The Three Body Problem - Books and TV Adaptations (some spoiler warning)

[Nanker Phelge]

Spoiler: Spoiler

It was supposed to be sad but i didn't really care when the fibre snapped and the frozen brain in a jar went flying off into space as i found the character annoying . You could also see it coming a mile off when the first 2 or 3 bombs were working to plan. Of course i don't know the book story so i guess it's possible the aliens are still able to retreive it somehow as we know they know about it.

I agree; I did not feel connected enough to feel much for any of the characters, other than Da Shi, who seemed to have a normal life beyond his bonkers job. I actually wondered how he was going to be a good dad from now on.

 

[PTK]

I have not seen the television adaptation, but I did read the first book. I liked the stuff at the beginning about the Cultural Revolution.
I have read a fair amount of science fiction in my 60-plus years, and have been amazed and intrigued at some amazing ideas, but part way through The Three Body Problem my disbelief ceased to be suspended. I thought that a key part of the plot was too implausible. Stupid, in fact.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Spoiler: Spoiler

It was supposed to be sad but i didn't really care when the fibre snapped and the frozen brain in a jar went flying off into space as i found the character annoying . You could also see it coming a mile off when the first 2 or 3 bombs were working to plan. Of course i don't know the book story so i guess it's possible the aliens are still able to retreive it somehow as we know they know about it.

 

[Gramsci]

I read the first book some time ago so this series was new to me in a way

Got the feeling they crammed to much in this first series. Could have been slower paced.

Thought the first half of series was very interesting. Its Chinese sci fi writer and deals with the cultural revolution which if one has talked to Chinese its something they do not like to talk about. It was a traumatic period.

Thought the second half had to much of the what we need is people who think outside the box leaders. Who are above the fray of populism. Quite a right wing message if you ask me.

As with a lot of Sci Fi it teeters around interesting subjects then goes back to being grown up and sensible.

As with a lot of Sci Fi the aliens steal the stage imo. The virtual reality scenes and the genuinely alien nature of them made them the most interesting character in series.

There is this assumption that if we do contact aliens life it will be like us. No it will not.

Sci Fi covers a lot of ground politics wise.

I will read just about any Sci Fi. Even Sci Fi that is politically right.

Like in this series its worth watching for the little bits where a different radical picture emerges. Same with say Doctor Who

My judgement on this series was that when I finished it I wanted more. Its one of the more intelligent actions type series on Netflix.

And the budget made a difference.

I'm worried that they have mashed in to much in first series to make further series work.

I liked the tongue in cheek humour of it that is typical sci fi.

Noticed the secret service agent following the Chinese physicist around at end of series was reading Dhalgren in airport lounge

Famous hippy trippy Sci Fi book.

In the episodes a few things like that dropped in. Nice touch.

 

[Gramsci]

And the idea of a three body problem where societies get built up and destroyed could be seen as symbolising Chinese recent history.

European empire meddling/ Japanese occupation/ Civil War/ Cultural revolution/ move to capitalist development.

I used to know some one from mainland China. She grew up in city in her words her parents built. I looked it up and it had been a fishing village thirty years ago. Now was part of the free enterprise zone post Mao.

She saw the Mao period as distant past she could not see as part of her history.

So perhaps the idea of the alien society with a three body problem is not so far fetched after all.

Unlike say UK where one could say there is a linear progression of historical development recent Chinese history could be perhaps seen like the three body problem. Society which is not continuous but defined by being built up and destroyed then built up again.

That is the "alienness" of it.

Perhaps could be our future. A future not based on rational improvement of society but based on chaos. With people attempting to make sense of it.

 

[Mation]

I am unashamedly beside myself with joy about the whole thing

Read the books a few years ago and loved them. Have watched the Netflix version and adored it. Am in the middle of re-watching it with a friend. Am rereading the first book. And also started watching the Chinese version today (with thanks to girasol). Thoroughly enjoying the immersion.

If I had any criticisms, they all fell out of my head and blew away when I got up to do a 3 body happy dance

Ah! But!

I quite like this one. It's grown on me, plays at the end of every episode.

This should win the Oscar for Least Comforting Theme!

 

[Mation]

On the comedian front, I didn't notice them (bar one), but the Netflix series did absolutely crack me up loads of times, intentionally, I'm sure.

 

[hermitical]

We're bailing after four episodes. The BBCness is a reoccurring problem for, rendering many series unwatchable. Terrible dialogue, ridiculous plot-holes/writing decisions, the stink of Sunday evening/YA.

