Octopus Overlords

We had a mention of it being developed back in 2020, but now it's finally coming out, March 21st, 2024.

From multiple Emmy Award-winning creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), and Emmy-nominated Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy, True Blood) comes 3 Body Problem, a thrilling story that redefines sci-fi drama with its layered mysteries and genre-bending high stakes. Based on the acclaimed, international bestselling book trilogy, The Three-Body Problem.

A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history.

News item here, though apparently there might be some lite spoilers.

I will watch it. The book had mixed reviews so I never took the plunge.

I liked the first book. I guess I didn't like it enough to continue though.

McNutt wrote:I liked the first book. I guess I didn't like it enough to continue though.

The crazy part is that the first book is barely more than an introduction for where the series ends up. I'll agree that it's a bit of a slog in the beginning, but the rest of the story (meaning the other two books) is one of the most fascinating pieces of science fiction I've read...really great millennia-spanning story that is unlikely anything else I've read and well worth the time.

As for the show, I really want it to be good but I have concerns given the complexity of the story. I guess we'll see soon enough...

Only read the first one, didn't even know there were more. It was ok, and better than a lot of sci fi. It introduced me to the 3 body problem, which was pretty cool.

I'll check this out, likely.

read the first two books and it had enough clunky dialogue and irrelevant digressions (while also being pretty long) that i never got around to the third book. note there's a fanfic (_The Redemption of Time_ by Baoshu) that was officially canonized as the 'fourth book' of the trilogy. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/362 ... on-of-time

disarm wrote: ↑Wed Jan 10, 2024 3:00 pm

McNutt wrote:I liked the first book. I guess I didn't like it enough to continue though.

The crazy part is that the first book is barely more than an introduction for where the series ends up. I'll agree that it's a bit of a slog in the beginning, but the rest of the story (meaning the other two books) is one of the most fascinating pieces of science fiction I've read...really great millennia-spanning story that is unlikely anything else I've read and well worth the time.

As for the show, I really want it to be good but I have concerns given the complexity of the story. I guess we'll see soon enough...

I started the first but lost interest due to said slog. I know I need to get back to it, as I've heard others say the payoff is well worth it.

I'll be watching the show, for sure.

I'm curious even though I abandoned the first book halfway through.

I wasn't looking for it, but I came across this interesting review (first half of the video) of the book. Spoiler: He hates it, but in a nice way.

I tried to read the first novel twice, and I gave up both times, ultimately just opting for an online summary that didn't suggest that I'd missed anything.

I don't know if it was the nature of the translation or the nature of the original novel, but I experienced the story (or the half+ of it that I read) as a series of technical problems that were solved by a series of technically minded characters. And that was kind of the whole thing.

I've seen reviewers suggest that all of the otherworldly virtual-reality survival-game material feels flat, but I felt that way about the Earth-in-peril set material as well.

there's this reeaaally awkward part in The Dark Forest where one of the Blockers starts in on this, "Yes, I look like Superman" monologue that sorta sums up the writing/translating as a whole...

I always find the cultural differences in stories from non-north american authors to be fascinating. Some of it is so foreign that it feels, literally, like a different world.

It is out on Netflix and I am enjoying it. Glad I didn't have to wade through any fractured prose to get there. Fun fact: I did a report on Silent Spring in college.

Edit: Jonathan Pryce falls into the People I thought were dead but are still alive category.

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2024 11:11 am I always find the cultural differences in stories from non-north american authors to be fascinating. Some of it is so foreign that it feels, literally, like a different world.

Same. I think that's one reason I really liked the whole series (including the "fourth" book). I've also watched all 30 episodes of the Chinese version which was almost a page for page translation from the book. It really dragged at times because of that, but I was still fascinated by it and felt like an anthropologist. And it ended with this spooky/weird/goofy end song after each ep:

Anyhow, I've seen the 1st two episodes of the new show and think it's pretty decent. No idea how non book readers are going to respond to it though. And, if this is a hit and they do additional seasons, I'm not sure how they are going to handle things when the plot gets really (and literally) out there. (I have the same question about the continuing Chinese series as well). Probably the most interesting departure is that they seem to have spilt the scientist main character into like five different buddies from grad school in Oxford. I guess that's one way to increase characterization.

Hamlet3145 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 8:33 pm Probably the most interesting departure is that they seem to have spilt the scientist main character into like five different buddies from grad school in Oxford. I guess that's one way to increase characterization.

I plan on checking out the show but I'm in no rush.

It got a good review from the Globe's TV critic, who usually isn't very well disposed toward sf. In a nutshell, he says you'll start out feeling as lost as in Lost, but unlike that show it comes together soon enough with clarity, and the characterization is Game of Thrones quality. I might start it after I finish ST:SNW, although I'm inclined to catch up on all the ST first so I can cancel Paramount+ again.

Finished the 8 episodes in two days. Now waiting for news about if Netflix is going to fund second season or not.

I watched the first two last night. Even though I knew the reveals here from my stalled read of the first book, I enjoyed it and plan to finish.

