THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM
THE DARK FOREST
DEATH'S END
The novel contains elements of historical fiction (in particular about the
Chinese Cultural Revolution), first contact narrative, mystery, espionage and
fantasy (as portrayed in a cyberpunk videogame). It also touches on various
scientific theories and assumptions related to astrophysics, environmentalism,
nano-technology, computer architecture and higher-dimensional parallel
universes. The following analysis contains spoilers.
The novel is divided into three sections.
- In "Part I: Silent Spring", a young astronomer named Ye Wenjie witnesses the killing of her father during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, after which she becomes conflicted about mankind's abuse of nature. Later, she is recruited into a secret radio-astronomy project.
- "Part II: Three Body" takes place in the modern day, where a rash of suicides among theoretical physicists prompts the government to recruit a nano-technology developer named Wang to infiltrate the secretive Frontiers of Science coalition (among whose members are the suicide victims). Wang is led to an online VR game named "Three Body", in which the player is confronted with an environment which alternates between "Chaotic Eras" and "Stable Eras". This situation is due to the fact that the planet is part of a triple-sun system. The Three Body Problem describes the seeming impossibility of predicting the flight path of objects interacting in a three-point gravitational system (such as a triple-sun system). It is eventually revealed that the Three Body game is a simulation of a real star system, Trisolaris (Alpha Centauri). The Trisolarans want to solve the Thre Body problem in order to predict the occurrences of recurring desert and ice ages (caused by the planet's varying proximity to one or more suns) so that they can better prepare for them. However, as no solution to the Three Body problem seems possible, they have decided to emigrate to a new planet.
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"Part III: Sunset For Humanity" describes the beginning of the conflict
between Earth and the Trisolarans. Many disgruntled/disillusioned scientists
and intellectuals (led by Ye Wenjie) ally themselves with the Trisolarans
and welcome their invasion fleet (which will arrive on Earth in 450 years).
However, there is division amongst the group as to the extent of their
future control (or extermination) of humanity. In the end, the Trisolarans
demonstrate their contempt for humanity's chances.
A more detailed synopsis and analysis can be read HERE.
The Dark Forest is author Liu Cixin's sequel to his 2006 novel
The Three-Body Problem. Continuing from the previous novel (but with almost entirely new
characters), The Dark Forest was followed in 2010 by a third
novel, Death's End, which completed Liu's
Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. This series essentially deals with
Earth's relationship with the enigmatic Trisolaran race from beyond the solar
system. Where The Three-Body Problem covered the first few decades of
the saga, The Dark Forest spans over two centuries.
Death's End portends to take the saga to the end of time.
Like the previous novel, The Dark Forest is divided into three main
story arcs.
In the analysis below, spoilers will eventually start to surface...
-
Part 1, "The Wallfacers", describes the establishment of a UN project in
which four individuals (dubbed "Wallfacers") are tasked with coming up with
a plan to repel the Trisolaran invasion, expected to arrive in 450 years.
Because the Trisolarans are able to monitor all printed and audio
communications on Earth (through their sub-atomic supercomputer sophons),
the Wallfacers are instructed not to verbalize or write down anything which
might reveal the nature of their plan. In accordance with this tactic, the
Wallfacers are given carte blanche to Earth's resources in order to
carry out their plans. "The Wallfacers" follows the four Wallfacers chosen
by the UN as they start laying down the foundations for their plans.
However, one Wallfacer (a hedonistic nihilist named Luo Ji) is an unwilling
participant in this project and uses his new found benefits to find himself
a perfect wife.
- Part 2, "The Spell", continues following the progress of the Wallfacers' progress. By the end of this section, three Wallfacers have failed, leaving only Luo Ji to come up with something. Forced to action, he ends up finding inspiration by recalling a chance conversation he once had with Ye Wenjie, the Red Coast scientist who had summoned the Trisolarans in the first place.