 

[belboid]

On Episode 15, where they run the calculus. I am slightly dubious that a military order during an early Chinese Dynasty would have been, "Dude, hey, take arms"

 

[girasol]

I am unashamedly beside myself with joy about the whole thing

Read the books a few years ago and loved them. Have watched the Netflix version and adored it. Am in the middle of re-watching it with a friend. Am rereading the first book. And also started watching the Chinese version today (with thanks to girasol). Thoroughly enjoying the immersion.

If I had any criticisms, they all fell out of my head and blew away when I got up to do a 3 body happy dance

Ah! But!
This should win the Oscar for Least Comforting Theme!

Yeah, neither their songs that I heard are reassuring... However they do match my feelings of environmental doom of where I think we'll end up 90% of the time . (I'm 10% optimistic )

 

[zedr]

I read the first book some time ago so this series was new to me in a way

Got the feeling they crammed to much in this first series. Could have been slower paced.

Thought the first half of series was very interesting. Its Chinese sci fi writer and deals with the cultural revolution which if one has talked to Chinese its something they do not like to talk about. It was a traumatic period.

Thought the second half had to much of the what we need is people who think outside the box leaders. Who are above the fray of populism. Quite a right wing message if you ask me.

As with a lot of Sci Fi it teeters around interesting subjects then goes back to being grown up and sensible.

As with a lot of Sci Fi the aliens steal the stage imo. The virtual reality scenes and the genuinely alien nature of them made them the most interesting character in series.

There is this assumption that if we do contact aliens life it will be like us. No it will not.

Sci Fi covers a lot of ground politics wise.

I will read just about any Sci Fi. Even Sci Fi that is politically right.

Like in this series its worth watching for the little bits where a different radical picture emerges. Same with say Doctor Who

My judgement on this series was that when I finished it I wanted more. Its one of the more intelligent actions type series on Netflix.

And the budget made a difference.

I'm worried that they have mashed in to much in first series to make further series work.

I liked the tongue in cheek humour of it that is typical sci fi.

Noticed the secret service agent following the Chinese physicist around at end of series was reading Dhalgren in airport lounge

Famous hippy trippy Sci Fi book.

In the episodes a few things like that dropped in. Nice touch.

liu cixin did this interview a while back which was interesting. it talks about him trying to avoid talking about politics (until he get a bit drunk and says some bleak things) and he claims to not try to add lots of subtext, he just wants to write engaging stories. not sure how much I believe that, or how much its possible - theres definitely loads of ideology and subtext in Three Body Problem even if he didn't intend it!

Feel like I'm unlikely to watch either of these shows. I really enjoyed the book, and recently re-read it, and I worry I'll just be on the look out for mistakes/plot holes so won't be able to get into it properly.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

It was called Bodies. Came out last year.

Oh hang on, I did start watching that with the family. It was terrible. I think we might have even given it three episodes. Perhaps only two. Dreadful.

 

[Mation]

 

[Brainaddict]

Apparently, Netflix content creators are increasingly being asked to supply ‘visual muzak’ because for a lot of viewers the TV/laptop isn’t actually the primary screen when they’re watching a show/film, it’s still secondary to their phones, so when they look up from their phones they don’t want to be confused by what’s happening on the screen they should be focused on.

Maybe this accounts for the style of later Suits, where at least twice in each episode a character explains, verbally, what it is they want, their motivation for action, their ultimate goal, and how they intend to get there. I found parts of Suits amusing and the slickness of it makes it easy viewing despite the hate-ability of all the characters, but it was this constant explanation of everything that made me stop in the end.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

After the first reply by the traitorous alien, why did they bother interacting again at all?
Seems like the proton computers can do enough on their own without humans needing to help out.
The aliens put all of their resources into making the four computers and heading for earth. The computers hamper human progression, what else is needed? If they don't know they are being hampered by attacking aliens then they don't know they have to counter it.
Why tell them? I know they can't lie, but it would be a waste of effort serve no purpose to send any message.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Why tell them? I know they can't lie, but it would be a waste of effort serve no purpose to send any message.

Terrify and demoralise humanity.

The game-theory stuff in the novels is pretty bombproof, if extremely cynical. Liu explains everyone's motivations for what they do pretty well. A lot of that is rushed or just absent in the TV show.

