3 Body Problem - Netflix
Discussion
CheesecakeRunner said:
I’ll give it a try, but even as someone who’s been reading hard SF for over forty years, I gave up on the book.
I started watching it then in the episode where they dehydrate I realized I had started the book a few years ago and stopped reading it halfway through .Lucas Ayde said:
I have to say though, I read the first book and although it had some fantastic ideas and concepts, as a piece of entertaining fiction it was a real slog and didn't make me want to read the sequels.
I just finished the audiobook and I have similar feelings, I don't think I'd have made it through on paper, as there were extended sections (e.g. the more tedious in-game parts) that felt like they added little to the overall story.Also, the motivations of the main characters aren't particularly well drawn IMO.
I did wonder if some aspects of Chinese prose are simply difficult to translate – much of the dialogue felt oddly stagey to me.
It's definitely an interesting piece of work though and it's been rattling around in my head for the last few days, so I'll give the show a go.
I read the first book a few years ago and found it derivative and full of junk science. I also found the use of multiple names for each character with no explanation (probably because it would be obvious to a Chinese person) confusing.
I did not feel compelled to seek out the subsequent books.
As a result of the above, I'm unsure whether I want to watch the TV show.
I did not feel compelled to seek out the subsequent books.
As a result of the above, I'm unsure whether I want to watch the TV show.
Watched the first episode and even though it's got more going narrative-wise than the (first) book, was reluctant to continue watching given I've read the book and it wasn't grabbing me.
The characters are a bit annoying though at least they have more to them (and there are more of them) than the original characters in the book. I took a look at various reviews of the Netflix series as a whole and it doesn't look like want to bother watching through it, at around an hour per episode.
I did however want to see what I thought would be the standout setpiece so I went to episode 5 and I have to say that they did it justice. Fair do's there. In the book the writer didn't make a big deal of it but the on-screen adaptation is done extremely well.
The problem is that the original book series was pretty dry - it was all about the big sci-fi ideas and grand philosophical concepts rather than characters and narrative and being a 'ripping yarn'. Netflix have spiced it up a bit (as well as added a dash of mandatory Netflix wokeness) but it's still pretty dry and uninvolving and their new/redone characters irritated me. I didn't bother reading past the first book but but have seen many synopses and they will have real problems making those books relatable as they really veer into full on esoteric scifi.
I notice that a lot of people have been comparing it to 'Lost' but in reality its nothing like that in the book. I think whoever did the adaptation decided to take that direction of making it more of a mystery box to make it more appealing so perhaps they will really veer off the source material even more substantially as the story moves on.
It's not a total disaster but they were always on to a bit of a loser given the serious and dry nature of the source material which doesn't lend itself to general entertainment and of course, the 'Neflix adaptation' factor which is almost always negative.
The characters are a bit annoying though at least they have more to them (and there are more of them) than the original characters in the book. I took a look at various reviews of the Netflix series as a whole and it doesn't look like want to bother watching through it, at around an hour per episode.
I did however want to see what I thought would be the standout setpiece so I went to episode 5 and I have to say that they did it justice. Fair do's there. In the book the writer didn't make a big deal of it but the on-screen adaptation is done extremely well.
The problem is that the original book series was pretty dry - it was all about the big sci-fi ideas and grand philosophical concepts rather than characters and narrative and being a 'ripping yarn'. Netflix have spiced it up a bit (as well as added a dash of mandatory Netflix wokeness) but it's still pretty dry and uninvolving and their new/redone characters irritated me. I didn't bother reading past the first book but but have seen many synopses and they will have real problems making those books relatable as they really veer into full on esoteric scifi.
I notice that a lot of people have been comparing it to 'Lost' but in reality its nothing like that in the book. I think whoever did the adaptation decided to take that direction of making it more of a mystery box to make it more appealing so perhaps they will really veer off the source material even more substantially as the story moves on.
It's not a total disaster but they were always on to a bit of a loser given the serious and dry nature of the source material which doesn't lend itself to general entertainment and of course, the 'Neflix adaptation' factor which is almost always negative.
Hugo Stiglitz said:
I like it. I get it.
My question is what a monumental f
k up by the first contact who warned her 'I'm the pacifist one, the rest aren't (I'm warning you about any further contact).
Will this first contact alien play a further part later on.
So it's about aliens?My question is what a monumental f
k up by the first contact who warned her 'I'm the pacifist one, the rest aren't (I'm warning you about any further contact). Will this first contact alien play a further part later on.
Probably just like Resident Alien then and that's really good.
chemistry said:
Enjoyed episodes 1-5, but from episode 6 onwards it was increasingly dull and the finale was a total disappointment.
3/10
this.3/10
ep1-5 good, grounded and realistic , then ep 5 opened up a ton of plot holes and then along came a lot of 2min meetings bringing in technology we are no where near, and ignoring any basic science and just descended into nonsense for us -
shame.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-687058...
Interesting news from China.
And agree with the above, the non sensical last few episodes killed what was already a pretty weak and poor plot.
Interesting news from China.
And agree with the above, the non sensical last few episodes killed what was already a pretty weak and poor plot.
rider73 said:
this.
ep1-5 good, grounded and realistic , then ep 5 opened up a ton of plot holes and then along came a lot of 2min meetings bringing in technology we are no where near, and ignoring any basic science and just descended into nonsense for us -
shame.
I can't remember which ep was which but if I was wanting to accelerate something to 1/t0th of c I'd be looking at spacing out some atomic bombs on the flight path and using a lightweight sail. ep1-5 good, grounded and realistic , then ep 5 opened up a ton of plot holes and then along came a lot of 2min meetings bringing in technology we are no where near, and ignoring any basic science and just descended into nonsense for us -
shame.
Is the nanofibre in the 2006 book? If so the idea of a super-strong invisible molecular chain that cuts anything is hardly an original idea - Larry Niven used exactly the same thing ("Sinclair monofilament") way back in the '70s in various stories, and the idea may well predate that.
WrekinCrew said:
Is the nanofibre in the 2006 book?
Yes, it is. WrekinCrew said:
If so the idea of a super-strong invisible molecular chain that cuts anything is hardly an original idea - Larry Niven used exactly the same thing ("Sinclair monofilament") way back in the '70s in various stories, and the idea may well predate that.
Exactly so. 
I literally rolled my eyes and yawned when I got to that bit in the book. As I said, the book is pretty derivative.
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