Reflections on the global success of a sci-fi milestone

The final stroke of luck was that a nomination for the 2015 Hugo Award's Best Novel was withdrawn from the competition, allowing Liu's work to be the replacement and ultimately the winner, "a stroke of luck impossible to replicate", he said.

Talking about the value of his work, Liu said many people today see science fiction as a metaphor for — and reflection of — reality. However, few recognize that its most direct and genuine "reality" is the universe and extraterrestrial worlds.

While the public often views alien civilizations and space exploration as wild fantasies, these are actually real challenges that humanity might confront in the future, the author said.

He reiterated what he has previously said: at present, Chinese universities offer almost no programs in astrobiology or cosmic sociology, and there is no established system for training master's and doctoral students in these fields. Research in this area is almost nonexistent.

"As a result, one of the greatest achievements of The Three-Body Problem trilogy is bringing this niche yet crucial topic to the public's attention, sparking a brief but significant societal interest. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of creating this work," he said.

Yan Feng, professor of Chinese language and literature at Fudan University, said that the trilogy holds even greater significance today.

He said that the book's dark forest concept — that alien civilizations are widespread but remain silent and hidden for fear of being invaded or destroyed by a more advanced civilization — is becoming reality in the modern world.

The trilogy's themes of a technological explosion and a "chain of suspicion" — a cycle of mutual distrust and paranoia — are especially relevant.

With AI, trade wars and conflicts, the world feels more divided and confrontational, he said.

Like Ye Wenjie, a major character in The Three-Body Problem, who misjudged the alien Trisolarans yet entrusted humanity to an "other" she didn't understand at all, "today we entrust the destiny of humanity to artificial intelligence, which we don't completely understand", Yan said.

Moreover, unlike many sci-fi works that imagine how human beings would unite when confronted with alien threats, the trilogy presents a different picture, in which "just when we need humanity to unite, we find ourselves arguing and even fighting with each other", Yan said.

In this sense, the trilogy becomes a realistic text about global governance, he added.

Speaking of the global success of the trilogy, Yan said it shows that Chinese literature has the potential to do more than simply share China's stories with the world; it can also enrich and contribute to our shared human imagination.

"In today's world, with its contradictions, conflicts and divisions, this ability is especially valuable," he said.