Netflix will soon air the series adaptation of Liu Cixin’s sci-fi novel: The Three-Body Problem.
A major work of science fiction, and more particularly of “hard SF”, The Three-Body Problem will be entitled to its Netflix adaptation. The small-screen version of Liu Cixin’s novel is expected in 2023. Highly anticipated, the series is also a source of concern, as the Chinese writer’s story relies heavily on the state of contemporary science.
It’s what The three-body problem ?
The three-body problem is the name of a novel written by Chinese writer Liu Cixin. Published in 2016 in France, eight years after its publication in China, it is the first volume of a trilogy, also composed of The Dark Forest And Immortal Death. It is an extremely renowned novel, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2015, a prestigious American literary award.
The novel falls into the category of so-called “hard science fiction”, a genre in which everything must be plausible. For example, we do not travel faster than light in space. Everything must be based on valid scientific and technical foundations. In short, we build SF around what we know today about the functioning of the universe.
For who has already read The three-body problem, it is obvious: the narration makes many references to science and technology, without pouring into the facility, which could otherwise be fantastic or magical. The author often invokes notions of mathematics, astronomy, physics, computer science, and so on.
It is nevertheless a novel that nevertheless conveys a story, adventures and the spectacular. If the narration strives to be the most scientifically exact, there will sometimes be events that will give the impression of going beyond this framework. But Liu Cixin always gives plausible elements to land correctly on his feet.
The three-body problem is now the subject of a television adaptation which is however not the first of its kind (in China, there has already been an animated series and a series in live action). An adaptation necessarily eagerly awaited, at the height of the success met by the novel – it is considered one of the most successful stories of SF in recent times.
What is the relationship with science?
The three-body problem is also the name given to a problem of celestial mechanics, which precisely occupies a central place in the work of Liu Cixin. It is a question here of knowing if it is possible to determine in advance the trajectories of a certain number of bodies which attract each other mutually, because of their gravitational interaction. It is also called an N-body problem.
The Briton Isaac Newton, father of classical mechanics in physics, succeeded in finding a solution when N is equal to 2 (the two-body problem). At N = 3, the three-body problem becomes unsolvable. It leads to chaotic behavior, points out the CNRS, referring to the work of French mathematician Henri Poincaré.
” Chaos theory was born when Henri Poincaré discovered that three isolated bodies in space (typically a star and two planets), subject only to their mutual attractions, can have extremely complex trajectories. “, develops the CNRS. ” Poincaré showed that the long-term position of the planets cannot be predicted. »
In the novel, the problem concerns a planet that revolves around three stars whose movements lead to an unpredictable alternation between chaotic eras and regular eras. The behavior of the three suns is so random that the duration of the eras is never certain. And it is this concern for physics that will then trigger a whole intrigue.
” If we simulate the evolution of the system from several initial positions of the planets slightly different from each other, we discover radically different movementscontinues the CNRS. A tiny change in the initial positions completely alters the long-term trajectories “. This is what the novel perfectly reflects throughout the pages.
What story to expect?
We follow the adventures of Wang Miao, a trained physicist and specialist in nanomaterials, who finds himself embarked on a top secret mission with global challenges. The Chinese authorities, but also other governments around the world, have noted the unexplained suicides of several scientists when they came into contact with a mysterious small group.
Wang Miao will be assigned to infiltrate this strange “society of the frontiers of science”, and he will notably discover a curious video game, called Three Bodies. This immerses him in a virtual reality in which he faces a world where time and the cycles of day and night are irregular. There are notably three suns around this world.
The objective of the game is to help the inhabitants of this world to construct a calendar which would effectively anticipate the movement of the stars and, therefore, the cycles of day and night. Failing to do so results in the destruction of the world and therefore the end of the game — there will thus be several game overs. This is where science and the famous “three-body problem” come into play.
Who is behind the “Science Frontiers Society”? Who should benefit from the resolution of the Trois Corps game? Why do scientists commit suicide? What excites governments around the world? Here are some questions that will find answers gradually over the novel or episodes. Because we will very quickly discover that it goes beyond the Earth…
Where to see the series The 3 body problem (three body problem)?
The series will be available on Netflix. It was announced in 2020 that the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform had acquired the adaptation rights. The work of porting it to the small screen was entrusted to the duo David Benioff / Dan Weiss, who previously officiated on the adaptation of Game Of Thrones (The iron Throne) for HBO).
What is the release date of three body problem ?
No official date has yet been announced. The release of the series is hoped for 2023.
Is there a trailer?
There is no trailer yet, however communication around the series has begun. On Twitter, the official project account took up a key phrase from the novel: “ Don’t answer! Don’t answer! Don’t answer! “. On Instagram, a video obviously shows some first extracts of a teaser which should be offered soon.
What casting for Liu Cixin’s work?
According to an October 2021 Deadline article, Benedict Wong, Tsai Chin, John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, Jovan Adepo, Eiza Gonzalez, Jess Hong, Marlo Kelly, Alex Sharp, Sea Shimooka, Zine Tseng and Saamer Usami will be reunited. On the side of The Hollywood Reporter, in June 2022, it is about Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Ben Schnetzer, and Eve Ridley.
The distribution of roles remains to be clarified.
A work difficult to adapt?
Historically, some great works of literature have been seen as difficult, if not impossible, to adapt. We think of Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien or at Foundation by Isaac Asimov. The two novels, however, gave for one to three films, piloted by Peter Jackson, and a television series broadcast on Apple TV +.
The Three-Body Problem also falls into this category of novels that cannot arrive properly on the small or big screen. It remains to be seen whether this will be true or not. Several challenges are to be met: different temporalities in the story, complex and specialized scientific notions, cultural differences with the West, a dense and complicated scenario…
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