Name: Throckmorton's review of The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin
Item: The Dark Forest
Rating: 4.5
Author: Throckmorton

Liu Cixin

The universe is a forest, patrolled by numberless and nameless predators. In this forest, others are hell, a dire existential threat. Stealth is survival. Any civilisation that reveals its location is prey. Earth has. And the others are on the way.

The Dark Forest

Soon to be a Netflix Original Series! "Wildly imaginative." —President Barack Obama on The Three-Body Problem trilogy This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author. 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 Ball Lightning Supernova Era To Hold Up The Sky (forthcoming) At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Jasper

I only wish to discuss with you one possibility: Perhaps seeds of love are present in other places in the universe. We ought to encourage them to sprout and grow.

"If I destroy you, what business is it of yours?"

She turned to Hines and said, "Wallfacer Bill Hines, I am your Wallbreaker."

As the elderly passed away, the departed Golden Shore vanished into the smoke of history. The ship of human civilization floated alone in the vast ocean, surrounded on all sides by endless, sinister waves, and no one knew if there even was an opposite shore.

'Yan Yan, she's not as beautiful as you. That's the truth.' He also wanted to say, One might be able to find her beauty among these works of art, but yours eclipses them, but he didn't want to come off as sarcastic 

You're like the blank space in a traditional painting: pure but, to a mature appreciation, infinitely appealing, he thought as he looked at her.

'Keiko, come with me to the end of days,' Hines murmured.

The insects in the grove seemed to have grown accustomed to their presence and resumed their musical chirping. When a soft wind blew through the bamboo and the stars in the night sky flashed through the gaps between the leaves, it was as if the insect chorus were issuing from those stars.

Naomi J.

Don't say where we are! Once we know where we are, then the world becomes as narrow as a map. When we don't know, the world feels unlimited.

Laura Dobie

Ashley

It's a sci-fi mixed with mystery, a pleasant continuation of the series. the title alone should inform you about the theme of this book, for those familiar with the theory, but much like the Wallfacers, there's much beneath the surface.

Throckmorton

although much larger in scope, this volume deals less with questions for philosophy and acts more a vehicle for his singular theory of the dark forest. it is written like a thriller, with hard sci-fi elements owing to his background as an engineer.

it continues to deal with the ramifications of the knowledge of certain existential risk and how humans would react to it.

im also surprised that it does not have authoritarian streaks, and instead brings to the fore ideals of liberalism and individualism.

themes now depart from questions of the philosophy of science in the first book to that of cosmic game theory, presenting a (then, at the date of publication, 2008) novel answer to the fermi paradox (in which the fertility for life in our universe is paradoxical as there are no other signs of intelligence other than ourselves) in the dark forest theory. this theory posits that civilisations are merely hunters in a dark forest, inching through slowly and once a rustle or signs of life or threats appear, the optimal solution is to attack whatever is sensed. the same logic applies to the rest of the forest in relation to the hunter -- it is at its core a pessimistic and bad-faith strategy -- but liu presents an optimistic possible solution

very breezy and well-paced book! almost didnt read it because of its length and complaints online that it was a bad translation. i disagree. the book is also bookended very nicely down to the first and last paragraphs, and also does a neat callback to the last scene of the first book

this second volume absolutely does live up to the hype

Ghee

although much larger in scope, this volume deals less with questions for philosophy and acts more a vehicle for his singular theory of the dark forest. it is written like a thriller, with hard sci-fi elements owing to his background as an engineer.

it continues to deal with the ramifications of the knowledge of certain existential risk and how humans would react to it.

im also surprised that it does not have authoritarian streaks, and instead brings to the fore ideals of liberalism and individualism.

