The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

“The Three-Body Problem” begins during China’s Cultural Revolution when astrophysicist Ye Wenjie witnesses her father’s brutal death for his scientific beliefs. Disillusioned with humanity, Ye Wenjie becomes involved in a secret military project that aims to contact extraterrestrial life. Decades later, nanotechnology expert Wang Miao is drawn into a mysterious virtual reality game called “Three-Body” that simulates a world with unpredictable environmental conditions caused by its three suns. As Wang delves deeper, he uncovers a conspiracy linking the game to a real alien civilization facing extinction, which has received Ye Wenjie’s transmission and is now on its way to Earth. The novel explores themes of scientific ethics, the nature of humanity, and the consequences of first contact with an alien species.