The Dark Forest

By: Cixin Liu, Joel Martinsen - translator

Narrated by: Jess Hong

A 2026 Audie Awards finalist for Best Science Fiction!

The inspiration for the Netflix series 3 Body Problem! This program is read by Jess Hong, who plays Jin Cheng in 3 Body Problem.

Over 1 million copies of the Three-Body Problem series sold in North America.

"[Jess] Hong, who stars in the Netflix adaptation of Liu's The Three-Body Problem series, narrates this new audiobook recording and will undoubtedly entice fans of the show with her warmth...Hong's acting shines during emotional moments..." — Library Journal

PRAISE FOR THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM SERIES: “A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times • “War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—The Wall Street Journal • “Fascinating.”—TIME • “Extraordinary.”—The New Yorker • “Wildly imaginative.”—Barack Obama • “Provocative.”—Slate • “A breakthrough book.”—George R. R. Martin • “Impossible to put down.”—GQ • “Absolutely mind-unfolding.”—NPR • “You should be reading Liu Cixin.”—The Washington Post

The Dark Forest is the second novel in the groundbreaking, Hugo Award-winning series from China's most beloved science fiction author, Cixin Liu.

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 by Cixin Liu
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up the Sky
The Wandering Earth
A View from the Stars

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Critic reviews

Praise for the Three-Body Problem series:

"Wildly imaginative."—President Barack Obama

“A mind-bending epic.”—The New York Times

“Absolutely mind-unfolding. . . . a science-fiction epic of the most profound kind.”—NPR

“A breakthrough book . . . a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation, politics and history, conspiracy theory and cosmology.”—George R. R. Martin

"Liu Cixin's writing evokes the thrill of exploration and the beauty of scale. . . . Extraordinary."—The New Yorker

“[Liu turns] technically complex and existentially dreadful ideas into books that are impossible to put down.”—GQ

“A fascinating novel of ideas."–TIME

"The best kind of science fiction, familiar but strange all at the same time."—Kim Stanley Robinson

"Remarkable, revelatory, and not to be missed."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fans of hard SF will revel in this intricate and imaginative novel."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“War of the Worlds for the 21st century.”—Wall Street Journal

“Liu’s picture of humanity’s place in the cosmos is among the biggest, boldest and most disturbing we’ve seen.”—Los Angeles Times

“Provocative.”—Slate

“A gripping and haunting sci-fi mystery.”—Cosmopolitan

"A must-read in any language."—Booklist

Absolutely mind blowing!

There is a scene in this book that shattered me and took my breath away. I was stunned and speechless. I felt the deep emotion of a unique plot that was so different than anything I have ever encountered before that I was stunned. I can honestly say this scene will be with me for the rest of my life. Read this book. It is worth it. I do not feel the same way about the final book of the trilogy but that is for a different review.

well spoken

Jess Hong does a great alien transliteration. I think she did the voice in it for the TV series too?

I love these attempts

Jess, noice work. I'm pretty sure I caught some bloke in the background laugh at you during one of the court scenes lol loves it. I'm considering listening to this on my deathbed, but my immature love for this woman's voice may fade over time. I doubt we will here her read her own parts in Death's End, but 🥂 heres to hoping!

Finally, good narration

I've wanted to listen to the dark forest for years after watching three body problem but the stale narration of previous one just made me not bother. This in the other hand is perfect, she does the accents and voices really well. Been a while since I felt this immersed and glued to an audio book.

It never failed to blow my mind how one person could write all this, scifi/aliens that actually feels real and considers all aspects of humanity's reaction to an extraterrestrial threat. The fact it doesn't rely on action but is heavily character driven really made me love it more.

A True Space Opera With a Distracting Marrator

I didn't think he'd pull off the wall facer plan as elegantly as he did, but also noticed that it was basically a different version (well, expanded of course) of the same ultimate plan of the other wall facers: if we can't have this, nobody can. I'm intrigued to see who responded to the "spell", and whether it's too late for humans and trisolarans even with just this far off signal. I also dont understand why the 3rd alien race didn't pick up on Ye Wentzie's initial broadcast, was it too weak? Too unspecified? I've enjoyed the first two books in the series thus far, tho I will say that the narration in the first was better. The reader in this book has a lovely accent that I find somewhat distracting! all the same, amazing work. I hope they make it into a movie!