Alien Invasions and Virtual Reality
The universe is an unknowable and magnificent void. Or, perhaps it is not a void. Who are we, as mere specks, to say that no other sentient life exists within our universe? If sentient life does exist, what would happen if this civilization found that humanity exists on a quaint little planet called Earth? This is exactly the subject that Liu Cixin tackles in his globally recognized novel, The Three-Body Problem.
I’m a lover of science fiction, so it was about time that I picked up Cixin’s novel. The Three-Body Problem is a Hard-SF novel, which basically means that scientific theories form the foundation of the plot. The Three-Body Problem is actually a problem in physics that observes the chaotic movement of three bodies under a gravitational force. This theory makes its way into the novel in the form of a world called Trisolaris.
Trisolaris is a planet that has three suns that move in the same way exhibited in the Three-Body Problem. When the suns move, the planet moves in and out of chaotic and stable eras. The lifeforms on the planet are unable to thrive because of the environment. In order to survive, the aliens have to dehydrate and rehydrate themselves. Despite the existence of Trisolarians, the novel actually follows humans.
Wang Miao is a scientist that specializes in nano-material. When he begins to see a phantom countdown, everything changes for him. Wang has to chase down the meaning of the countdown by playing a virtual reality game called Three-Body. This game constructs the world of Trisolaris in a way that humans can understand and sympathize with. Wang doesn’t understand the true meaning of the game until late in the book, but once he does he can never turn back.
The Trisolarians have found Earth, and are on a journey through the stars to reach an eternally stable planet. They hope to save their civilization by ending ours. Wang has just stumbled upon an interstellar war that he will be a major player in. The rest of the series follows the battles between Earth and Trisolaris, but this book is a major building block for the rest of the series.
Liu Cixin examines the possibility of extraterrestrial life in a way that allows readers to imagine it to be real. I suggest this book simply because it is hard to find a story that can make aliens seem to be an actual possibility. Pick up your copy here.
I’m a lover of science fiction, so it was about time that I picked up Cixin’s novel. The Three-Body Problem is a Hard-SF novel, which basically means that scientific theories form the foundation of the plot. The Three-Body Problem is actually a problem in physics that observes the chaotic movement of three bodies under a gravitational force. This theory makes its way into the novel in the form of a world called Trisolaris.
Trisolaris is a planet that has three suns that move in the same way exhibited in the Three-Body Problem. When the suns move, the planet moves in and out of chaotic and stable eras. The lifeforms on the planet are unable to thrive because of the environment. In order to survive, the aliens have to dehydrate and rehydrate themselves. Despite the existence of Trisolarians, the novel actually follows humans.
Wang Miao is a scientist that specializes in nano-material. When he begins to see a phantom countdown, everything changes for him. Wang has to chase down the meaning of the countdown by playing a virtual reality game called Three-Body. This game constructs the world of Trisolaris in a way that humans can understand and sympathize with. Wang doesn’t understand the true meaning of the game until late in the book, but once he does he can never turn back.
The Trisolarians have found Earth, and are on a journey through the stars to reach an eternally stable planet. They hope to save their civilization by ending ours. Wang has just stumbled upon an interstellar war that he will be a major player in. The rest of the series follows the battles between Earth and Trisolaris, but this book is a major building block for the rest of the series.
Liu Cixin examines the possibility of extraterrestrial life in a way that allows readers to imagine it to be real. I suggest this book simply because it is hard to find a story that can make aliens seem to be an actual possibility. Pick up your copy here.
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