The Dark Forest (The Three-Body Problem Series, 2)

It's hard to know where to begin talking about The Three-Body Problem trilogy (officially known as the Remembrance of Earth's Past series), a truly staggering piece of science-fiction written by Chinese author Cixin Liu and translated to English by Ken Liu and Joel Martinsen (Liu did books 1 and 3, while Martinsen did 2). A trilogy that spans literally thousands of years, deals with quantum physics, game theory, sociology, religion, space exploration, space colonization, and more, all driven by the nature of first contact with alien intelligence - there's a lot going on in this series, and that's before you start realizing just how much Cixin (reminder: Chinese names are traditionally written with the family name first and the given name second) truly takes on the advanced science of his ideas. And yet, when you finish it, you realize that you've read something truly incredible - a piece of hard science-fiction whose ambition, scope, richness, and ideas are impossible not to find yourself thinking about for days afterward. Once you read The Dark Forest, the series' second volume, Cixin's ambition for this saga starts to come into focus. The question of first contact is settled, and the nature of the alien's approach is known: this is to be a takeover of our planet. But how can we deal with a race so much more advanced than our own, constant surveillance by extra-dimensional forces, and fractured elements of humanity working against us? If The Three-Body Problem was a first contact novel done as hard science-fiction, The Dark Forest is an alien invasion novel, albeit one in which the actual invasion is still many, many years away. It's the first time Cixin starts using hibernation to leap through decades and even centuries, spanning huge chunks of time as humanity changes and evolves in the face of an arrival which will change everything. As humanity struggles to find ways to either defend itself or show that it means no harm, the race has to deal with its own fears of inevitable defeat or a desire to retreat from the only planet we've ever known. It's not as if The Three-Body Problem wasn't already ambitious, but The Dark Forest is on a whole other level, dealing with interplanetary fleets, lightspeed travel, quantum computing, and more, watching as they evolve over huge swaths of time. But more than that, the novel is a deeply philosophical one, discussing the nature of life in the universe, questions about human nature and how we react in the face of threats, how we work together (or not), and game theory in how we try to handle uncertain intentions in allies and foes alike. Indeed, the central metaphor that gives the book its title (which doesn't arrive until near the novel's end) is a stunning one that helps you understand that what Cixin is writing about isn't just this particular alien invasion, but about the nature of all life in the universe and how we attempt to define ourselves in the face of reality. That Cixin does this while, again, mixing in such a compelling story (focusing especially on the "Wallfacers", a small group of people tasked with covertly planning humanity's resistance against the invasion) is nothing short of remarkable. The Dark Forest builds beautifully off of the questions and ideas raised in The Three-Body Problem, but turns them into something else entirely, changing the questions from "how do we initially react" to "how would we redefine ourselves in the face of such news". Far from suffering from any sort of "middle book syndrome," The Dark Forest is incredible, engaging with incredible concepts but never neglecting the human characters that anchor its massive scope nor the ticking clock at its story's core. To explain this series is a difficult challenge, to put it mildly. This is a series that spans a huge amount of time, deals with advanced scientific concepts in complex terms, grapples with rich philosophical and political ideas, debates questions without easy answers, and gives you a scope that can be daunting. It's a story of alien invasions, yes, but one in which the action sequences we're so used to are replaced with existential dread, a rethinking of our own lives, and a fear of the unknown that's hard to quantify. It's also the story of people caught up in these times, trying to give themselves a good life while never forgetting the larger questions of their era, and juggling their own fears with fears for humanity. In other words, it's what hard science-fiction is great at - thoughtful questions, big ideas, and speculation, all of which change the way you think about the world. This series is a truly incredible achievement, one that honestly left me a bit staggered and reeling as I attempt to think about it all, but one that I love all the more for what it accomplishes. If you're a hard science-fiction fan, or simply someone who loves dealing with the complex ramifications of common ideas, this is a must read series. I've never read anything like it in my life, and I'm a richer person for the ideas it's inspired me to think about.

