this book was so different from the first book, it's a lot more character dense, while there's still not much too them, there are more characters. That and the science here is far more expanded going into crazy hypotheticals and even venturing into interesting ideas of post alien politics and to a degree culture. I loved this book, but yes the gender dynamics and to a degree even racially this book isn't the best. there's long passages of a guy describing his perfect woman and it's all a bit tedious, cultural and political ideas are kind of just vague here as well there were some good moments like the us wanting to stop a world wide collective science and resource plan because of course we would. like a lot of great first books in a series it ends up that three body problem was just a start for greater things to come. hopefully book 3 is also great, I've heard mixed things and it's my least favorite cover, but death's end is an amazing title and maybe my favorite.