The Three-body Problem

China has a very distinctive literary tradition that can often seem strange to Western readers, and the political situation in the country makes it inward looking, turning its back on the rest of the world; at least, that is the common assumption. So it comes as a massive surprise to read a book that so adeptly handles familiar science fiction tropes, such as the threat of alien invasion; that is as up to date as the latest computer games; that is truly global in its settings and its cast of characters.But in fact The Three-Body Problem does what Western readers demand of any work of science fiction, it opens up wonders, it twists our perceptions, and it keeps us reading because it is so exciting. Yes, there are distinctive characteristics, the Chinese settings are unfamiliar, the social and political organisation are not what we are comfortable with; but we are science fiction readers, and we are supposed to deal with novelties every day in everything we read.Why it's at the top of the listIt won the Hugo Award, the first work in translation ever to do so, and it did so in a year when the Sad and Rabid Puppies were pushing a noxious traditionalist and often racist agenda. Though it has to be said that the translator makes a difference: the sequel, The Dark Forest, with a different translator, is not nearly so distinctive or so readable as the original.