Just finished The Three Body Problem and The Dark Forest. Liu hired an excellent translator - the story comes through, it's compelling, and it's good hard sci-fi. I'd recommend these two to sci-fi geeks like me. I've decided not to read the third and fourth books for two reasons: first, the second book ends strangely - it's almost like the last chapter was written by someone else, and, unfortunately is unsatisfying. Second, while I enjoyed the books, they have large sections that plod along a bit - maybe after a break I'll tackle another one, but not for awhile. 😁 The app won't allow me to mark with 3 stars (which I would give the second book) but will allow 4 (which I would give the first book.)

I have been reading science fiction for over forty years. I think I have had a broad exposure to all forms of the genre during that period. After a brief hiatus, several years ago I dove back in; focusing on some of the newer authors, and have been very satisfied with most of my selections. I try to read most of the Hugo and Nebula Award winners, and having done so, I think I have a pretty good idea of what makes outstanding science fiction. With all of that said, I feel strongly that The Dark Forest may be the best work of science fiction I have ever experienced. I read the English translation of Cixin Liu’s Chinese science fiction novel, The Three Body Problem. I thought that it was very good, but not excellent. I was sufficiently intrigued to proceed on to the second novel of the trilogy, The Dark Forest, and I am eternally grateful that I did. I am just floored by how good this novel is, on so many levels. I have read so many science fiction novels that are little more than spaceships and aliens, with poor underlying stories or character development. The Dark Forest is an outstanding piece of literature, above and beyond its label as a work of science fiction. It has very thoughtful themes, touching on philosophy, anthropology, sociology and psychology. The advanced technology and elements of hard science fiction are outstanding, second to none. The underlying story is absolutely captivating, as are the characters. At the conclusion of the Three Body Problem, we are left with an alien race, the Trisolarans, who have embarked on a four hundred year long trip across the galaxy, ostensibly to conquer and inhabit the Earth. Through use of their advanced technology, they have arrested the technological development of the human race and are able to eavesdrop on every aspect of life on Earth. Faced with this scenario, how does the human race respond? As the years pass and different generations are tasked with coming up with strategies to face the threat, the author continues, time and again, to impress with his vision and the elements of human psychology and philosophy that he employs. Most impressive to me is the author’s ability to deal with these philosophical and technological themes in such a way that the reader can easily follow and appreciate. To me, he walks the perfect line between being intellectually challenging, yet approachable (unlike some of Frank Herbert’s work, which was more than I could handle). So, if you have read The Three Body Problem and are trying to decide whether to proceed on to this second installment, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to do so. If you have not read the Three Body Problem, I urge you to do so, with the knowledge that the follow up book will be worth the effort. The Dark Forest wraps up very nicely and could easily be the end of the story; however this is a trilogy, so I will gladly continue to the final chapter, hoping not to be disappointed. The Dark Forest is a terribly difficult act to follow.

I’m torn between giving the 4.5 or 5 stars. On one hand, the level of thought innovation in this book is atmospheric. The story strides through eons, societies, and cultures with strength. The clever technology, plot, philosophical and strategic twists & turns are mind blowing. They merit a solid 5 stars. Yet, I’m left partly perplexed. This is SO vast and sweeping that I experienced two emotions while reading it. First, I grew slightly weary of the expanse of it. The reader must keep an enormous amount about what’s happening in their brain whilst still integrating more. I felt nearly overwhelmed in the process. Second, the sweep of story is so vast that the number of characters required to tell it is huge. (The author provides a large dramatis personae up front, maybe in recognition of the assistance a reader will need.) I had to refresh my recollection more than once. These things make me want to pull a half a star off my rating. Yet, it’s compelling enough that I won’t do that in the whole-star options presented by Amazon & Goodreads. (It’ll be nice to use a 1/4 or 1/2 star option at TheStoryGraph.) For the record, the book also has two aspects that sadden me. There is a certain fatalism that is clearly wrought through much of the book. I won’t spoil the info about whether it’s resolved positively or not. But it is sad, because my Christian stance in life - hard, and logically forged - brings a different view to my life, and I’m saddened for people who feel that life is empty & meaningless. In a second, related aspect, the author incorporates a little bit of religion and a treatment of God alongside a purely secular (as well as Chinese-rooted) orientation of the story. In the process he almost (*almost*) paints the people with God beliefs as the ones who may have hope that can free them from the despair of fatalism. Sadly, while he gave this some space, he didn’t have the desire or faculties to develop it, so it’s hard to conclude if he is respecting or ridiculing them. I was ambivalent about Book 1. Book 2 is compelling. In to Book 3. (Thanks Chris B for encouraging me to press thru to #2.)

