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Incidentally, this book seems to have some sort of cult critical status; I personally found it very poorly written, despite the original ideas in the plot.
I hope Netflix are able to turn it into something much better in their translation to the screen.
Given the subject matter of the books - I wouldn't want to touch the production of these. And that's sad.
Can you summarize what would make these books so sensitive/controversial?
While there are direct references to the CR in the first few chapters, the real cleverness is the indirect approach and the (traditional) use of SF to critique the present society. In the book, advanced higher-dimensional aliens have invaded earth .. with a pair of subatomic particles. Since these are under their full control, they are able to warp reality in higher-order physics experiments to prevent humans ever learning certain things.
The parallel with the CR and Maoism (or indeed post-Bernays propaganda states) in general is obvious - the ability to finely control what information someone receives, especially at critical moments, is the ability to control what they think and know.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It has a strong chinese perspective, there are themes in the book which are sexist (weak willed females/effiminate men are at fault for dooming humanity...) and you could read a lot more into it if you wanted.
>there are themes in the book which are sexist (weak willed females/effiminate men are at fault for dooming humanity...) Huh, that wasn't what I took away from it while reading, might be lack of awareness on my part but I feel like saying that is a theme of the book which is sexist seems a bit much to me. could be interpreted as maybe, if you could name examples?
I probably should have written "can be interpreted as"
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It has a strong chinese perspective, there are themes in the book which are sexist (weak willed females/effiminate men are at fault for dooming humanity...) and you could read a lot more into it if you wanted.
I read them a few years ago and I remember them being pretty critical of chinese policy and the cultural revolution. The second contact with the trisolarans basically being a big FU from the scientist that was exploited her whole life by the government.
Chinese Viewpoints are fascinating in some respects.
I think it's a bit early to be assuming Chinese oppression tactics (though understandable). Incidentally, this book seems to have some sort of cult critical status; I personally found it very poorly written, despite the original ideas in the plot. I hope Netflix are able to turn it into something much better in their translation to the screen.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It has a strong chinese perspective, there are themes in the book which are sexist (weak willed females/effiminate men are at fault for dooming humanity...) and you could read a lot more into it if you wanted.
>there are themes in the book which are sexist (weak willed females/effiminate men are at fault for dooming humanity...) Huh, that wasn't what I took away from it while reading, might be lack of awareness on my part but I feel like saying that is a theme of the book which is sexist seems a bit much to me. could be interpreted as maybe, if you could name examples?
IIRC, this society then attempts to pursue diplomacy only to get massacred before the archaic male heroically sets up a MAD situation.
The archaic male then controversially hands over control of the MAD response to a weak willed/nuance entertaining female, and the trisolarans immediately attack.
Apologies if I’ve mixed the timeline, it’s been a while and the human story draped over the skeleton of an interstellar war was a bit thin.
I think it's a bit early to be assuming Chinese oppression tactics (though understandable). Incidentally, this book seems to have some sort of cult critical status; I personally found it very poorly written, despite the original ideas in the plot. I hope Netflix are able to turn it into something much better in their translation to the screen.
But the storytelling just falls flat in books 2 and 3, with the overlong story-within-a-story and the needless romance plot. The... relativistic stuff (lets call it that to avoid spoilers) at the end didn't do anything for me at all, and just felt tacked on to wrap up storylines i didnt care about in the first place.
Could have been 50% shorter imo.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you summarize what would make these books so sensitive/controversial?
It's about the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution . Any kind of history outside the Party in China is inevitably going to be a bit dangerous. While there are direct references to the CR in the first few chapters, the real cleverness is the indirect approach and the (traditional) use of SF to critique the present society. In the book, advanced higher-dimensional aliens have invaded earth .. with a pair…
I think it's a bit early to be assuming Chinese oppression tactics (though understandable). Incidentally, this book seems to have some sort of cult critical status; I personally found it very poorly written, despite the original ideas in the plot. I hope Netflix are able to turn it into something much better in their translation to the screen.
Perhaps you think the book poorly written due to the fact that a translation of the original work was read? Or did you, in fact, read it in the original Chinese? Also, I doubt very much that Netflix shall produce something worth my time . . .
Netflix has some fine series, I'm sure it's perfectly capable of doing a good job with good source material; and hopefully capable of being transformative when the source quality is more mixed.
I think it's a bit early to be assuming Chinese oppression tactics (though understandable). Incidentally, this book seems to have some sort of cult critical status; I personally found it very poorly written, despite the original ideas in the plot. I hope Netflix are able to turn it into something much better in their translation to the screen.
I also don't get the cult status. The setup in the first book is pretty engaging, the trisolarians are compelling antagonists, and i loved the power plays resulting from Dark Forest theory... But the storytelling just falls flat in books 2 and 3, with the overlong story-within-a-story and the needless romance plot. The... relativistic stuff (lets call it that to avoid spoilers) at the end didn't do anything for me at…