nuclearpotato's review against another edition
4.0
My Rating: 9.0/10
Liu Cixin did not disappoint me with this one. Even though this book was written in the early days of his career, the imagination and ideas he displayed in this novel was breathtaking to say the least.
Being a "hard" science fiction book, some critics found the scientific content boring. However, I was personally fascinated by how the story delved into scientific theories and research. It was like a watching a documentary as the scientists in the story steadily approached the truth behind the phenomenon of ball lightning. Liu Cixin's storytelling and scientific theories was so convincing that I would have believed the theories were real if I had not known I was reading fiction. It's a testament to his ability to blend science and fiction seamlessly.
Again, like the Three-body trilogy, character development for the most part was neglected in favor of the science side. This aspect may not appeal to readers who prefer narratives revolving around characters as in this case the story is pushed forward by science.
One thing I did not like the book is that it's written in a Chinese and military point of view. It's a characteristic of Liu Cixin's writing though, merging the sci-fi stories with modern Chinese history and culture.
This book will probably appeal more to readers who have a deep understanding of physics and like the science part of sci-fi. I give it a 9.0 for the imagination and science integrated within.
Liu Cixin did not disappoint me with this one. Even though this book was written in the early days of his career, the imagination and ideas he displayed in this novel was breathtaking to say the least.
Being a "hard" science fiction book, some critics found the scientific content boring. However, I was personally fascinated by how the story delved into scientific theories and research. It was like a watching a documentary as the scientists in the story steadily approached the truth behind the phenomenon of ball lightning. Liu Cixin's storytelling and scientific theories was so convincing that I would have believed the theories were real if I had not known I was reading fiction. It's a testament to his ability to blend science and fiction seamlessly.
Again, like the Three-body trilogy, character development for the most part was neglected in favor of the science side. This aspect may not appeal to readers who prefer narratives revolving around characters as in this case the story is pushed forward by science.
One thing I did not like the book is that it's written in a Chinese and military point of view. It's a characteristic of Liu Cixin's writing though, merging the sci-fi stories with modern Chinese history and culture.
This book will probably appeal more to readers who have a deep understanding of physics and like the science part of sci-fi. I give it a 9.0 for the imagination and science integrated within.
burfe's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is almost entirely driven by the development of the sci-fi elements, not by the characters. I love it, but recognise, that it isn't for everyone (besides, you might want to read up on quantum mechanics and chaos theory before reading).
ichirofakename's review against another edition
1.0
Not enough ideas, not presented urgently enough, to justify the leaden prose. Gave up after 50 pages.
mb13_books's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
samkie's review against another edition
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
tomekske's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
ryangibson7's review against another edition
3.0
Out of the five books i've read by Cixin Liu, this is my least favorite. That being said, it was still a pleasant experience. This does feel like Liu was more interested in exploring the concept of ball lightning and theories behind it, then built a story around it.
The writing was well done, this was translated by joel Martinsen, who also did the Dark Forest. This book is also written in 1st person, a departure from other Liu books that i've read, but it fit the story perfectly, as it allows the exploration of obsession and what can happen to a person who devotes everything in their life to a singular goal.
I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point for Liu, but if you're a huge fan of remembrance, give this a go!
The writing was well done, this was translated by joel Martinsen, who also did the Dark Forest. This book is also written in 1st person, a departure from other Liu books that i've read, but it fit the story perfectly, as it allows the exploration of obsession and what can happen to a person who devotes everything in their life to a singular goal.
I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point for Liu, but if you're a huge fan of remembrance, give this a go!
the_great_silence's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pawan's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death of parent, and Gun violence
nate_meyers's review against another edition
2.0
This book is just okay. Maybe it deserves 2.5 stars, but not 3. I had high hopes since I absolutely loved the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy. But Ball Lightning suffers from much weaker characters, far less interesting science, and a plot that is mostly concept explanation. Sure it was written in 2003, well before Remembrance of Earth's Past, but that's not a valid excuse to read it. I say skip this book, skip watching The Wandering Earth, and skip the recent New Yorker profile of Cixin Liu where he basically embraces the full Chinese party line. If you do all these things AND read the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy then you will love Cixin Liu and his writing. (As you can tell, my appreciation for him has come down significantly).