themes now depart from questions of the philosophy of science in the first book to that of cosmic game theory, presenting a (then, at the date of publication, 2008) novel answer to the fermi paradox (in which the fertility for life in our universe is paradoxical as there are no other signs of intelligence other than ourselves) in the dark forest theory. this theory posits that civilisations are merely hunters in a dark forest, inching through slowly and once a rustle or signs of life or threats appear, the optimal solution is to attack whatever is sensed. the same logic applies to the rest of the forest in relation to the hunter -- it is at its core a pessimistic and bad-faith strategy -- but liu presents an optimistic possible solution

very breezy and well-paced book! almost didnt read it because of its length and complaints online that it was a bad translation. i disagree. the book is also bookended very nicely down to the first and last paragraphs, and also does a neat callback to the last scene of the first book

this second volume absolutely does live up to the hype

Finished the second book of the Three-Body Problem series… :") I honestly didn’t expect the storyline to be like this. It’s filled with the ambition of all humanity, each trying to save the world in their own way. So many conflicts, successes, failures… it felt utterly hopeless at times. As a reader, I could deeply feel every emotion poured into this book. It truly embodies the phrase “light will shine even in the darkest times,” or something like that. The main takeaway? Nothing is impossible if you have faith in what you’re doing—HAHA. By the end, I was so moved… :") Sad, but deeply touched!!!

div. ☆

DAMN SLOW BURN 😭😭😭 im glad i got to the end. as always, the battle scene was insane. my heart sank and it actually instilled a sense of hopelessness in me. will need a break before going in to the last book of the trilogy!! 

veralyn

This book is absolutely insane and I mean that in a good way - I don’t think I’d ever forget it. Even better than Three Body

Valerie Yang

Eva Ströberg

I must admit that Liu Cixin is a genius. I have never encountered sci-fi books that is so intriguing like this trilogy.

By the time you read this book, I'm sure that you have read the Three Body Problem. This book continues what's left from the first book, fast forwarded almost to the the time close to Trisolaris' arrival on earth.

There were times when I skipped through the long passages, I think it's common in many Asian-authored narration that there are usually long and winding conversation, but be patient and you'll be rewarded with the most interesting stories. I can't wait to get my hand on the 3rd book

The highest praise I could ever give the second book in a trilogy - this far surpassed its predecessor.

Wingyan Chan

Do you know what the greatest expression of regard for a race or civilization is?

That’s the highest respect a civilization can receive.

Nate

Do you know what the greatest expression of regard for a race or civilization is?

Annihilation.

That’s the highest respect a civilization can receive.

Malcolm Reddoch

Better than the first, which is REALLY saying something. One of the best, most gripping books I’ve read in quite a long time. Cannot recommend highly enough.

Chaitanya Baranwal

** spoiler alert **
           While this book was not at par with the first book in terms of wittiness, it certainly made up for it in characterization, both of its human characters and of human society as a whole. I could imagine Luo Ji spending time with his imaginary lover, and I could also imagine the mystery behind the character of Zhang Beihai. In my opinion, the characterization itself made the second book better than the first one.

The entire concept of Wallfacers, in addition to the impending doom of the Trisolaran army, kept me gripped to the story, making me want to read more and know how things will turn out. The idea of cosmic civilization actually impressed me, and if there is one thing I would take away from this book, it would be this interesting concept. The book does give a believable idea into what humanity's future can be like, which is commendable given how there is a great chance of things going overboard and the storyline coming up with absurdly amibitous ideas. My only concern with this book was its rushed ending, and I guess the thinking and idea behind Luo Ji's "masterplan" could have been elaborated more. Regardless, a fun and thought-provoking read!

Rohit Arondekar

Slow pacing and the weird concept of Wallfacers/Wallbreakers had me wondering if the second book will be a letdown. It wasn't! The books a real page turner towards the end.

This second book in the trilogy opens up the exploration of humanity, faith vs. despair, a thought experiment about the changes to society that extreme threats and turmoil can bring. I feel that the first book laid the foundation so that in this book, the ideas and future speculation could just take off. If you did not love the first book and weren't sure about continuing, give this book a try because it brings in new ideas and goes some places you might not expect. When it finally gets to the proposal of the dark forest theory and what it means to be a sentient species in space, it is terrifyingly dark.