 

[Mation]

Apparently, Netflix content creators are increasingly being asked to supply ‘visual muzak’ because for a lot of viewers the TV/laptop isn’t actually the primary screen when they’re watching a show/film, it’s still secondary to their phones, so when they look up from their phones they don’t want to be confused by what’s happening on the screen they should be focused on.

There is absolutely no chance whatsoever to look away from the screen with the Chinese version. It's barely ok to look up from the bottom of the screen, so unfathomably speedy are the subtitles.

I had a tiny bit of training ages ago, as I had to make some basic videos, and you're supposed to have the (English) subtitles appear a tad before and stay on screen a little after the corresponding speech, if possible. But not here.

I've got both the English and Chinese subtitles on the go at once, as I haven't managed to turn off the latter, and they appear for the same ridiculously short period. Are Chinese characters faster to read, if you know them, or do they just want people to feel their reading speed is inadequate? (Is my reading speed inadequate? )

 

[belboid]

Too many bodies problems...

3 Body Problem: Lawyer sentenced to death for Lin Qi murder

Xu Yao, who worked on the Netflix adaptation, poisoned his colleague Lin Qi over a business dispute.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[paul mckenna]

The actor who plays the brain is very good

 

[Nanker Phelge]

The actor who plays the brain is very good

In the Netflix version?

I wasn't keen on him.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Yeah, me neither.
Though I don't think many of them covered themselves in glory.

 

[donkyboy]

There were only 8 episodes. I watched episode 8 last night and thought I'd finish off season 1 this evening, only to see no more episodes in the download folder....

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yeah, me neither.
Though I don't think many of them covered themselves in glory.

Lots of them were really good. Benedict Wong is great. Kiwi scientist is good. Chinese scientist young and old are both good, particularly young. I thought brain guy was good. Irish man who directs things is good. American who becomes a wall starer is good. Nano woman is probably too good looking for the part, it's true, but her acting is fine. And the dialogue is mostly written and performed in a very natural way.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Lots of them were really good. Benedict Wong is great. Kiwi scientist is good. Chinese scientist young and old are both good, particularly young. I thought brain guy was good. Irish man who directs things is good. American who becomes a wall starer is good. Nano woman is probably too good looking for the part, it's true, but her acting is fine. And the dialogue is mostly written and performed in a very natural way.

I thought wong was good as was Price. Chinese game woman good. Rich guy was dreadful, brain guy was acceptable for what he had to play, wall facer was dreadful until the later episodes. I think most of the trouble was probably the parts they had to play. Mostly the older (seemingly more experienced actors?) worked more naturally and subtly with what they got.

Most characters seemed to only have been given one characteristic / point for being (in the story) and that was their only 'personality' trait portrayed.
The ones who were 'good' were either actors that added a little extra depth (themselves?) or were given more than one note, one reason to be present. Wong was clearly written with more to him.

For a tv show more complicated than most, you could still sum up most characters monotone motivations in a single sentence.

 

[girasol]

The further I read the book the more cynical I feel about the incredibly good looking nano scientist's casting, Eiza Gonzáles. In both the Chinese version and book Professor Wang is a man approaching middle age, married to a Dr. with a school aged child (a girl in the tv series, a boy in the book). Was she cast to boost ratings? Yes, she's a good actress but I really feel she was miscast.

Rosalind Chao as Wenjie is excellent and perfectly cast.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I get that scientists can be good looking, but she also seems incredibly young to have achieved so much, even in terms of backing / support and position. The whole genius thing doesn't sit comfortably on top of the character. . . . and they knew it, that's why they added the line about it be notable that she looked like an actress rather than a scientist.

 

[Gromit]

I get that scientists can be good looking, but she also seems incredibly young to have achieved so much, even in terms of backing / support and position. The whole genius thing doesn't sit comfortably on top of the character. . . . and they knew it, that's why they added the line about it be notable that she looked like an actress rather than a scientist.

Maybe if she wore glasses and tied back her hair?

I get that they are trying to break the real world 'Women can't be scientists' bias.

But were they also not aware of the movie world's 'Hot female scientist' trope?

I feel that by avoiding one trope they've commited another.

 

[belboid]

25 episodes in and they still haven't got to halfway through the Netflix version.

 

[paul mckenna]

Yes, she's a good actress but I really feel she was miscast.

Baddd actress. Why cast non-smokers for characters who smoke so much, it's like that character's main prop.

 

[paul mckenna]

In the Netflix version?

I wasn't keen on him.

He looked proper zen and chilled. Not to mention deathly thin