The Three-Body Problem

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem!

WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL

Over 1 million copies sold in North America

"A mind-bending epic."--The New York Times - "War of the Worlds for the 21st century."--The Wall Street Journal - "Fascinating."--TIME - "Extraordinary."--The New Yorker - "Wildly imaginative."--Barack Obama - "Provocative."--Slate - "A breakthrough book."--George R. R. Martin - "Impossible to put down."--GQ - "Absolutely mind-unfolding."--NPR - "You should be reading Liu Cixin."--The Washington Post

The Three-Body Problem is the first novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.

Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.

The Three-Body Problem Series
The Three-Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death's End

Other Books by Cixin Liu
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up the Sky
The Wandering Earth
A View from the Stars

Commended for Hugo Award (Graphic Novel) 2024

“"Wildly imaginative, really interesting." --President Barack Obama on The Three-Body Problem trilogy "Utterly, utterly brilliant. The Three-Body trilogy is nothing short of a masterpiece." --Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award winning author of Osama "A breakthrough book . . ., a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation, politics and history, conspiracy theory and cosmology." --George R. R. Martin The Three-Body Problem deserves all of its plaudits. It's an exceptional novel, and Ken Liu's translation is both smooth and unintrusive. --Mike Resnick Liu Cixin brings to the reader a deep and insightful vision of China past and future. First-rate work by a powerful new voice. --Ben Bova A tour-de-force walk through Chinese and world history. The Three-Body Problem merges virtual realities, alien invasions and exciting science, and manages to make them all fresh. --Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author of "Immersion" The Three Body Problem is an ambitious saga of high-concept scientific speculation set in an engrossing and uniquely Chinese milieu. Liu Cixin's fascinating novel deserves a wide audience in the West. --Eric Choi, Aurora Award-winning co-editor of The Dragon and the Stars The Three-Body Problem is a first for North American readers: a science fiction novel that gets into the hearts and minds of people in the most tumultuous period of Communist China's history. Liu Cixin gives us a rare view of the Bamboo Curtain of the 1960's and combines it with a mysterious conspiracy in present-day Earth. The result is a story where each answer creates more questions. --Derwin Mak, co-editor of The Dragon and the Stars and author of The Moon Under Her Feet and The Shrine of the Siren Stone”

Praise for the Three-Body Problem series:

"Wildly imaginative."--President Barack Obama

"A mind-bending epic."--The New York Times

"Absolutely mind-unfolding. . . . a science-fiction epic of the most profound kind."--NPR

"A breakthrough book . . . a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation, politics and history, conspiracy theory and cosmology."--George R. R. Martin

"Liu Cixin's writing evokes the thrill of exploration and the beauty of scale. . . . Extraordinary."--The New Yorker

"[Liu turns] technically complex and existentially dreadful ideas into books that are impossible to put down."--GQ

"A fascinating novel of ideas."-TIME

"The best kind of science fiction, familiar but strange all at the same time."--Kim Stanley Robinson

"Remarkable, revelatory, and not to be missed."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fans of hard SF will revel in this intricate and imaginative novel."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"War of the Worlds for the 21st century."--Wall Street Journal

"Liu's picture of humanity's place in the cosmos is among the biggest, boldest and most disturbing we've seen."--Los Angeles Times

"Provocative."--Slate

"A gripping and haunting sci-fi mystery."--Cosmopolitan

"A must-read in any language."--Booklist

CIXIN LIU is the most prolific and popular science fiction writer in the People's Republic of China. Liu is a winner of the Hugo Award, an eight-time winner of the Galaxy Award (the Chinese Hugo), and a winner of the Chinese Nebula Award.

KEN LIU (translator) is a writer, lawyer, and computer programmer. His short story "The Paper Menagerie" was the first work of fiction ever to sweep the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Awards. He has written two novels (The Grace of Kings and The Wall of Storms) and edited and translated the Chinese science fiction anthology Invisible Planets.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.