This book mainly follows Luo Ji, a gifted but complacent astronomist who then turned to sociology. This character gets more development than any of the characters in the first book and even goes through a character arc. Still, the book is about themes and ideas, not character focused narrative. Luo Ji, drifting through life, suddenly finds himself shocked to be chosen by the UN for an international program to try and defeat the Trisolarans. A position he does not want and tries to reject, but cannot.

 this war, technological advantage is impossible for humans, due to the interference of the sophon probes. Trisolaran society does not understand deception because they have a completely transparent mode of communicating with each other. Secrets and strategic tactics that require misdirection are impossible for them. Humanity appoints four Wallfacers, to create plans entirely in their own brains and not communicate them in any way to any other person. They are given nearly unlimited resources and international criminal immunity for any actions or orders they give in the process of enacting their plans, along with creating red herrings to obscure what they are really doing. The ETO, humans who support the Trisolarans, appoint a Wallbreaker for each Wallfacer. They will observe and attempt to discover the true intentions of their Wallfacer and reveal the hidden plan, thus making the strategy useless.

We get to jump far forward in time, thanks to hibernation technology. We see the changes that have happened and the effect of the Trisolaran crisis on society and government. The plot feels like a techno thriller sometimes and especially in the second half moves at a good pace.

Cheryl Hedlund

This second book in the trilogy opens up the exploration of humanity, faith vs. despair, a thought experiment about the changes to society that extreme threats and turmoil can bring. I feel that the first book laid the foundation so that in this book, the ideas and future speculation could just take off. If you did not love the first book and weren't sure about continuing, give this book a try because it brings in new ideas and goes some places you might not expect. When it finally gets to the proposal of the dark forest theory and what it means to be a sentient species in space, it is terrifyingly dark.

This book mainly follows Luo Ji, a gifted but complacent astronomist who then turned to sociology. This character gets more development than any of the characters in the first book and even goes through a character arc. Still, the book is about themes and ideas, not character focused narrative. Luo Ji, drifting through life, suddenly finds himself shocked to be chosen by the UN for an international program to try and defeat the Trisolarans. A position he does not want and tries to reject, but cannot.

In this war, technological advantage is impossible for humans, due to the interference of the sophon probes. Trisolaran society does not understand deception because they have a completely transparent mode of communicating with each other. Secrets and strategic tactics that require misdirection are impossible for them. Humanity appoints four Wallfacers, to create plans entirely in their own brains and not communicate them in any way to any other person. They are given nearly unlimited resources and international criminal immunity for any actions or orders they give in the process of enacting their plans, along with creating red herrings to obscure what they are really doing. The ETO, humans who support the Trisolarans, appoint a Wallbreaker for each Wallfacer. They will observe and attempt to discover the true intentions of their Wallfacer and reveal the hidden plan, thus making the strategy useless.

We get to jump far forward in time, thanks to hibernation technology. We see the changes that have happened and the effect of the Trisolaran crisis on society and government. The plot feels like a techno thriller sometimes and especially in the second half moves at a good pace.

There were a lot of bait-and-switch twists in this book, but they all pretty much followed the same pattern. It got old after the first few twists of the same type, so I think this book was pretty boring despite all the action and space fighting. I'll probably wait a while before I read the third book since I have higher priority books to get to now. At least I know what folks are talking about when they discuss this trilogy, though! 

Ashlyn

This series is so weird, and the pacing frustrates me a lot, but the ideas are utterly gripping. A sci-fi book based on sociology and the prisoner’s dilemma was always going to appeal to me. I liked the unusual look at what makes a hero, too. The brilliant (if a bit unbelievable) ending makes me want to re-read the whole thing, but it’s 23 hours long and frustrating at times, so I probably won’t :P But I’m intrigued enough to finish the series! Fascinating stuff.

Bouke van der Bijl

** spoiler alert **
           Suspenseful and exciting, and at the same time heavy enough that you need to put it down after a while. The idea of the dark forest was explored nicely, and it’s a fun thought that utter annihilation of our solar system could be only a single transmission away.

This near-future trilogy is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple-award-winning phenomenon from Cixin Liu, China's most beloved science fiction author. 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 Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy The Three-Body Problem The Dark Forest Death's End Other Books Ball Lightning (forthcoming)

Obada Mu

“No, no. Don't say where we are! Once we know where we are, then the world becomes as narrow as a map. When we don't know, the world feels unlimited.”

Eva Decker

** spoiler alert **
           I wish I liked this book more than I did.

The pacing grates; the plot doesn’t really get going until page 200 or so. Meanwhile, technological breakthroughs and huge historical advancements are skimmed over with only the barest detail.

