All ‘3 Body Problem’ Books Ranked Worst to Best

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem has proven to be a major hit amongst audiences, with the social media discourse around it proving its popularity. The show is based on Liu Cixin’s book of the same name, which is part of a trilogy called Remembrance of Earth’s Past.

The TV series actually borrows some elements from all three books (3 Body Problem, Dark Forest, and Death’s End), and in this article they are ranked from worst to best!

3. Death’s End (3rd book in the trilogy)

The third installment in the book trilogy, Death’s End serves as a fitting conclusion to the tale that begins in 3 Body Problem. The novel was originally published in 2010 in Chinese, and was later translated into English by Ken Liu. The book ended up being a finalist for the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Novel, and won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

The plot of the book is divided into multiple eras (each connected to a different phase in human development): Common Era, Crisis Era, Deterrence Era, Broadcast Era, Bunker Era, and Galaxy Era. While Death’s End is a great book in itself, it falls relatively short of the other two books in terms of quality purely because of its length (it’s 100 pages longer than 3 Body Problem and Dark Forest). It also loses steam around the halfway mark, later making up for its slow pace when Cixin writes about the solar system folding into 2D.

2. The Three-Body Problem (1st book in the trilogy)

The Three-Body Problem introduces the readers to the world created by Liu Cixin, connecting the Chinese Cultural Revolution to various sci-fi elements, including the presence of extraterrestrial life. Its English translation went on to win the Hugo Award, apart from being nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel.

The book is known to be a typical slow-burner in the initial phase, but picks up the pace later on. Cixin does a great job of providing readers with action- or drama-filled moments, including the iconic “You are bugs” moment in the and “Judgement” Day episode.

1. Dark Forest (2nd book in the trilogy)

Dark Forest remains the standout book in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past franchise, as its action sequences (especially Doomsday Battle and Battle of Darkness) contribute to making it a fan favorite. The book introduces one of the pivotal characters in the book series, Luo Ji, whose role changes from being a lazy and selfish individual into literally being a savior of humanity.

Another critical element of the book is that the majority of it dwells on the Wallfacer-Wallbreaker scenarios, in which four humans (Wallfacers) are in a race against time to thwart a future alien attack (Trisolarans), who in turn appoint three humans (Wallbreakers) to one-up those four individuals.

These factors make Dark Forest an impeccable read, a novel that has set its place among the pantheon of great sci-fi books.

(feature image: Netflix)