Dan Wang: belief

Transcript context

…Why is volume one of Three-Body Problem the best of the three volumes? It is the most Chinese of the three. It integrates discussions of the past much more effectively than the second volume. The third volume, to me, felt mostly like rubbish. The second volume is so much more forward-looking. I do enjoy the second volume quite a lot. I think the second volume is totally excellent for being a really great science fiction novel. There are themes and discussions of strategic deception, a very Chinese theme to pick up. The strategic deception is everywhere in the first volume as well. The prominent scientist who doesn’t even tell anyone that she alerted extraterrestrials to conquer humanity. It integrates the cultural revolution much more effectively. It is also a rollicking good police drama as well. The top cop, the detective in the first volume, is just such a recognizably Beijing character, who is competent, funny, full of humanity, also has to obey orders when his superiors tell him what to do. These marriage markets in Chinese parks, the parents come or maybe grandparents. They help put up ads for their kids. How effective are they?…

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