I have just finished the most famous science fiction work from China - The Three-Body Problem in mandarin1.
It has been commented in the China that this could be the only significant science fiction work that will ever came out of China2.
The book has been written in a way that there is different protagonist for each book across different period of human civilisation existence from 19673 till the end of time. The structure of the writing is also tad unexpected and it is not the easiest of read.
The scope of the third book - Death's End is one of the most ambitious science fiction out in the market.
*Spoiler ahead*
In Death's End, humanity after observing the destruction of a star in another galaxy by an unknown alien civilisation decided to put up some defensive stance.
Since the other star was destroyed by some projectile, humanity decides to heavily invest in space cities hidden in the shadow of the solar system's gas giants to escape any possible attack against our sun.
However the space cities are rendered totally useless as the attack came in a different form…
So humanity’s arrogance or naivety meant that humanity will share the fate that had befallen on the other Alien races who had their star destroyed.
Arrogance comes with the naive belief that we know the answer4.
Weakness and ignorance are not barriers to survival, but arrogance is.
-Three-Body Problem Death's End
It has never come across to myself that I am arrogant but it suddenly dawn on me that I am arrogant.
I am arrogant-naive enough to believe that I can invest for a living.
I am arrogant-naive enough to believe that I can start a company in my 40s.
I am arrogant-naive enough to believe that I had contributed to the startups I had worked with.
Maybe it is time to fix my arrogance?
Without arrogant-naive how do anyone go ahead and forge a path that has never been done before?
Maybe arrogant-naive is what that propels humanity forward.
Since I am just trying to survive…
It is time to fix some of that arrogant-naivety.
It has been almost 20 years since I read a book in mandarin. Damn proud of myself.
While imagination and thoughts are being clamp down in China now, I am sure Chinese imagination and ingenuity will flourish again
I doubt the 1st book would be allowed to be publish in China today as it covers the Cultural Revolution
It meant that there could be precedence (seen before or done before)