- Part 3, "The Dark Forest", leaps ahead nearly 200 years to an Earth in possession of a Solar Fleet so powerful that their victory is virtually assured even without the aid of a Wallfacer plan. Unfortunately, the Solar Fleet soon runs into "complications" and the fate of mankind falls onto Luo Ji's shoulders once again. In the end, Luo Ji redeems himself as a true Wallfacer and peace negotiations with the Trisolarans begin.
Although Luo Ji is ultimately the "hero" of The Dark Forest, each of
the other three Wallfacers also enjoy their own rising/falling narrative arcs.
Additional viewpoints are also presented through "civilians" living in a
Beijing apartment building and various scientists and military officials
stationed around the world. However, the most important secondary arc is that
of a political operative named Zhang Beihai, who executes his own long range
plan for humanity (and is essentially a secret, self-appointed Wallfacer).
Like Liu's previous novel, The Dark Forest engages with many scientific concepts related to astrophysics. It also delves deeply into the nature of human psychology on both an individual and a race level. In a sense, each of the main character threads illustrate a unique, human reaction to news of the Trisolaran invasion and its seemingly inevitable success. However, on an even greater scope, the title of the novel ends up being a characterization of the entire universe as a "dark forest", populated by merciless predators.
A more detailed synopsis and analysis can be read HERE.
While the narratives of the previous novels took place over about 200 years, here the narrative begins in the Middle Ages and then extends all the way to millions of years in the future. In order to maintain a character-based POV through this enormous time-span, Liu repeatedly puts his main character (a scientist named Cheng Xin) into hibernation (or subjects her to light speed relativity) in order to have her re-emerge in various eras.
- A preliminary scene involving a mysterious "witch" (set near the fall of Constantinople in 1452) opens the novel. Afterwards, the main narrative begins, taking place roughly in the same time period described in the first two novels. Alongside the Wallfacer Project (as described in The Dark Forest), another strategic group works towards the Staircase Plan, in which a manned investigative probe is sent off to intercept the Trisolarans a couple hundred years before they arrive on Earth. Unfortunately an accident throws the probe off-course.
- In Part 2, the narrative then jumps ahead into the Deterrence Era, in which Earth and Trisolaris maintain a peace held together by the Dark Forest Deterrence Plan as developed in The Dark Forest. For over 60 years, Trisolaris halts its designs on Earth and works towards a cross-cultural peace. During this time Luo Ji continues to hold the "trigger" which could spell doom for Trisolaris and Earth. Eventally he is deemed too old for the position and a scientist named Cheng Xin (also the main protagonist of the Staircase Plan sequence) is chosen to replace him. During this "hand-over", the Trisolarans take this opportunity to alter the conditions of the peace. When Cheng Xin is faced with capitulation or total self-destruction, she chooses the former. However, at the same time a deep space vessel discovers "4th dimensional zones", and uses this knowledge to turn back Trisolaris' plans. Unfortunately, this result also exposes Earth to the Dark Forest.
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Part 3 describes the development of various plans designed to prevent the
destruction of Earth by fearful advanced interstellar civilizations. During
this time, a previously-thought "lost friend" makes his return and tries to
help humanity make the right choice through veiled parables.
-
In Part 4, humanity has settled on the Bunker Plan, in which the population
of mankind lives in space cities situated in geosynchronous orbit behind the
four outer planets (Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune), hoping that the
planets' bulk will protect the space cities from a detonation of the Sun.
Cheng Xin is awakened from hibernation in order to settle a conflict between
a group of ambitious scientists (under her employ) and the greater Solar
Federation. She sides with the Federation's more conservative approach.
- In Part 5, the Bunker Plan fails and only Cheng Xin and her assistant "AA" escape the consequences.
- In Part 6, Cheng Xin discovers the remnants of human survivors in "galactic space" and learns much more about the ruthless conflicts being waged amongst the advanced civilizations of the universe. However, due to a chance accident, she is soon thrown millions of years into the future, and then into a parallel "bubble universe". At this point, she is faced (for a third time) whether to choose for immediate safety or invest in a riskier, but more hopeful, future.
A more detailed synopsis and analysis can be read
HERE.
