# The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

28 Hacker News commenters recommended The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin and 8 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a mind-bending science fiction novel with striking concepts, though critics say its physics and sociology are implausible and the later plot is weak.

## Why people recommend it

- Mind-bending, original science fiction concepts (4 comments): "one of the most fascinating and mind-bending considerations in the book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49112813)) "DF is only one of many amazing concepts in TBP" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47587211)) "the books which are astonishingly good" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49849531))
- Enjoyable, memorable read overall (5 comments): "I enjoyed Three Body Problem a lot more than I thought I would." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46391909)) "I just finished the fantastic Three Body Problem series" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49909371)) "I really enjoyed the book series." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45975581))

## What people warn about

- Implausible science and physics (5 comments): "the "science" in it was so profoundly absurd that I couldn't motivate myself to read any further" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49965867)) "this is implausible. If scientists started getting weird results, they'd be thrilled , not suicidal!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49112328)) "But it's "science" is just bullshit, both the physics and the sociology." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49983995))
- Later dark forest plot weak (2 comments): "It's the later plot with the "dark forest" that makes no sense." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49213807)) "It just struck more as a Marvel style ending than an Arthur C Clark style ending." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49854273))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir](https://hackerapproved.com/p/project-hail-mary.md): 117 recommend
- [There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-is-no-antimemetics-division.md): 98 recommend
- [Blindsight by Peter Watts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blindsight.md): 96 recommend
- [Dune by Frank Herbert](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dune.md): 82 recommend
- [Accelerando by Charles Stross](https://hackerapproved.com/p/accelerando.md): 71 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Three-Body+Problem+by+Liu+Cixin&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin", https://hackerapproved.com/p/three-body-problem/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).