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The Dark Forest
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The Dark Forest Paperback - 2016

by Cixin Liu; Joel Martinsen (Translator)

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This seller has earned a 4.40 of 5 Stars rating from internet customers.
4.40 / 5 (210044 total reviews)

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This seller has earned a 4.40 of 5 Stars rating from internet customers.
4.40 / 5 (210044 total reviews)

Readers hailed the sequel’s colossal scope and idea-driven storytelling, highlighting its “Dark Forest” take on the Fermi paradox, high-stakes strategy, and a jaw-dropping space battle that cements its reputation for audacious concepts. Many, however, found the first third slow and meandering before the narrative accelerates into a riveting, twist-filled second half. Characterization drew mixed reactions: some praised Luo Ji’s arc and the series’ game-theory rigor, while others criticized flat or functional characters and strongly condemned the book’s treatment of women as sexist and instrumentalized. The tone—bleak, existential, yet edged with late-stage hope—impressed numerous readers, as did the series’ epic ambition, though the translation and dialogue felt awkward to some. Overall, the payoff and philosophical reach outweighed the flaws for many, with several calling it superior to the first book, even as others were put off by pacing and misogyny.

Readers say this book is:
mind-blowingslow startphilosophically richjaw-droppingbleakthought-provokinguneven pacingmisogynisticawkward translationepic scope

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From the publisher

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem!

Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America

PRAISE FOR THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM SERIES: "A mind-bending epic."--The New York Times - "War of the Worlds for the 21st century."--The Wall Street Journal - "Fascinating."--TIME - "Extraordinary."--The New Yorker - "Wildly imaginative."--Barack Obama - "Provocative."--Slate - "A breakthrough book."--George R. R. Martin - "Impossible to put down."--GQ - "Absolutely mind-unfolding."--NPR - "You should be reading Liu Cixin."--The Washington Post

The Dark Forest is the second novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.

In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion-in just four centuries' time. The aliens' human collaborators may have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are totally exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead.

The Three-Body Problem Series
The Three-Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death's End

Other Books by Cixin Liu
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up the Sky
The Wandering Earth
A View from the Stars

Details

  • Title The Dark Forest
  • Author Cixin Liu; Joel Martinsen (Translator)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 528
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Tor Books, New York
  • Publication date 2016-08-16
  • ISBN 9780765386694 / 0765386690
  • Weight 1.3 lbs (0.59 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 in (23.37 x 15.49 x 4.06 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 21st Century
    • Cultural Region: Asian - Chinese
  • Category Fiction - Science Fiction
  • Library of Congress subjects Science fiction, Imaginary wars and battles
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

CIXIN LIU is a prolific and popular science fiction writer in the People's Republic of China. Liu is a winner of the Hugo Award and a multiple winner of the Galaxy Award (the Chinese Hugo) and the Xing Yun Award (the Chinese Nebula). He lives with his family in Yangquan, Shanxi.

JOEL MARTINSEN (translator) is research director for a media intelligence company. His translations have appeared in Words Without Borders, Chutzpah!, and Pathlight. He lives in Beijing.

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The Dark Forest (The Three-Body Problem Series, 2)

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