It's pretty bad ass. In fact, so much so that even though I'm only 25% of the way through this first book, I began to feel a little panicky and checked the library to make sure that volumes two and three would be accessible to me when I needed them. They were. And I'm going to go pick up the second volume today.
According to The New Yorker's Joshua Rothmans, 劉慈欣 is "CHINA’S ARTHUR C. CLARKE." I haven't read that much of Clarke, but the first fourth of 三体 does not give me that impression. In fact, 劉慈欣 reminds me more of Philip K. Dick. But (and I say this with great fondness for PKD . . . and would add that VALIS is one of my all-time favorite novels) better. More focused on how to develop characters and move a plot along. And 三体 is just so much more epic than anything PKD came up with. No brag, just fact.
I also like it that I am 1/4th of the way through the book and still have no idea what the title refers to. Readers should have to work for it a little bit, you know? Or at least wait for it.
Speaking of waiting, I also just saw a Chinese poster for a movie version of The Three-Body Problem, which led me to a trailer on The You Tub.
So now there's that, too.
More Cixin Liu news as it happens.
P.S. I've been trying to find out how to pronounce this name, but even though I've found some able help online, my ear is having a hard time grasping the syllables. I think it's Leo Zoshing. But maybe not. Any phonetic pronunciation assistance would be appreciated.
P.S. I've been trying to find out how to pronounce this name, but even though I've found some able help online, my ear is having a hard time grasping the syllables. I think it's Leo Zoshing. But maybe not. Any phonetic pronunciation assistance would be appreciated.
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