In 2015, the English translation of Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Already a sensation in China, this masterwork of hard science-fiction was now on the radar of Western fans, gaining steam as The Remembrance of Earth's Past series unfolded. With the release of Netflix’s hit 3 Body Problem adaptation and a second season in the works, an even wider audience is discovering the fascinating science, thrilling twists, and unsettling cosmic horror of Liu’s elaborate world. Whether you’re craving more mind-bending physics and cutting-edge tech, a War of the Worlds-style alien-human throwdown, or smart gaming-related fiction, this list of Three-Body Problem-inspired recs has you covered.
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Like The Three-Body Problem, Children of Time is an epic sci-fi exploration of what happens when humanity fights for interplanetary survival. In Adrian Tchaikovksy's acclaimed novel, the last of humanity leaves a dying Earth for a terraformed planet. Though it seems like Eden, this new home has been occupied by huge, hyper-intelligent spiders that, after accidentally interacting with an experimental nanovirus, have been evolving for thousands of years. Children of Time spans planets, centuries, and species to grapple with big questions about what it means to be alive—remind you of anything?
Ernest Cline’s futuristic tale is matched by superb narration from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Wil Wheaton. It is 2045, and the world is overpopulated, leaving resources scarce. The virtual reality offered by hyper-realistic gaming platform OASIS is an escape from the difficulties of daily life. When it’s revealed that the program’s late creator has left behind keys to the ownership of OASIS, thousands of users vie for the opportunity. Among them is 18-year-old Wade Watts, who finds himself on an exhilarating quest to the furthest stretches of reality.
Neal Stephenson goes hard on the scientific explanations and cataclysmic consequences of an apocalyptic scenario that forces humans into outer space in this sweeping work of speculative fiction. With dual narration by accomplished performers Mary Robinette Kowal and Will Damron, Seveneves comprises a massive 5,000-year timescale, in-depth orbital mechanics, and provocative ideas about alien life and the future of humanity. It's also utterly gripping, starting with its explosive first sentence: “The Moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason.”
Although an epic fantasy rather than science fiction, The Grace of Kings belongs on this list for the way it builds up tension and twists along with its vividly detailed world. (Plus, the Hugo-, Nebula-, and World Fantasy award-winning author Ken Liu is also the translator of several works of Chinese sci-fi, including The Three-Body Problem.) Kuni Garu is a bandit; Mata Zyndu the son of a deposed duke. They are polar opposites who come together in an uprising against the emperor. But when the emperor is overthrown, old rivalries return.
If you loved the VR game in The Three-Body Problem, Gabrielle Zevin's exhilarating novel is for you. Though it's not science fiction, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow uses game design and ideas from Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and Homer to ask deep existential questions. The story of two childhood friends and gamers who create a blockbuster video game is told from shifting perspectives (wonderfully portrayed by narrators Jennifer Kim and Julian Cihi) and spans 30 years, exploring life-changing success and everything that comes after.
This newer audio edition of Andy Weir’s blockbuster novel is narrated by Wil Wheaton and features bonus content from the writings of Mark Watney. A survival thriller with an extraterrestrial twist, The Martian imagines a worst-case-scenario in one of the wildest environments imaginable: the surface of Mars. That’s where astronaut Watney finds himself after a dust storm separates him from his crew and they evacuate, leaving him to fend for himself. A modern masterpiece of hard science fiction, The Martian elevates scientific accuracy while also being engaging and very, very funny.
Ted Chiang's inventive and beautiful collection of sci-fi stories explores questions of language, human nature, technology, creativity, and time. The titular short story is about Louise Banks, a linguist who is tasked with deciphering the language of the aliens who have just arrived on Earth. But as she begins to study this alien language, she finds it begins to change how she perceives herself, the world, and humanity itself. The story was adapted into the celebrated 2016 film Arrival.
If you were drawn to the hard science in The Three-Body Problem, try this ingenious Great Course on how real science powers science fiction—and how science fiction, in turn, gives us amazing insights into future possibilities and inspires us to dream bigger. In the 10 lectures of The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel, Professor Erin Macdonald interweaves real science and the achievements of the imagination to reveal the truth that underlies our favorite stories and sheds light on what the future may hold.
There is something special about this near-future sci-fi novel, maybe because of what its author calls a Frankenstein of influences. The first installment in The Wormwood Trilogy, Rosewater is set in a fictional Nigerian community that was spawned following the appearance of a mysterious alien biodome with immense powers. Author Tade Thompson’s unique voice is a perfect hook to get into the series, which ramps up the existential and cosmic dread while masterfully weaving in the cultural and historical influences from its Nigerian setting.
Even if you've heard Luke Daniel's acclaimed performance, consider this new recording by Rosalind Chao, who stars as Ye Wenjie in the Netflix adaptation. In the aftermath of China's Cultural Revolution, Ye Wenjie is a disillusioned grad student who decides to contact aliens and convince them to attack Earth. As the story weaves between Wenjie’s present and the near future, we’re offered glimpses into the repercussions of her decision. Chao gives a compelling performance, voicing both Wenjie’s intentions and actions—and the thoughts of the future as police scramble to track her experiment’s effects.
