March Book Club: The Three-Body Problem

[Falldog]

I wish I could make financial investments into whether Danica crashes out.

 

[Chip Spackler]

I'm a few hours into book two. I get really engaged by a few parts, mainly Luigi and the Wall Facer project, but then someone jerks me out if it. Whether it's too much attention to something that doesn't need it, or something randomly nonsensical, or "why don't the Sophons just fuck with that too?"

The farther into the trilogy you get, the more you realize that almost every tangent is foreshadowing something later.

 

[Falldog]

Part of the problem with this series is that there's no tension. Reading the second book I don't have the slightest inkling that anything that takes place will be remotely valuable to the events of the third book, and ultimately, the final conclusion.

I really feel like reading a Wikipedia summary article would be just as enjoyable as reading the novel.

I get that, even when you know the destination, the journey should be fun. But with this book, it's just tiring.

 

[Creasy Bear]

This book makes my brain hurt.

 

[Jacuzzi Billy]

Report: Amazon May Pay $1 Billion to Adapt the Hugo-Winning Chinese Novel The Three-Body Problem

 

[Chip Spackler]

Now every time I get to a lengthy tangent (there is quite a meaningful one in DE), I think of Falldog and laugh.

 

[Pigdango]

I may try to sneak in under the wire. I assume we are reading Book 1: rememberence of earths past?

 

[Creasy Bear]

Dammit! That was just book 1? There are more of these things?

 

[Falldog]

Ray Diaz's Plan

Spoiler

Was fucking great. That everyone was against him is fucking stupid.

 

[Chip Spackler]

Ray Diaz's Plan

Spoiler

Was fucking great. That everyone was against him is fucking stupid.

Spoiler

His premise for deterrence was certainly on the right track.

 

[Falldog]

Spoiler

His premise for deterrence was certainly on the right track.

What happened to him is completely non-sensical in a novel that's trying to be super logical.

 

[Falldog]

The problem with the Wall Facers from a narrative prospective

Spoiler

Is that the author doesn't do a good job with it. It's a very interesting premise and has some very cool possibilities. However, 2/4 of the way through the Wall Facers, it's all poorly handled. So and so does something for half the book, then suddenly a random guy shows up, shouts out some big secret, and the whole thing disappears. There's no coyness on behalf of the Facers for readers to pick apart, no sort of tension or cat & mouse game, no impact afterward. So much time is spent on Luigi that the other three might as well be footnotes.

 

[Falldog]

Good news,

Spoiler

Da Shi is back!

 

[Creasy Bear]

I can’t keep track of the ping ding pong names. As more duck dong characters are added, I’m getting more and more lost and confused.

I’ve started referring to the character list in the front of the book to try and figure out which dong head is which.

 

[Falldog]

Drop Shaped Probe

Spoiler

So, did anyone not see that coming?

 

[Falldog]

Natural Selection

Spoiler

Fuck everything having to do with that story line.

 

[Chip Spackler]

Natural Selection

Spoiler

Fuck everything having to do with that story line.

That storyline comes back in a big big way.

 

[Falldog]

That storyline comes back in a big big way.

Does it

Spoiler

transmit a spell at a star?

 

[Chip Spackler]

Does it

Spoiler

transmit a spell at a star?

That’s significant as well.

 

[Falldog]

Finished Dark Forest.

I didn't hate it, didn't love it, thought it was pretty average. For every good and compelling part there was one that was simply excruciating. It's not as deep as some people would lead you to believe too. Character development is pretty much zero, there's a ton of nonsensical aspects, and the whole Sophon thing is nothing more than a McGuffin.

I don't know why there's another novel in the series as this ended on a pretty nice and final note.