bro needs to learn how to give characters some personality and not just use them as plot devices smh

Misogynistic and boring. 

I had higher hopes for this book than the first. I read reviews talking about the misogyny and sexism but disregarded them prior to starting the book. I thought that there’s no way it’s that bad and it must be that the author uses mainly strong male characters and few females (which is correct). That it must be a cultural difference. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Some parts are just gross. Women are seen as soft and emotional and innocent. I highlighted some of the quotes that are just disgusting. I read that the original Chinese version is even worse, and some of the misogyny was omitted from the English translation. In the English version, it is not overt but still obvious. 

Even removing those aspects of the book, this was so boring. I enjoy sci-fi and learning about science. I also enjoyed learning more about Chinese history in the first book. But, this was so dragged out and slow. I genuinely don’t understand the hype. The idea behind the books is interesting, but the execution is terrible. 

Can we also talk about how there is one ellipsis or more on almost every page? I plan on watching the Netflix series to see how it compares. I’m not sure if I will continue on with this series.

* please disregard spelling and grammatical errors due to voice texting. Thanks.

0 🌶️

The novel got better over the pages, but I wish I didn't have to work through half the book to make it to more interesting parts. To me, the story got much more interesting when

the time jump to the future where people lived underground came up.

Some of the writing was very good, but not as many good bits as the first book in the series. Some people have speculated that this is due to the change in translator; I don't think anyone can say for sure unless they have read the original source material. Overall, this was a harder book to read than the first simply because it was much more depressing. If the goal was to paint a dark picture of civilizations (human and otherwise) then the goal was more than met. I do suspect that this was the goal because of the title. 

Still a very fun read, but I didn't like it as much as The Three-Body Problem. I still plan to read Death's End. I had 2 big issues for this book when compared to the first. 

1. several things just seemed a little too convenient or unreasonable. I can't go into it without spoilers, but it's like even though it's fiction, there would be moments where the characters stopped being characters and decided to start debating in a very contrived way (like reasoning in mystery manga). The other is a biggish spoiler not for main plot but important to the story:

Luo Ji literally dreams up a fantasy girl in favor of his real flawed human girlfriend, and then he just magically gets this girl?? She exists AND she conveniently falls in love with him??? Sorry, but there are already very few female characters in this story, and instead of getting one with some insight into Luo Ji's brain we get a blank, 1-dimensional, white-dress pure girl? C'mon.

 

I feel what I feel, but I also must say it's still a good read. It's engaging enough for me to want to read the next one, and the occasional humor is a pleasant surprise. I'm just hoping the third book will lean away from the unbelievable solutions and be more like the

wallfacer

strategy-based plans that featured in this one.

The book has quite a slow start but the end is so catching I could not stop reading. The author's writing style to me is very interesting - a little lifeless and kinda technical.
But I have a real problem with the main character's view of women! This is just creepy and so off in my oppinion! Also there are no good/important female characters.

okay. so. the second half of this? perfectly good scifi! the first half of this? i guess the author forgot women are people in between books or something, because the way they're described and treated in this book - especially everything about the garbage fire that is the imaginary girlfriend (turned fridged wife) subplot - makes it near unreadable. 

christ.

I really do love the hard, challenging science in this sci-fi, the big ideas about the nature of the universe and human and alien culture and behavior, however bleak, but Liu’s characters are sacrificed to this and are just so flat and shallow. That would be fine if it weren’t for the ridiculously misogynistic way he writes about women. I.E. science professor’s “dream girl” is “slender,” (Liu’s fav word to describe women), “angelicly” beautiful, “naive,” 20-something who immediately falls for him…shocking 🙄 Add to that the popular opinion that it’s a real slog to get to the pay off…I won’t be reading the last one.