I didn’t sleep for a whole night, reading, wanting to know the next incredible thing going to happen. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good pondering sci-fi book.

I admit I found The Dark Forest, the second volume of the three-volume The Three-Body Problem trilogy (formally known as Remembrance of Earth’s Past) by Cixin Liu a bit of a slog at times. I loved the first novel—its brief depiction of the Cultural Revolution, for instance, was brilliant and painful to read—and couldn’t wait to peruse the second. Despite the deliberate pace of the first half of the sequel, the images are often startlingly beautiful and the ideas ingenious. The second half of the book has a fascinating realization of a future underground world (although I found it a bit difficult to imagine). The conclusion was fabulous, and that made the entire novel worthwhile. The Dark Forest takes up the story of Earth’s planning for the Trisolaran extraterrestrial invasion introduced in The Three-Body Problem. The Wallfacer Project is established by the UN to counter the ability of the Trisolarans to monitor all human communications: in it, four people are given virtually unlimited resources to create, within their own minds, a realizable plan to defeat the Trisolarans. A terrorist group sympathetic to the invaders, The Earth-Trisolaris Organization, attempts to eliminate the Wallfacers by assigning each an assassin called a Wallbreaker. One of the Wallfacers, Luo Ji, also realizes that the Trisolarans are trying to kill him via more direct means as well. Eventually, many of the main characters of the story go into hibernation and awake two hundred years later when the first Trisolaran probe arrives in the system. The final part of the book is about what transpires when the probe appears. The translation, by Joel Martinsen, isn’t as well done as the work by Ken Liu for the first novel. Although I haven’t compared the original with either translator’s work, Liu’s translation was smooth and read like a well-written English-language work. Martinsen’s translation is clunky at times (e.g., “Da Shi, you’ve really got a clear mind” [p. 484]); one is always aware that one is reading a translation.

As an avid reader of sci-fi, it was refreshing to read the Remembrance of Earth's Past series. It's inventive, well-written series so and Liu is a master at keeping enough information from you to keep you guessing what everyone is thinking. If you like realistic explanations of alien technology then this is your book. It's not like you reading an astrophysics textbook but it's not Star Wars soft either. Liu aims right for the sweet spot for believable sci-fi. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical about the sequel because I didn't know if it would be able to top the fantastic Three Body Problem. Dark Forest dragged a bit in the beginning and I feared that he wouldn't be able to top the first novel. But the story keeps building and building until the second half of the book where all the ideas really come together. You can feel the pressure humanity is under to survive or enjoy their days as the timer counts down to the doomsday battle. And it's so fun and exciting to see a character's plan to come through as they create their own fate only to be put in a tougher dilemma. Liu moves into the future with this book. Unlike the previous book, Liu takes the story into the future. Three Body spent quite a bit of time in revolutionary China and was one of the fascinating aspects of the story. I like that I got a little cultural lesson as I read. There is less of that in the sequel. We have a hero but he isn't our focus. We are given an assortment of characters to root for or against. They aren't the most developed characters I've read but I didn't find myself caring too much about that the world itself is the main character here. I even found myself empathizing with the Trisolarans, they have their rational reasons for wanting to exterminate humanity. Who's to say we wouldn't do the same if we were in their position?. I'm not leaving any spoilers here.There are no boogeymen in this universe unless you're talking about the other hunters in the dark forest. You're going to have to read the book figure this one out. It's great, read it. Five Stars!

