Overview

Remembrance of Earth’s Past is a science fiction trilogy by Liu Cixin that follows humanity’s first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization and the far-reaching social, scientific, and cosmic consequences of that encounter. The series consists of The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death’s End, originally published in Chinese in 2008, 2008, and 2010, and in English by Tor Books in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. Translations were by Ken Liu (vols. 1 and 3) and Joel Martinsen (vol. 2). According to the U.S. publisher’s listings and bibliographic records, the English editions are part of the Three-Body Problem series imprint at Tor/Macmillan. Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books, WorldCat, WorldCat.

Composition and publication

The initial installment, The Three-Body Problem, was serialized in the magazine Science Fiction World in 2006 before book publication by Chongqing Publishing House (Chongqing Publishing Group) in 2008. English-language publication began with Tor Books in November 2014, followed by The Dark Forest (August 2015) and Death’s End (September 2016). Title-page and catalog notes for the English Dark Forest confirm the original 2008 Chinese release, while publisher pages document the English publication sequence. WorldCat, WorldCat, Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books.

The trilogy is popularly known in English as the Three-Body Problem series, but its formal series title is Remembrance of Earth’s Past, as reflected in publisher materials and reference overviews. Macmillan/Tor Books, Wikipedia.

Narrative scope and setting

The series ranges from the Chinese Cultural Revolution to far-future epochs lasting millions of years, tracing humanity’s responses to hostile contact and escalating existential threats. Reviews and overviews note the saga’s immense temporal and spatial scale, with coverage extending to approximately 16 million years into the future. The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal.

Synopsis

The Three-Body Problem (2008; Eng. 2014)

Against the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution, astrophysicist Ye Wenjie is recruited to the secret Red Coast Project and transmits a signal that reaches the planet Trisolaris. On Earth, physicist Wang Miao becomes entangled in a conspiracy linked to a virtual-reality game that models an unstable three-sun world. These strands converge on the revelation of an impending Trisolaran intervention, setting the stage for a prolonged interstellar crisis. Macmillan/Tor Books, The New Yorker.

The Dark Forest (2008; Eng. 2015)

With Trisolarans en route and their "sophons" spying on all human science, only unspoken strategy remains secure. The UN launches the Wallfacer Project, granting four individuals near-unlimited resources to devise opaque plans. Luo Ji formulates the “dark forest” insight into cosmic sociology and leverages it into a deterrent threat that precariously stabilizes relations between Earth and Trisolaris. English editions and catalog records attribute the translation to Joel Martinsen and confirm the 2008 Chinese original. Macmillan/Tor Books, WorldCat, Wikipedia.

Death’s End (2010; Eng. 2016)

Centuries after the Doomsday Battle, engineer Cheng Xin awakens into an era governed by "Dark Forest Deterrence." Her decisions, intertwined with advances and miscalculations, push the cosmos toward escalating dimensional warfare and ultimately expose the fragility of any deterrent in a hostile universe. Publisher summaries and award listings document the translation by Ken Liu and the book’s accolades. Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books, Wikipedia.

Themes and analysis

Critics frequently place the trilogy within hard science fiction for its rigorous engagement with physics, astrophysics, and engineering-scale speculation. Reviews in major outlets emphasize the combination of scientific imagination and strategic thought. The New Yorker, Macmillan/Tor Books.

The "dark forest" concept—the idea that civilizations hide or preempt to survive in a hostile cosmos—has entered broader discussion of the Fermi paradox and international-relations analogies. Reference overviews and commentary treat it as one prominent solution to cosmic silence, while analyses compare its logic to realist security dilemmas. Wikipedia, The New Yorker, China Daily/USA edition.

Translations and reception

The English translation of The Three-Body Problem (Ken Liu) won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first time a translated work by an Asian author received the prize. The official Hugo site lists the winner and notes the 2014 Tor publication as the English edition. The Hugo Awards, The Guardian.

Critical reception in English-language media highlighted the trilogy’s scale and conceptual audacity, with praise from outlets such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, NPR, and others cited by the U.S. publisher. Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books.

Related and extended works

An authorized continuation by Baoshu, The Redemption of Time (2019, trans. Ken Liu), expands on events and characters from the trilogy; Tor Books’ listings identify it as set in the same universe with Liu Cixin’s support. Macmillan/Tor Books, OverDrive.

Adaptations

A live-action English-language series, 3 Body Problem, premiered on Netflix on March 21, 2024, developed by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo; Netflix’s official site and press coverage confirm the release and creative team, with additional reporting that Netflix has planned the story to run three seasons. Netflix Tudum, Reuters, People.

Publication data (editions and publishers)

— Original Chinese editions: Chongqing Publishing House/Group (2008, 2008, 2010). Catalog and reference entries document the dates and publisher imprint. WorldCat, Wikipedia.

— English editions: Tor Books (2014, 2015, 2016); translators: Ken Liu (vols. 1 and 3), Joel Martinsen (vol. 2). Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books, Macmillan/Tor Books.

Influence and cultural context

Coverage in major media has presented the trilogy as a landmark of contemporary Chinese science fiction with outsized international impact, situated within a broader renaissance of the genre in China from niche magazines to global platforms. The New Yorker, Associated Press.