I'm three episodes in and happy with it so far. Considering the complexity of the source material, I think they're doing a pretty good job. My only criticism is that the slow pace and prolonged way they're revealingly what's really happening might turn some people off and cause them to give up. The characters themselves aren't that compelling (much like the book), so you need intriguing events to move the story along...and those are happening at a trickle.

I'll keep watching though because the books are incredible and I'm very interested to see how they adapt such a complex story, especially when I know that what they're presenting now isn't much more than exposition. They've only given the slightest hint of what it's really all about.

Zaxxon... you should give the books another shot. The first is a tough read, especially in the beginning, because of all the Chinese history references, but the payoff in the later part of that book and the rest of the series is well worth investing your time.

I will probably give it another shot since I’m enjoying the show.

I have a question maybe book readers can answer.

Jaymann wrote:I have a question maybe book readers can answer.

Spoiler:

Did the aliens sabotage the frozen brain launch (would have been hilarious if they had sent Walt Disney)? It seems like that would have been relatively easy for them to do.

No. In fact, there is an entire book by a fan of the series that is so well written that Cixin Liu has actually recognized it as an unofficial fourth novel in the series. This book deals entirely with the event you asked about and what happens to that individual. It's a great read if you've finished the rest of the books and are interested in another related story.

The Redemption of Time by Baoshu

disarm wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 1:03 pm I'm three episodes in and happy with it so far. Considering the complexity of the source material, I think they're doing a pretty good job. My only criticism is that the slow pace and prolonged way they're revealingly what's really happening might turn some people off might cause some people to give up. The characters themselves aren't that compelling (much like the book), so you need intriguing events to move the story along...and those are happening at a trickle.

This is me. And I have even cheated a bit and have a general idea of what is coming... but I j just can't get into it at all.
I might give the show one more shot, because I really like Jonathan Pryce and I think he's a hugely underrated actor.

Just finished episode 5. Even though I already know everything that's coming, actually seeing the events at the Panama canal depicted on screen was pretty wild.

And sophons...hard to believe the story has reached that point already. Talk about flying through the material, but most of the first book really is just setting the stages for the real story to come...

So, I ended up watching all 8 episodes. I don't feel like shitting all over something I know other people really enjoy, so I'll just say I thought it was just okay, and probably won't watch the next season.

3 Body Problem, 3 Penis Wine. Tomato Tomahto

What did I write and what are the long term impacts on my youtube algorithm for clicking that?

It wasn't addressed to you. I've just had 5 cups of coffee this morning and I'm associating everything with 3 Penis Wine now. It made even less sense in the threads on Wordle and celebrity deaths when I posted this.

hepcat wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 1:18 pm It wasn't addressed to you. I've just had 5 cups of coffee this morning and I'm associating everything with 3 Penis Wine now. It made even less sense in the threads on Wordle and celebrity deaths when I posted this.

Now I haveThe 3 Penis Problem in my head which will be the inevitable title of a porn parody.

More on topic, I'm intrigued after watching episode 1.

I watched the first episode Friday. I don't remember being either impressed or disappointed. I guess that will come after I get further into the story.

I finished the season tonight and have ended up with pretty mixed feelings. I think the biggest issue I have is that it was limited to eight episodes. They attempted to cram far too much into that limited time, and the show is weaker than it should have been because of it. I can't imagine a lot of it making sense to people who haven't read the books (Wallfacers?), and the season ended at a point where the whole thing was really just setup for the next season; a season which has not been confirmed and likely won't be released for at least a year if at all. Will viewers still be interested at that point?

I really wanted to see this show succeed, but I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix drops it. The general consensus is that great for such an expensive show. Time will tell it guess...

disarm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:31 pm (Wallfacers?)

so it actually goes into _The Dark Forest_, plot-wise?

I've just started watching the series, and I've just finished episode 3. I find it more enjoyable than the novel.

Most of all I keep noticing actors who were on Game of Thrones (which makes sense because these are the same showrunners).

hitbyambulance wrote:

disarm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:31 pm (Wallfacers?)

so it actually goes into _The Dark Forest_, plot-wise?

Not yet. They introduce the concept of the Wallfacers, but the season ends before any of them do anything. The closest they come to The Dark Forest is a conversation between Ye Wenjie and Saul (the show's version of the Wallfacer who will probably bring up the Dark Forest theory) that I think will turn out to be the inspiration for his plan.

Of if you're asking if the show goes into the second book, yes...they do start to cover several plot points from The Dark Forest book, but everything stays in the present day.

And they also include one thing from the third book.

True...the Staircase Project is covered pretty fully

Newton’s three-body problem explained - Fabio Pacucci

something crazy i just noticed is KCTS (Seattle Public Television) is showing episodes of the Chinese Three Body TV series from 10:30AM - 6PM every Saturday:

https://www.kcts9.org/schedule/kcts9/20240420

I just finished the series and liked it. I didn't trust Netflix to let them finish the story. Should I start by reading the first book, or skip to the second? I've seen several people say they had trouble getting through the first one.

I just finished the first book and thought it was amazing. Is this a series or a movie? I might just get a temporary Netflix sub to see this.