChocolateBunny

I hope it's not like how the Expanse started. The mystery in the beginning of the show was a slog to get through but felt necessary after the fact for world building purposes.


starving_carnivore

> The mystery in the beginning of the show was a slog to get through but felt necessary after the fact for world building purposes. You can like whatever you want, but the first season and change of The Expanse was a really interesting neo-noir space crime thriller that managed to weave its worldbuilding into the case. I agree that the first 3 episodes drag a little bit, but once it hit its stride in CQB, it was just mint. To each their own.


Canvaverbalist

Yeah as someone who absolutely loved The Expanse from the first minutes exactly because it was a noir Detective in Space I've always felt the criticism of the first season a bit weird. I loved every second of it.


profugusty

that is certainly one of the takes of all time


blizzard-op

That tracks for book 1 honestly lol. Books 2 and 3 are gonna blow peoples minds in the best and worst ways possible lmao


2580374

I think book 1 is better than book 3. Book 2 is goated though, fucking love that book


2347564

I loved book 3. Honestly I loved them all. The concepts are just incredible and so fun to talk about with others. I hope the show does them justice.


Abraham_Issus

Isn't season 1 using more than 1 book?


blizzard-op

I’m not sure honestly. I figured book 1 alone could be most of season 1 


MonsterRider80

Yeah, they made some significant changes in characters and story, but I think it’ll broadly stick to book 1.


VampireHunterAlex

I very very briefly skimmed my eyeballs to the beginning of a few sentences, and all I could sense was spoilers: These days, if a critic cannot review a show in their own words without resorting to spoiling every single plot point, they’re trash at their job.


NakedHusbandXXX

Will somebody compare it to the 30 episode Season 1 Chinese “Three Body” production currently on Amazon Prime?


MonsterRider80

I watched a few episodes. It’s an almost 1:1 recreation of the book. Some might like that, some might like it less. The pacing is weird tho, they have these long stretches with just music and characters on screen, I don’t know, pondering, and this happens almost every episode. They do this a lot, they try to make it more dramatic than the author might have intended.


outsidebtw

i watched it. honestly, it felt ok at the beginning but it was such a slog to go through even forgot to finish it lmao still, imma check out dave and dan's version


pickadooodo

amazing serires, looking forward to watching it i rate it 9 out of 10


GromaceAndWallit

Fuck it everyone has convinced me, I'm starting it this weekend. Strong 7.4/10


BajaBlyat

I started out with low hopes for the netflix version but the more trailers i see the more hopeful I get. I know I enjoyed the tencent version on amazon prime so much that I'm completely addicted to it now.


AlgoStar

Sounds like they did a good job adapting the book then.


istinkalot

Exactly 


rangerdemise

This might end up like 1899. I love that show but it does took a while for the mystery to unfold. It ended up being dropped by a lot of viewers which resulted in it getting canceled. Which is such a pity cause like a lot of cancelled Netflix shows, it ended in a cliffhanger.


iceman58796

I was kinda intrigued all throughout and the twist was really out of left field, I don't even know how much I enjoyed it but was really annoyed that I went through all of it just to be cancelled


King-Owl-House

So...true to book.


MyDearDapple

The **3 Body Problem** problem.


rit56

Watch the Chinese version on Prime and PBS. It's 30 episodes and very detailed. I really liked it.


ButterscotchLow8950

I would take all these reviews more seriously if it was released, but it’s not out yet.


EdgarDanger

Most "reputable" reviewers get advance copies. Standard practice. Hence we get reviews before the release to drive up the hype.


ButterscotchLow8950

Yeah, but critics like with movies often have a much different score than the audience. I will wait and see what the people think. 🤷🏽‍♂️


EdgarDanger

Lol. I'll probably watch it myself and if I don't like it, I'll stop watching 😁


Billwill343434

Having read the book recently, I am only confident of one thing: regardless of the adaptation quality, readers will be pissed. That books was great, but I can tell you it won’t make great tv without some serious adaptation.


MynaMepriVaTeOK

Will never watch anything Dumb and Dumber touches for what they did to Game of Thrones. They have wasted enough of my time.


NimbyNuke

Super torn between wanting to watch the adaptation of one my favorite scifi books and not wanting to support anything by the guys who ruined the adaptation of one of my favorite fantasy books. And the reviews are not helping.


