The Three Body Problem is the greatest Science Fiction story you’ve never heard of. Or at least it was until Netflix recently announced that Game of Thrones show runners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff were set to adapt the award-winning Chinese Sci-Fi novel about an impending alien invasion for audiences. Cue the hype train.
Explains Quartz:
“Over three books, author Liu Cixin tells the story of the ultimate betrayal of humanity by a group of people who invite an alien invasion of Earth. The eponymous first book in the series was published in China in 2008, while an English translation appeared in 2014 from Tor Books and resonated with readers globally, including former US president Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It went on to win sci-fi writing’s most prestigious prize, the Hugo Award.”
Of course not everyone is going to be happy about the news of this adaptation, especially considering who is behind the wheel. On the one hand, Weiss and Benioff’s involvement along with the big money backing of Netflix ensures high production quality and special effects. Similar to Game of Thrones this is likely to be a blockbuster in every sense of the word. But that’s where most fans hope the similarities end. Because the last time Weiss and Benioff tried to adapt a beloved piece of literature it didn’t end well. With the writing significantly trailing off towards final two seasons of GoT, culminating in a massively disappointing final story arc that left fans not just bewildered but downright angry.
As Jezebel puts it:
“It cannot be understated that Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem, which exists as part of the greater Remembrance of Earth’s Past series, was one of China’s most successful science fiction novels ever. It was eventually translated by Chinese American science fiction author Ken Liu in 2014, and the English language translation—which won multiple awards itself—is stuffed with footnotes and detailed explanations of Chinese history and cultural nuance, something that is typically lost on clueless western audiences in most translated works…
More troubling is Benioff and Weiss’s purported reading comprehension skills. During the making of Game of Thrones, they were quite candid that they had no deeper intentions other than to make a big, flashy spectacle. Sometimes, they’d even insinuate they did not—or could not—read at all, telling reporters of the show’s critical aspirations: ‘Themes are for eighth grade book reports.’ Said themes, however, drove the original plot of the books, lending to their status as a landmark fantasy property when they first released. Funny, because The Three Body Problem makes Game of Thrones look like an 8th-grade book report in thematic and literary comparison.”
Based on that it sounds like fans are right to be concerned. Especially when you consider the potential land mine that current U.S.-China relations presents. The risk of turning this series into a vehicle for political propaganda is high. But I am optimistic, at least early on, that the show is in good hands. Both the original author and English version translator are going to be consultants on the show and Alex Woo from True Blood is going to be involved as well. Plus there’s always a chance that Weiss and Benioff learned from their mistakes and will be determined to do the Three Body Problem proper justice? Right?
Greatest. Idea. Ever. 