“Consider the remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the new era in space exploration spearheaded by SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Humans have repeatedly created disasters throughout history, but we have emerged stronger from these adversities. This is humanity.”
The Chosunilbo interviewed science fiction writer Liu Cixin, 61, who is currently one of the most famous Chinese authors in the world. His sci-fi novel “The Three-Body Problem” was recently made into a Netflix series, which premiered on March 21 and quickly ascended to the number one spot in global rankings for TV shows. Previously, the Chinese adaptation of the novel, pronounced “San Ti” in Chinese, also enjoyed significant success after it aired on China’s CCTV in January last year.
Liu’s novels often incorporate major events from recent Chinese history. The Three-Body Problem includes a portrayal of the Cultural Revolution, a socialist campaign launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his death in 1976. The story unfolds with a Chinese scientist, disheartened by humanity’s failure to “cleanse” itself during the Cultural Revolution, sending a message to extraterrestrial beings. This leads to conflict between Earth and an alien civilization. The book was translated and released in the United States in 2014 and became famous as the novel “Barack Obama read on vacation.” It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, including 3 million in English-speaking regions, making it the best-selling Chinese literary work published outside of China to date, according to the Guardian.
Did you expect The Three-Body Problem to be this successful?
“I didn’t expect it at all. The publishers were even more surprised than I was. The book was published as a pure science fiction novel, and its target audience was Chinese sci-fi enthusiasts. I still haven’t figured out the reason for its success.”
Some say your novels serve as allegories or prophecies of real-world events. For instance, it has been argued that the second book of the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, “The Dark Forest”, depicts U.S.-China tensions.
“That’s not true. The Dark Forest portrays the conflict between humans and aliens. There’s confrontation but no cooperation. However, in real life, including between the U.S. and China, there is not only competition and opposition but also cooperation. While readers are free to interpret the story as they wish, I do not use science fiction to convey metaphors. My work is not a politically charged sci-fi novel like George Orwell’s 1984.”
Haven’t you met with Former U.S. President Barack Obama, an avid reader of ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ when he visited Beijing in 2017?
“I caught a glimpse of Obama once, but we didn’t exchange any words of substance. He had asked me to send him my latest book, but I couldn’t follow through without his contact information.”
Where did you find the inspiration for your book?
“After reading an article on the three-body problem in physics, I felt compelled to craft a novel around it. This problem envisions a universe comprised of three mass-bearing points. While seemingly simple, when these points are subject to their own gravitational forces, predicting their future becomes impossible for current physics and mathematics. I pondered, ‘What if these points represented stars and civilizations?’ and thus, the novel was born.”
Your work is rich in physics elements. How did you navigate the depths of physics?
“To be frank, my grasp of physics isn’t exhaustive. I’m merely fond of it. In the eyes of experts, my understanding doesn’t reach a particularly high level.” (Liu, who graduated from The North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power (NCWU) in 1985 and pursued a career as a computer engineer, is known to have been captivated by astronomy since China’s first satellite launch in 1970. While majoring in hydroelectric power generation in college, he accumulated knowledge in physics.)
Do you consider yourself naturally gifted in literature?
“It’s average. I didn’t embark on novel writing out of a love for literature but rather out of a passion for science and technology, leading me to delve into science fiction. I didn’t have formal literary training, nor have I extensively consumed literary works.”
Are there any books that have left a significant mark on you?
“In the realm of science fiction, Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ stands out. As for literature in general, Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ left an indelible impression. Its sweeping portrayal of historical epochs and the profound weight of its narrative influenced my creative endeavors greatly. It’s a novel with a panoramic view of depicting an era. Nowadays, many writers become immersed solely in their circles, focusing even exclusively on personal experiences. They lack the ability to unfold grand narratives and possess narrow perspectives.”
How do you endeavor to broaden your horizons?
“I indulge in reading profound historical and scientific texts. I tend to explore Western history more extensively, especially as it intersects with science, thus granting me a deeper understanding.”
Will humanity ever face an existential threat like the ‘Three-Body Problem’?
“I don’t think we’re in a survival crisis compared to the past. Throughout history, events like the Black Death, which wiped out a third of Europe’s population, two world wars, and more severe nuclear threats have occurred. Considering these, humanity is getting stronger, and the risks are getting smaller. Even with recent issues like the coronavirus and conflicts such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we’re not entering a new disruptive period. Instead, it seems more like a return to the usual challenges of human history.”
What is the ultimate force changing the Earth and the universe?
“There is only one force that stands out. I think AI is likely to be the key technology that will change the world. AI primarily relies on data-driven probabilities rather than logical reasoning to make decisions. It’s not yet capable of governing humans as depicted in science fiction, and I doubt it ever will be.”
How do you imagine AI impacting the future?
“The immediate impact will be the loss of human jobs, which will require a major shift in the traditional distribution of labor. In the past, when steam engines and automated machines came along, they just pushed people into other jobs, but now they’re taking away the opportunity to work at all. If we don’t reform distribution, we could have a disruption 10,000 times the size of the Luddite Movement (protesting against the use of machinery).”
Do you think China’s recent policies, like the common prosperity policy, are preparing for these changes?
“No. The Chinese government is trying to balance the poorer and more developed areas.”
