We can't bestow much higher praise on a series than calling it a "blow-your-mind reading experience", and that is exactly how Editorial Expert Liz Robinson described The Three-Body Problem. First published in China in 2006 and translated into English by Ken Liu in 2014 it is the start of an award-winning, critically acclaimed science-fiction phenomenon that has been adapted for Netflix by the creators of Game of Thrones. 

The perfect series of the month then! Especially with the release of the new must-have deluxe special editions. These beautiful new hardback books include an exclusive foil hardcover, full colour, illustrated endpapers and designed printed edges. The new editions for the first two books in the series are out now, they're the perfect gift for fans and collectors and will make a vibrant and eye-catching addition to your bookshelf. 

The Three-Body Problem Series

The Three-Body Problem starts the story in 1967, Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death in China's Cultural Revolution. An event that will shape the rest of her life as well as the future of mankind. The plot moves in a non-sequential timeline which actually allows a greater understanding to grow. The science is believable, even when it strays out of this world. The characters add heart and soul, ensuring a connection, allowing reality to slide in alongside the science fiction. 

Stepping into the second book, The Dark Forest was released in 2015. A beautifully challenging novel, it almost hurts when you realise one mind has created this simply immense story. An alien life force is on their way to earth, and they are due to arrive in four centuries' time. In their communications with earth they have realised the human ability to lie and deceive and so confirm their need to eradicate human life. The Dark Forest is a wonderfully stimulating novel, it opens up the stars and yet is as intimate as can be.

Set half a century after the Doomsday Battle, in Death's End the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge, it seems that the two civilizations can co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But peace has made humanity complacent.

In a rare occurrence we also have The Redemption of Time, a novel set in the Three-Body Problem universe and so included in this summary, but written by Baoshu with the blessing of Cixin Liu. This additional story extends the astonishing universe conjured by Liu. You'll discover why the universe is a 'dark forest', and for the first time, you'll come face-to-face with a Trisolaran...

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Cixin Liu is China's #1 SF writer and author of The Three-Body Problem - the first ever translated novel to win a Hugo Award. Prior to becoming a writer, Liu worked as an engineer in a power plant in Yangquan.

Author Photo credit: Li Yibo

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If you'd like to visit Cixin Liu's author page on LoveReading and view all of his books, you can do so here.