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teaselkie's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
book_wyrmwind's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
has3000's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
An interesting novel about a concept that I hadn’t heard of. Liu does what he does best, taking a mysterious concept and going crazy with it into the hypothetical. I always enjoy how he takes the sci-fi stuff and connects it to the real world, in this case to international wars.
It didn’t reach the heights of the Three Body Problem, but it was an entertaining book nevertheless.
It didn’t reach the heights of the Three Body Problem, but it was an entertaining book nevertheless.
nickedkins's review against another edition
4.0
What Cixin Liu does best is describing the way unknown or impossible objects and forces act upon the real world. His descriptions of people turning to ash after touching ball lightning, or of the way it moves, or even of the various weapons systems in the book (which would normally elicit revulsion from me) are concrete and beautiful.
His weakest point is his characters and their interactions, which are usually either heavy-handed exposition or annoying Murakami-style examples of enigmatic people failing to connect (unless we're told they connect, despite no evidence of it on the page). What lifted [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1)|Liu Cixin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415428227s/20518872.jpg|25696480] beyond this was the Trisolarans, the alien antagonists who were genuinely surprising and interesting in their tactical and emotional range. Ball Lightning lacks this extra spark, but it does everything else right, and unrealistic characters aren't exactly a deal-breaker for me in science fiction.
His weakest point is his characters and their interactions, which are usually either heavy-handed exposition or annoying Murakami-style examples of enigmatic people failing to connect (unless we're told they connect, despite no evidence of it on the page). What lifted [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1)|Liu Cixin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415428227s/20518872.jpg|25696480] beyond this was the Trisolarans, the alien antagonists who were genuinely surprising and interesting in their tactical and emotional range. Ball Lightning lacks this extra spark, but it does everything else right, and unrealistic characters aren't exactly a deal-breaker for me in science fiction.
legilimensx394's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
nbmki's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
quarkie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Overall, I liked this book. Though it had what I saw as several distracting flaws, the philosophical questions that were addressed were very interesting.
What I didn't like: One of the first things that I noticed was that the translation for this book was not as good as the one for Three Body Problem. I say this because I felt that a lot of the poetic lyricism had been lost, and it wasn't clear that it was a translation, meaning that some undefinable quality that helped place it in global and historical context was also lost. Spoiler alert: There was also such a great opportunity to really bring the story full circle and come back to the main character's parents who die in the first few pages of the book, but it didn't happen. As is, the ending felt a bit lackluster. The long monologue at the end really came out of nowhere, and was a bit of a slog to get through.
What could have been better: This book jumped from one set of rails to another at several different points. Once I started to think I knew what the book was about, it would shift gears. This wasn't inherently a bad thing, because each new phase had a new question to explore, but it could be quite jarring. Also, really the only through-line in each of these phases was the main character, who I found to be somewhat uninspiring. He was never the driving force behind any of the developments - there was always someone better, smarter, braver who was pushing the plot along. He was along for the ride. At least he was honest with himself and with the readers about that point.
What I liked: The philosophical questions that were examined were very interesting. Some of the major ones were the dangers of a job turned obsession (both ball lightning and weapons, in this case), the differences between soldiers and scientists, the ways in which scientific innovation contributes to war and vice versa, and the possibility of macroscopic quantum effects.
Overall, I'm glad I read it. It was very thought-provoking. As a scientist, it left me with a new perspective on how my work can be used to create and destroy, to save or eliminate. That said, the main questions were wrapped up in a novel that was difficult to get through at times.
What I didn't like: One of the first things that I noticed was that the translation for this book was not as good as the one for Three Body Problem. I say this because I felt that a lot of the poetic lyricism had been lost, and it wasn't clear that it was a translation, meaning that some undefinable quality that helped place it in global and historical context was also lost. Spoiler alert: There was also such a great opportunity to really bring the story full circle and come back to the main character's parents who die in the first few pages of the book, but it didn't happen. As is, the ending felt a bit lackluster. The long monologue at the end really came out of nowhere, and was a bit of a slog to get through.
What could have been better: This book jumped from one set of rails to another at several different points. Once I started to think I knew what the book was about, it would shift gears. This wasn't inherently a bad thing, because each new phase had a new question to explore, but it could be quite jarring. Also, really the only through-line in each of these phases was the main character, who I found to be somewhat uninspiring. He was never the driving force behind any of the developments - there was always someone better, smarter, braver who was pushing the plot along. He was along for the ride. At least he was honest with himself and with the readers about that point.
What I liked: The philosophical questions that were examined were very interesting. Some of the major ones were the dangers of a job turned obsession (both ball lightning and weapons, in this case), the differences between soldiers and scientists, the ways in which scientific innovation contributes to war and vice versa, and the possibility of macroscopic quantum effects.
Overall, I'm glad I read it. It was very thought-provoking. As a scientist, it left me with a new perspective on how my work can be used to create and destroy, to save or eliminate. That said, the main questions were wrapped up in a novel that was difficult to get through at times.
eliaa's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mrbear's review against another edition
4.0
Imaginative and compelling all the way through. It’s nowhere near as epic in scope as the three body problem, and I’d always recommend people read that series first, but this is well-imagined hard SF for people who enjoy the writer’s style. Overall, its not a great novel, with underdeveloped characters, somewhat forced interpersonal relationships, and science that is a bit too farfetched, but it’s still a fun read.