The Three-Body Problem

This is an exceptional science fiction book and probably one of the most imaginative I have read in recent years. The book starts relatively slowly, taking almost half of its length to really start to come together. Despite this the long buildup sets the stage for a very well imagined first contact scenario. It is also interesting in that it provides a Chinese worldview to science fiction, somewhat rare in the english literature.

The examination of physics seemed interesting (note: I am not a physicist) and at very least was convincing enough to provide suspension of disbelief. The antagonists were well realised, made evolutionary sense for their (admittedly odd) circumstances and were well imagined and conveyed.

Another strength of the plot is that it is rather difficult to predict, and certainly feels unique - I never had the feeling that I had read something like this before.

Weaknesses of the book to me were the characters, whom I had difficulty caring for. The prose was also not exceptional in English (translation potentially?) though did have moments I really enjoyed.

Overall this book is excellent and a really welcome addition to modern hard sci fi. I feel this is probably the most intriguing science fiction I have read in several years - I look forward to the rest of the series.