I have no idea how to explain this book except it was fantastic in its sci fi details, creativity, futurism and philosophy. I will read it again someday.

Must read for hard sci fi lovers . Absolutely recommend

Dopo aver finito il secondo libro della serie, l'impressione è stata quella di leggere una Divina Commedia aggiornata al futuro! Così se Three Bodies poteva essere considerato l'Inferno, The Dark Forest può essere considerato come il Purgatorio, in febbricitante attesa del terzo volume della serie che presumo corrisponderà al Paradiso. Il volume offre numerosi spunti innovativi tanto dal punto di vista tecnologico che sociale, e introduce alcuni concetti come la "catena dei sospetti" e la sociologia cosmologica, come applicazione del dilemma dl prigioniero in mancanza di comunicazione, davvero innovativi. Gli spunti fantascientifici sono sempre strettamente recati sul possibile e non ho riscontrato manifeste incoerenze. Se devo trovare un punto sospetto è proprio nel problema dei tre corpi per il quale si postula che il pianeta Trisolaris sia fermo nell'universo tanto ch i soli possano muoversi in modo assoluto rispetto a esso, quando si dovrebbe parlare piuttosto di un problema di 4 corpi con uno si essi di massa estraente inferiore alle altre e ch quindi dovrebbe seguire strettamente uno dei soli per essere solo raramente strappato da un altro. In pratica l'istanza della 3 stella volanti, come presentata nel gioco dall'omonimo nome, non può in realtà verificarsi. Ovviamente non è chiaro se il problema si verifichi nella trasposizione della realtà di Trisolaris nel gioco, oppure se proprio nella fisica del pianeta Trisolaris.

Little other view on science fiction. Something I'd recommend

This book stretches your thinking in science, philosophy, space travel, quantum physics, and human nature and does so in vivid poetic language. It is so rich in ideas that it cannot be consumed in one sitting, and I am a reader who easily devours at least one book per day. I would recommend this book as a must-read to any sci-fi lover who appreciates more than the same old stories told from a different place and time. This is unique. You will never read anything else like it. If you read The Three Body Problem and were not convinced, you must read this. If you are someone who ponders the fate of humanity, of our place in the cosmos, of the nature of alien contact, this book will take you on a journey you will never forget.

From Aristotle through Tolstoy, many have considered plot as the most essential element in writing. Liu's plots exceed all expectations, and his Hugo, for the first volume in this trilogy (The Three Body Problem), is absolutely deserved. Although The Three Body Problem necessarily engages in some extensive subcreation by taking the time to build immersive world's through lengthy explanations and descriptions, The Dark Forest streams events more fluidly. The frequent weakness with forwarding plot as your strength arises from some readers to readily anticipating upcoming revelations/evolutions, while other readers find such revelations/evolutions too lacking in sense. Liu herds the readers to a crafting that both makes remarkable sense while being almost always unanticipated. What's more, he actually has a lot to say thematically. Liu has considered the why's and the how's. Unfortunately, his one slight weakness is in characterization. The characters might have a little more of their own voice. When we hear Liu's rarefied thematic considerations, we him them a little too much as his as opposed to his characters. However, this is not to say that his characters fail to be delightful. They certainly endear themselves. If you simply enjoy fine literature, and can engage scientific thought with thoughtful considerations of the future, then this trilogy certainly should be considered. As for the particulars of plot, characterization, etc., enough of that is in other reviews, and really the decision to read or not should not be based on those particularities. Liu is a fine mind; experience him.