Well, I'm going to need jaw reattachment surgery after reading this. Just absolutely insane!The Dark Forest picks up not long after the end of book 1, and I admit, I was a bit confused at first. Because you see, it starts off really slow, so slow I was left wondering how it's possible this same author could've written the fast-paced and information-dense story that was its predecessor.For most of Part I, we just meander along, seemingly without any point or much plot advancement at all. We come

A superlative sequel that made its predecessor pale in comparison, The Dark Forest is an excellent middle book that made me finally recognize all the praises that Cixin Liu received. The first thing you have to know before starting this book is that this is a completely different book from its predecessor, The Three-Body Problem. Although the plot built upon what happened in TTBP and a few characters made an appearance here, other than Da Shi and Ding Yi, the other characters were only mentioned...

Will the Dark Forest sprout the seeds of love?It's an excellent question, even if it induces a deep pessimism and the likelihood of eventual suicide. And yet, this is exactly what we're asked to consider at the end of this excellent novel.First things first. How does it compare to the first novel? Well, it's a very different read. I can even say it's sedate and deliberate, despite the axe being held over the Earth and all its inhabitants for hundreds of years. We've got a sociology experiment go...

H o l y g u a c a m o l e.This might be my new favorite book of all time. I don't even have the words right now. GOD. GO READ THIS.

I should love this series. It scratches all my science fiction itches. It is a continuous onslaught of intriguing ideas. It has a complex plot loaded with intrigue. It has an enormous scale both in terms of time and space. It explores the universe and humanity’s place in it, supported by science/physics. It has sections of lyrical prose and well-crafted imagery. And don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the series. I’ll definitely read the last in the trilogy. However, surprisingly, I don’t love it.

Some of the most amazing Sci-fi I´ve read, because it perfectly balances the character and (not as hard as in the first part) hard science proportion with exceptional epic language, unique ideas, and innuendos en masse. An explosion of creativity and style, even when compared to the first partThis is one of the most extreme cases of a series getting better and more accessible and just look at the third one, amazing. While the first part was a great read for nerds and historyholics focused on Chi...

Every bit as engrossing as The Three-Body Problem, if not more so, The Dark Forest is a masterpiece of scifi. The characters are deeper here than the first book and the technology and physics are a geek's wet dream. It is hard to say much about this book without giving put spoilers, but I really appreciated the space elevator, the Killer 5.2 virus, the underground cities, and the descriptions of the solar fleet. The droplet was a brilliant idea and still has my brain buzzing. Not to mention that...

Couldn't put it down. Literally. I neglected other duties for 36 hours. Excellent continuation of the story. Again, fascinating view of drivers of species survival seen through a different cultural lens, somewhat alien to my Western background. I did not expect it to follow the usual paths of English and USA scifi and it did not disappoint. Loved it. Unfortunately the translation jarred at times. Luckily infrequently. But not enough for me to deduct a star.

While the first half was incredibly painful to read (how much sexism can you excuse with cultural differences?) the second half did redeem this book for me.It will be hard to find more books with this many interesting scientific concepts but be warned it's a struggle to go through the descriptions of the main character's ideal woman.

Mr Liu Cixin, my name is Stevie Kincade and I am your wallbreaker! (Audiobook) Well not really but that seemed like the obvious way to start this review since I have some femur sized BONES TO PICK with this book.The Dark Forrest is a 23 hour audiobook. Is there an interesting idea for us to digest at the end of it? MOS DEF. Do I wish I could have 22 hours of my life back (OK more like 16 due the miracles of modern audio technology) and just listen to the “dark forrest speech” then google “Dark

2nd read It has one of the most stunning chapters I ever read in my life - the one with the droplet: it simply stops your breath; you choke with the words as you read them; and at the end, you'll feel like hit by a train. But I won't praise it again; I did that already. Instead, I will leave one more quote from this incredible work (oops, I did it again :D): "[...] two axioms for cosmic civilization. First, survival is the primary need of civilization. Second, civilization continuously grow

The Dark Forest: Only 400 years to prepare for an alien invasionOriginally posted at Fantasy LiteratureThe Dark Forest is Cixin Liu’s follow-up to The Three-Body Problem (first published in English in 2014 and selected as a Hugo and Nebula Award Finalist), and is the second book in his THREE BODY apocalyptic SF trilogy (which was already published in China back in 2010). It took a while for the series to gain enough popularity in China to catch the attention of US publishers, but since the first...

Spoiler-FreeSequels are very difficult vessels to land safely. Sequels are placed in the awkward position of providing the content that made its predecessor a success while simultaneously delivering an enjoyable story. Sequels, specifically second books in trilogies, face an even more monumental task: move the story forward and reveal just enough to leave the reader satisfied while simultaneously getting them to want to pick up the final installment. Lesser trilogies do this by making the second...

Ana’s Take:I can’t think of a book that has squandered more of my goodwill than The Dark Forest in recent memory. Actually no, scrap that. I can’t think of a book that has CRUSHED me more than The Dark Forest did. Beware, spoilers and CAPS LOCK OF FURY AHEAD.I loved The Three-Body Problem. I loved it so much, I handed it over to Thea, telling her: READ THIS NOW. We BOTH loved it so much, we gave it high ratings and the book eventually made our top 10 lists of 2014. I loved it so much, when it wo...

About 80% through this book (after the Battle of Darkness), I needed a nap desperately. In the nap, I dreamed extremely troubling dreams, filled with the feeling of despair and the knowledge that humanity would die. Just felt like explaining the mood this book left me in for the most part: an overwhelming tension that every single human will perish, first in spirit, then in body. Thanks for that, Mr. Liu!At that point, I thought I would end up not liking this book. I mean, the darkness of this b...

A to Z around the world personal challenge – C is for China"The past was like a handful of sand you thought you were squeezing tightly, but which had already run out through the cracks between your fingers. Memory was a river that had run dry long ago, leaving only scattered gravel in a lifeless riverbed. He had lived life always looking out for the next thing, and whenever he had gained, he had also lost, leaving him with little in the end.This series is amazing. I started it in order to accomp...

The Dark Forest is a stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed The Three-Body Problem and in my opinion, surpassed it by the magnitude of astronomical units.While I hold the first book in high regard, I had to admit that characterisation was sidelined in the narrative which focussed heavily on the science and plot. The sequel's storytelling approach was more balanced with the hard science toned down somewhat and character development emerging more prominently. The leading character in this respect...

The Dark Forest is a brilliant piece of sci-fi literature. The scope and imagination that Mr. Liu Cixin put into this book is nothing short of genius. At least in my humble opinion. I will admit the first 15% didn't hold my interest that well, but after that it was very hard to put down. While book 1, The Three-Body Problem, explains the history of how contact was made with the Trisolarians and their intentions, book 2, The Dark Forest, details how humanity is trying to prepare for an unknowable...

Compared to The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest was better in essentially every aspect. I generally consider myself to be a fan of sci-fi, even though I have not read a large number of sci-fi works, especially books on this sort of epic scale. I certainly get as to why this series is so popular, because even though I have yet to read the third book, Death’s End, The Dark Forest is stellar. I felt that the first book lacked direction, characterisation and that there was no real coherent plo...

This is introspective, philosophical sci-fi at its finest. You won't find a ton of 'splosions and lasers here, but that's ok. It's not really the point of the book; the book's point is to examine human hubris, love, failings, and successes. Everything that makes the human condition.When the action does come, it is largely terrifying and unexpected. I am very much enjoying this series, very different from anything I've read before, and very much appreciate the insight into a foreign mind and Liu'...