The Netflix series The 3-Body Problem is adapted from the books of Liu Cixin, considered absolute references in contemporary science fiction. Follow the leader.
Very successful adaptation on Netflix, The 3-Body Problem comes entirely from the books of the Chinese writer Liu Cixin. If you just finished season 1 and this scene with the insects leaves you hungry, it may be the right time to discover this famous literary saga. But where to start ? How far does Liu Cixin’s monumental work extend?
The main saga of the 3-Body Problem, in three volumes
The saga of Three-Body Problem includes three works, all translated into French by Gwennaël Gaffric at Actes Sud, to be read in this order:
- The Three-Body Problem (Volume 1)
- The Dark Forest (Volume 2)
- Immortal Death (Volume 3)
The Three-Body Problem (T1)
It is from this first volume that the main structure of season 1 of the adaptation comes. So you won’t be particularly lost, but you should still know that the main character will be different: it’s Wang Miao, divided into 3-5 different protagonists in the series. The narration is also longer, and therefore necessarily more detailed.
Volume 1 exists in paperback (in a new edition since 2024), but there is also now a collector’s edition.
The Dark Forest (T2)
The last episodes of season 1 are rather taken from the very beginning of the second volume, The Dark Forest. The key concept of this sequel is in the title: the “dark forest” hypothesis. This assumes that any intelligent civilization must hide its existence from others to avoid threats to its existence, which would explain why the search for extraterrestrial life mostly results in silence. A philosophical questioning explored by Liu Cixin.
Volume 2 is in paperback, and its collector’s edition will be available from May 1, 2024 (already on pre-order).
Immortal Death (T3)
The conclusion of this odyssey can be found in volume 3, Immortal Death…which spans almost 1,000 pages. It’s impossible to tell you about it without spoiling essential parts of the story, so we’ll let you fully discover the outcome of the opposition between humans and the Trisolarians.
Also available in paperback, the collector’s edition is expected in June 2024 (already on pre-order).
The literary “spin-off”: The Redemption of Time
It is (very) rare for fan fiction to find its way to bookstores, and even to be translated into several languages. However, this is indeed the case for The Redemption of Timepublished by Actes Sud in 2020, again translated by Gwenaël Gaffric.
This 400-page work is not written by Liu Cixin, but by Baoshu, another Chinese writer. Located in the “universe” of 3 Body Problem, from this same context opposing humanity to the Trisolarians, he extends the rules of the game and fills the gaps. The work was approved by Liu Cixin. In fact, we can consider that the content of this spin-off is “canon”.
Other books by Liu Cixin
Liu Cixin quickly became a prolific science fiction author. We therefore owe him other books (always with a strong scientific and philosophical dimension):
- Lightning ball (2021)
- The supernova era (2024)
And he is also at the origin of two thick collections of short stories:
- Einstein’s equator
- Migrants of Time
We must add a very small novella of 80 pages:
The comics ” The 3-Body Problem »
Since March 20, the graphic adaptation of 3 Body Problem is available in France. This version, still under the leadership of translator Gwennaël Gaffric, was supervised by Liu Cixin himself. The graphic work is led by XuDong Cai.
It is published in the Le Rayon Imaginaire collection, by Hachette. Volume 2 of this comic book version will be released next June.
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