The treatment of women throughout the book had me constantly thinking “ah yes, this was written by a man.” Amongst a massive cast, there are few female main characters. Many statements reduce women to their looks. Our protagonist / “mouth of God” character fails to acknowledge Ye Wenjie, the woman who at the start of the book introduces him to the breakthrough which ends up saving human civilization. And don’t get me started on the 100 pages of Luo Ji’s fantasy-girlfriend-come-to-life wife. Sooo cringey and dehumanizing. 

The last 200 pages of the book were more fun, but I found myself having to re-read passages multiple times to understand what was happening. This didn’t happen much in The Three-Body Problem, which makes me wonder if it is an issue with this book’s new translator. 

Characters felt flat throughout. Often felt myself unmoved over real or threatened character deaths. No matter how innovative the sci-fi concepts, a story doesn’t compel if all characters sound the same.

Considering how much I enjoyed The Three-Body Problem, disappointed. Onto Death’s End...

Kwan Ann Tan

This was good & definitely a deeper exploration of the human psyche in the face of potential total destruction, but there were too many illogical things that happened in the middle of the book & left me feeling a bit like Liu was creating despair for the sake of despair... 

Also I started off hating Luo Ji but then eventually I was just like damn, let the man enjoy his life with his weird dream wife and child

linda

I wanted to give this book three stars when I first started it. Martinsen’s translation lacks the poetic quality of Liu. He is stingy with figurative language, and I did not experience the same emotional connection with the characters. However, the plot drive me forward. By the time I was 350 pages in, I was intent upon giving the books four stars. After the Battle of Darkness and Luo Ji realization of the dark forest, the book won my heart.

Again, Cixin Liu weaves a masterful and vivid tale. I finished this book within two days of starting it, initially as an escape, but then I realized how engrossed I was by the plot. This book made me the dig deeper. What happens when the entirety of humanity has an existential crisis? Why do we prevail in the face of a losing battle? What are the dangers of the advent of technology? (That part about all the assassination attempts on Luo Ji made me fearful of my Amazon Alexa and other “smart home” devices). What is the true meaning of love? At the same time, this book made me realize how grateful I am for the life I have now. As improbable as an intergalactic war is, I felt awe for living in humanity’s “golden age,” with freedom, (relative) equality, limited pollution, and no food rationing. 

The Wallbreakers were a really interesting concept overall. It seemed ironic that their visions would be so twisted and dark, each positing the belief that humanity was doomed. Yet the survival of earth hinged on them. Reading about the doomsday battle and the scene when Ding Yi first touches the probe, I felt heartbroken, but not at all surprised. The part about Luo Ji falling in love with an imaginary character to truly loving her was also fun to read. I was also inspired by Zhang Beihai’s stoicism and tactical brilliance. 

Need I say that I am officially a science fiction convert?

Anne 

Captivating work of innovation, revelation, and compassion. 
Cixin Lui is a unparalleled visionary.

Adam

After reading The Three Body Problem, I was split. On the one hand, the story had some amazing, innovate takes on science fiction -- but on the other I didn't identify with any of the characters. The Dark Forest elevates the sci-fi even more while creating flawed but interesting characters I wanted to see what happened to. The concept of the "Wall Climbers" and the "Wall Breakers" was a welcomed addition -- and allowed for a hidden motive to an otherwise linear story. When I think about the wide variety of topics covered, this book has parts that are Battlestar Galactica, Foundation, Caves of Steel, Rendezvous with Rama, Dan Simmons and more.

Katie Chua

(3.5 stars but I’ll round up). OKAY LOOK. The beginning is interesting enough and the premise had me pretty engaged UNTIL about a third of the way through we come to the problematic imaginary ideal woman. Booooo — I almost gave up right then and there. But, I stuck with it, and I am glad. Impressive in scope and scale, thought experiments, and imaginative ideas of how humanity would interact or deal with aliens?? Pretty cool. I love sci-fi in the way it makes me think more deeply about our current humanity / what it means to be human / and ideas of what the future can hold. Poor characterization, incredibly misogynistic, but a worthy storyline still.

Ethan Ding

didn't retain quite the same coherency as three body, but it carries the same weight

the first 200 pages of this book bored me so much

the next 300 pages of this book blew my mind

:O

Ashley &
The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin

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