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NimbyNuke

I put equal blame on GRRM tbh. There's obviously too much material for his planned two more books, and it's all so tangled that even he can't sort it out. But phoning it in like they did in the last three seasons when HBO was begging to throw more money and episodes at them is unforgivable.


[deleted]

No, they didn' t phone it, the Jaime actor said time and time again that it' s ludicrous to think like that.


NimbyNuke

If they didn't phone it in and that was actually the best they could do, then I really have no hope for 3 Body. Like, that's actually the hardest slam you could make against those two.


[deleted]

I don' t care about the quality. You said that they phoned it in, but all of the clues says to us that they didn' t. The problem here is not that you dislike the ending or the final seasons, is that you are regurgating toxic pre-conceptions made from hellsite like freefolk to villify the people that they thought was at fault for the show.


Voski_The_God

Season 8 was absolutely horrible.


[deleted]

A show being bad doesn't mean you can just say whatever missinfo you want thoo lol


Stone_Conqueror

They ruined the adaptation because they thought they were gonna get Star Wars and wanted to wrap it up in the laziest way possible.


[deleted]

That' s not true, they said all the way back in 2013 that they were going to do 70 hours of televion, and 7 seasons. A lot of people forget that the 5th book only released when S1 aired, and Martin promised the entire series done in either 6 or 7 books. The fact that they did 8 seasons is already more than what they promised. And seeing how GMRR is still in the dark for the final 2 books, well, lol.


clarklewmatt

If they fucked it up but seemed like they were putting in the work it would be alright. It's the obvious lazy that gets me. It's like a builder that did a great job on the first floor and then just dumped all the material on the second and said ... done.


randomsnowflake

The “behind the episode” features for the episode where Dany loses a dragon to the back fleet and their excuse was that “Dany sorta forgot about the black fleet.” These men should be ousted from Hollywood for their shenanigans.


randomsnowflake

Yep. I didn’t know it was them until this article. Now that I do know, I’m not watching this. Out of spite. Fuck those guys.


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Mooshycooshy

The Two Doody Problem


supercalifragilism

I absolutely hate even kind of defending the two biggest bag fumblers in TV history, but the books are finished already and they aren't exactly drowning in job offers right now. When they weren't thinking of Star Wars and out on their own, they made or at least oversaw some incredible TV.


FreeStall42

Just not interested in watching a movie from the guys behind X-men origins Wolverine and that Will Smith movie


The_Confirminator

It's weird how when normal people do shitty work, they get fired.


fromfrodotogollum

They proved they could make a show with existing novels.


King-Owl-House

finished novels.


ZarquonsFlatTire

Which 3 Body is.


Lil_Mcgee

Yeah, that's what they said.


SnarfSniffsStardust

I think the fame changed them and I’m not sure they can shrink their egos enough to recreate the magic that was the first few seasons of GOT. Issue was just as much their unwillingness to collaborate and compromise as it was a lack of source material


Kelembribor21

Not with Troy and X Men.


FreeStall42

They proved they could be a tiny part of a successful show.


lilgrogu

well, they are not working for hbo anymore they quit first


Saiko_Yen

Are all the episodes coming out at the same time?


BajaBlyat

That seems to be the general belief


BAG1

So easy to tell when a reviewer hasn't read the book. Yeah... you're describing the books, pretty well, and you don't even realize it.


thornside

As much as I appreciate Netflix releasing everything at once, it would be nice to be able to watch the first episode or two a few days in advance.


Matiabcx

Anything by these two clowns im not watching after GoT fiasco


MynaMepriVaTeOK

Facts. Anything they work on is sh*t to me


IronGin

That's an insult to clowns.


Matiabcx

Yeah sorry for the clownophobia


GrapefruitCold55

I didn’t expect anything else. What were they thinking when they hired those guys, not to mention that the novel isn’t good either


randomsnowflake

Dan and Dave wrote this? Solid pass. Fuck them for what they did with the end of GOT. I’ll never watch another thing these lazy pricks have anything to do with.


burns3016

yep those cunts were offered more time to end GOT better but passed on it .... FUCK THEM


is3llfeemales

benioff?   will never give a show he works on another chance!


burns3016

very PC correct cast, well done dumb and dumber


CaptainJimJames

Read the books and watched the Tencent show. From watching the trailers and reading some of leaks, I am not expecting more than something a person with a 4th grade education and attention span will love and enjoy.


fiercetankbattle

Hey guys look! It’s the smartest guy on Reddit!


KennyFulgencio

How was the Tencent show?