In the ‘Three-Body Problem’, the Great Cultural Revolution plays a significant role. The opening scene of the Netflix adaptation depicts an astrophysicist being betrayed and killed by his student and wife, leading to controversy. Some in China are outraged, claiming the show “brings shame to China.”
Why did you emphasize the Cultural Revolution in your book?
“It was necessary to mention the event to develop the story. The plot required a scenario where a modern Chinese person becomes completely disillusioned with humanity, and no other event in modern Chinese history seemed appropriate except the Cultural Revolution. It is disappointing that most participants of the Cultural Revolution did not repent, and the reason behind it is unclear.”
What are your likes and dislikes about Netflix’s ‘The Three-Body Problem’?
“I enjoyed the part of the series where many characters were added, and their relationships were explored. However, it was strange how all these characters seemed to know each other already. Fighting against the alien invasion should be a collective effort of all humanity, but instead, it was depicted as if a group of classmates were drafted to fight against the aliens.”
How involved were you in the production of the Netflix series?
“I provided personal opinions as an advisor in the series. However, not all my suggestions were accepted due to the commercial nature of American dramas, and there was no need of them.”
The scenes depicting the Cultural Revolution were criticized on Chinese social media. What are your thoughts about it?
“The depiction of the series did not deviate from my original work. Wasn’t it depicted even less than in the novel? (While the Cultural Revolution scenes are detailed at the beginning of the translated version of the novel, they are somewhat pushed to the back and are less extensive in the Chinese version.)
Although mentioning the Cultural Revolution in China is quite sensitive, it has been brought up previously in two films by director Zhang Yimou set against its backdrop.”
How would you describe present-day China in your future books?
“As a time of rising, similar to the early 20th century in the United States. China is a country with a strong ‘futurism’, meaning a dedication to move forward and change.”
What changes are China and the world undergoing now?
“Through the advancement of AI , we will come to realize that intelligence and knowledge, which were once thought to be exclusive to humans, are no longer limited to us. Speaking of China’s progress, it has started to view itself as a part of the global community. Its perspective has expanded to include the entire human race. I have a strong belief that China will become more open and interconnected, ultimately blending in with the rest of the world.”
Liu worked at a power plant in Shanxi Province for 30 years from the 1980s while writing novels. Before marrying a female colleague from the same power plant in 1994, he lived in a two-person dormitory. He worked alone as a computer engineer on the fourth floor of the power plant. “I used to write until 1 a.m. after work, and since I was in the office with a computer, my colleagues thought I was addicted to gaming,” he said.
Why did you continue to work at the power plant even after becoming famous?
“The Chinese science fiction publishing market is small. I hadn’t seen much money until 2010 (when the third part of The Three-Body Problem was published). When submitting stories to magazines, the payment was only 150 yuan (about $21) per 1,000 characters. For novels, the money received from each book sold was about 2 yuan.”
Wasn’t it mentally easier to write as a side job while working at the factory?
“It was so hard. I had no time to write novels while working at the factory. As I got older, my physical strength also depleted. I tried to make sure no one knew I was writing novels, to avoid gossip about being given special treatment or concerns about holding a second job.”
Why don’t you live in major cities like Beijing or Shanghai, where a sci-fi novelist might benefit from witnessing technological advancements? (He currently lives in a remote city in Shanxi Province.)
“Science fiction master Arthur C. Clarke lived his entire life in a fishing village in Sri Lanka. Living in a small city has many advantages, such as simpler social relationships. I don’t meet friends even once a month. My wife is also not keen on city life.”
Doesn’t your daughter take pride in you?
“My daughter is a first-year graduate student studying environmental engineering. Although she is a STEM student, she is not interested in science fiction. She keeps the fact that I’m her father hidden at school because she worries that if others or the school find out, I might be called in to give special lectures.”
How long does it take to write a novel?
“I think it takes a long time; it usually took me about a year per novel. Each part of The Three-Body Problem took one year. When the first book of The Three-Body Problem was serialized in a magazine in 2006, it was already in a finished state. Short stories take about two weeks to complete, but the time spent thinking is longer than the time spent writing.”
What are you writing now?
“After ‘The Three-Body Problem,’ I find it difficult to write anything better. It’s a common experience for writers at their peak. I’ve preserved all my work and have published everything I’ve written. I aim to create a book that meets my own standards.”
Are you a member of the Communist Party?”
“No, I’m neither a party member nor hold any other political or governmental positions.”
What is the power of science fiction, and what do you want to achieve through literature?”
“Science fiction can ignite readers’ imagination and instill a desire for the unknown. As China aims to become an innovative nation, the science fiction novel market is expected to grow. As a writer and a science fiction enthusiast, I want to shock readers with my imagination of the future universe. I want to show that humans are tiny in the universe. However, the power of science and knowledge will make humanity as vast as the universe in 100 to 200 million years.”
Please evaluate South Korean science fiction works. What have you seen, and how has it influenced you?
“I’ve been impressed by South Korean science fiction films like ‘The Host,’ ‘Snowpiercer,’ and ‘Space Sweepers.’ South Korea has emerged as a leading producer of high-quality science fiction films outside of Hollywood, particularly because they embrace ambitious narratives similar to those found in Chinese and Japanese works. I also occasionally read Korean science fiction novels, including those by Kim Cho-yeop.”
