Reflections on the global success of a sci-fi milestone

"I often think that if there were a time machine that could send me back to 2006 when I was writing The Three-Body Problem — and knowing in advance that the trilogy would be read by so many readers, especially young readers — I might not have included so much dark content in the novel," said Liu Cixin in a speech at the 20th anniversary symposium for the start of the Three-Body Problem trilogy in his hometown of Yangquan, Shanxi province, in mid-September.

Despite the profound interpretation by various scholars and experts, Liu said that, for him, the trilogy is simply traditional science fiction.

In creating sci-fi, he said, the goal is to use every possible method to create plots, conflicts and contradictions that provide readers with an intense and thrilling experience.

"However, many modern interpretations mistake the techniques used to create drama and tension as the author's intended worldview and values," he said.

As noted by American science fiction theorists, great science fiction never focuses on specific individuals or real-world conflicts. Instead, it addresses humanity as a whole, the universe, and the future, he noted.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Three-Body Problem, which was first serialized in the Chinese monthly magazine Science Fiction World in 2006.

As of this year, the trilogy has sold over 40 million copies in the Chinese mainland, with more than 400 reprints. Since the first English translation of the opening book in the series in 2014, the trilogy has been translated into 45 languages and sold about 7.3 million copies overseas, making it one of the best-selling Chinese literary works outside of China.

In 2015, the first novel won the Hugo Award and subsequently more than 10 other international science fiction prizes. According to WorldCat, a global library database, the trilogy is now available in 1,170 libraries worldwide. In 2024, an international television adaptation of The Three-Body Problem premiered worldwide, further elevating the trilogy's global profile.

The English-language series was simultaneously released in 190 countries and regions, reaching 52.4 million views within 14 weeks, making it one of Netflix's top 10 most-watched series of the year. The series received six Emmy Award nominations.

Zhao Jilong, CEO of Three-Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co, said statistics show that the trilogy has more than 300 million fans worldwide, with about 30 percent of them being teenagers.

In his speech, Liu attributed the trilogy's global success to good luck.

Liu said that from the publication of The Three-Body Problem in Chinese to the licensing of foreign-language copyrights, and finally to its overseas publication, every step involved the right people and right decisions.

The good luck was also due to the timing of the release of the trilogy's final book, Death's End, which went viral and reached wider audiences compared with the first two, he said.

In China, after a long period of dormancy during the 1980s and '90s, the market for science fiction began to pick up, and a new generation of readers rediscovered the genre. However, there was a lack of high-quality works that truly resonated with the public. The Three-Body Problem filled this gap.

Meanwhile, the global science fiction landscape has also gone through profound changes, he said. In the United States, the style of writing has changed significantly since the genre's golden age between the 1930s and '60s.

Many contemporary science fiction works no longer focus on distant stars and unknown explorations. Instead, they have shifted their focus back to humanity, addressing real-world issues such as gender, race and technological alienation. The fascination with the vast universe and the exploration of unknown worlds in traditional science fiction is gradually fading in current works, he added.

In comparison, The Three-Body Problem trilogy continues the narrative perspective of traditional sci-fi works, offering a strong retro quality and a sense of nostalgia, he said.

He also observed that this nostalgic style is a trend in many recent popular films, TV series and literary works. The market preference for this is an important explanation of the trilogy's success.