Three Body Problem Summary

In The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, the story starts during China’s Cultural Revolution. A physicist named Ye Wenjie witnesses her father die during a political purge, leaving her traumatized. She becomes disillusioned with humanity and is sent to a secret military base called Red Coast, where scientists work on using radio waves for space communication. While there, Ye covertly sends a message into space, reaching out to an alien civilization from the Trisolaris star system.

The aliens, known as the Trisolarans, live on a planet with three suns. Because of their chaotic orbits, life on Trisolaris is unstable and dangerous. Seeing Earth as a potential refuge, the Trisolarans decide to invade. Ye, who no longer believes in humanity's worth, supports this invasion, believing humans are lost causes.

Decades later, the narrative transitions to nanomaterials scientist Wang Miao. He becomes involved in the mystery behind multiple suicides of scientists who claim that physics is failing. Wang starts to experience a strange countdown appearing in his vision, which confuses him deeply. This leads him to an underground group known as the Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO), made up of humans who sympathize with the incoming aliens.

Wanting to understand the Trisolaran way of life, Wang plays a virtual reality game called Three Body. In this game, players attempt to navigate the disasters caused by the three suns’ unpredictable movements on Trisolaris, mirroring the mathematical challenges reflected in the actual three-body problem. As Wang immerses himself in the game, he learns about the dire conditions the Trisolarans face, pushing him to delve deeper into the mystery.

Wang teams up with Shi Qiang, a police detective, to track the reason behind the scientists’ odd behavior and the countdown Wang keeps seeing. As Wang investigates, he discovers the Trisolarans have sent "sophons" to Earth. These tiny artificial particles aim to disrupt human scientific progress, weakening Earth’s defenses before their invasion.

Within the ETO, Wang finds two opposing factions: the Adventists, who want to welcome the alien invasion and destroy humanity; and the Redemptionists, who advocate for a peaceful resolution. Ultimately, Wang uncovers Ye Wenjie’s key role in betraying humanity, leading to a confrontation with the Chinese military. They work with international forces to stop ETO’s plans and to apprehend Ye for her actions.

Through flashbacks, readers witness Ye's transformation from a hopeful scientist to a cynical figure willing to compromise humanity's future. Meanwhile, Wang transitions from fear to an important player in the defense against the alien threat. In the shocking conclusion, readers learn that the Trisolaran fleet is already traveling toward Earth, a journey that will take 450 years. Humanity must now face a grave existential challenge as they prepare for the impending invasion.

In The Three-Body Problem, humanity faces the looming arrival of the Trisolarans, an alien race fleeing their chaotic three-sun system. The protagonist, Wang Miao, sees a mysterious countdown linked to his work on nanomaterials. This countdown stops when he halts his research, revealing a hidden connection to the impending threat from Trisolarans, who confront ongoing devastation from their unstable environment.

As internal conflicts arise among humans, knowledge related to the alien crisis drives danger and betrayal. The Physicist Shen Yufei is killed to silence her progress on understanding the three-body problem. This act of violence marks the end of innocence regarding the extraterrestrial threat, as humanity starts to realize the seriousness of the situation, with an invasion on the horizon.

In the TV adaptation finale, characters Ye Wenjie and Saul emerge as pivotal figures. Saul, chosen as a Wallfacer, grapples with defense strategies against technologically advanced aliens. He becomes determined to witness a rocket launch intended for communicating with the Trisolaran fleet. Although complications arise that threaten the mission's success, a thread of hope remains, symbolizing humanity's enduring strength amid the chaos.