It's like someone asked ChatGPT to turn the book into a dumb anglo sitcom.

-Every character is emotionally immature, spiteful, and sassy. None of the 'friends' act like friends. None of the characters talk like real people. They're constantly insulting or hitting each other. It's just embarrassing. The actors have nothing to work with.

-All the major twists/reveals are shown in the first two episodes. No suspense, no build-up, no pay-off. Rushed is an understatement.

-Single characters from the book have been unnecessarily split into multiple new characters adding nothing to the story.

-The story is a cosmic horror but comedy and romance have been forced in for no reason whatsoever except as filler, which is even more mind-boggling because they've essentially rushed all of the good stuff in the book to make room for unfunny jokes.

-Apparently they could barely afford any sets and extras, so scenes and locations that are supposed to be bristling with sights and people just feel oddly empty. Even the special effects feel muted. The budget is just weirdly limited, and the show looks much cheaper than the Tencent series.

-Almost all of the science (which is the interesting stuff) has been gutted from this science fiction.

I hate anglo slop. Where is the kino. Tencent pls adapt The Dark Forest.

  • Frank [he/him, he/him]
    ·
    9 months ago

    Maybe that's why I didn't get it. Trying to keep your head down and not draw the US's ire is the worst possible way to deal with a belligerent facist power engaged in a zero-sum game of world domination. Also, the relationship is radically different - the us and china are primary trade partners, Earth uses multiple layers of MAD as nuclear deterrent, we can literally go visit each other whenever.

    Like i don't really get what the author was going for how can China hide from the US? How does the relationship between earth and the trisolarans map to the us/china relationship at all?

    • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Ok I'll elaborate but don't get mad at me for pointing out things that are kinda obvious from an asian perspective that seemingly alot of western commentators miss/overlook. I'm also not going to claim to be an expert on Chinese foreign policy.

      Trying to keep your head down and not draw the US's ire is the worst possible way to deal with a belligerent facist power engaged in a zero-sum game of world domination.

      Ah, yes, which is famously why China has gone to war with the United States to establish global communism in the time since the Korean War. To quote Deng Xiaoping, Chinese foreign policy since the 1980's has been “biding our time and hiding our capabilities”. Actually pertinent leftist criticism of Dengism and China has been the amount (or lack thereof) of support for socialist causes/states, especially post Sino-Soviet split. Ask yourself: if China is socialist, why are the us and china trade partners? Shouldn't principled communists fight to end capitalism at every turn? (And to be clear so I don't get mistaken for an ultra: there are very good reasons for China embarking on the the path it has taken. But this is still a valid criticism.)

      How does the relationship between earth and the trisolarans map to the us/china relationship at all?

      It needs to be stated that China has had a long history of being the victim of colonial powers. The Century of Humiliation is as important context for this work as the Cultural Revolution, and much of the driving force that created the Chinese Communist Party and fuels Chinese nationalism to this day is the desire to avoid a repeat of that dark time. The Dark Forest Theory as it is presented in the book is meant to be approached from the defender's side: is it wise to bide our time and hide our capabilities? Is it enough?

      It's a Sci-fi allegory to frame the question: "Is it possible for a technologically inferior nation to avoid colonization by a technologically superior one, and if so how?"

      I think it goes without saying that a Chinese author might give a pessimistic answer.

      Also, to cover all my bases: Chinese foreign policy has shifted rather significantly under Xi Jinping to a more active role. Please remember that the Three Body Problem was published in 2008. Also, and this should really go without saying- it reflects the views and fears of the author only, and all that entails. Whether the allegory is as relevant now as it was when it was published is a separate matter of discussion.

      Just speaking on the first book (I haven't finished books 2 & 3):

      Like i don't really get what the author was going for how can China hide from the US?

      This is kinda the open question the work is concerned with, and in the end the conclusion is that Humanity China can't? That the only conclusion to avoid open war and colonisation is technological parity?

      • Tabitha ☢️[she/her]
        ·
        9 months ago

        Actually pertinent leftist criticism of Dengism and China has been the amount (or lack thereof) of support for socialist causes/states

        I feel like I'm the only person who thinks and says this, everybody else (including leftists) is obsessed with random shit like China cheating on their SATs or building trains or fake genocides.

        • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
          ·
          9 months ago

          I mean, the problem is that you can kinda trip and fall into US state department talking points if you're not careful, so I get why people don't do it in leftist spaces online.

          Personally, I feel that since I can't influence Chinese policy one way or the other and that only the passage of time will reveal whether Socialism with Chinese Characteristics pans out or not, I should focus on what I can do locally rather than worry if China is actually communist or not.

          That said, Xi please xi-plz

        • SuperNovaCouchGuy2 [any]
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          I feel like I'm the only person who thinks and says this,

          Fyi about 3 years ago, our minister for cracker control, Black Red Guard, also mentioned China's lack of material support to Nepal's recent Maoist revolution.