The Overseas Reception of Chinese Science Fiction Works from a Perspective of Western Interpretation Preference—A Case Study of Reader’s Reception of Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem in the USA

Liu Ge & Li Yun

Abstract: The Three-Body Problem, written by Liu Cixin, won the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel, with over 200,000 copies in English already sold. This figure is hundreds of times the average sales volume of Chinese novels in the USA. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses of overseas readers’comments on The Three-Body Problem posted on the online platforms of Goodreads and Amazon, this paper concludes that the novel’s success overseas lies in its catering to the concerns of overseas readers. The Three-Body Problem is popular among overseas readership thanks to its reflection on the ultimate existence of mankind, science fiction vision & imagination,literary familiarity & identification, ideological difference-triggered cultural curiosity, and a good translation. This paper attempts to interpret Liu Cixin’s work on the map of world literature from the perspective of overseas readers’preferences to provide references for contemporary Chinese science fiction creation and overseas reception.

Keywords: Liu Cixin; The Three-Body Problem; science fiction novel; overseas reception

The Three-Body Problem

On November 11, 2014, the English version ofThe Three-Body Problem,written by Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin, was published in the USA. It topped the list of Amazon Best Sellers: Best Asian Literature (first-day sales category). One month after it was published,its English version was listed on Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2014 (USA). So far, over 200,000 English language copies have been sold. This figure is hundreds of times the average sales volume of Chinese novels in the USA. Upon going on sale in the USA,The Three-Body Problemquickly triggered heated debates among science fiction fans. Several reading programs on YouTube co-launched a special 100+minute program to discuss this novel. The English version ofThe Three-Body Problemhas received five nominations for international science fiction & fantasy awards, i.e. the Nebula Award,Hugo Award, Locus Award, Campbell Award and Prometheus Award. In August 2015, it won the Hugo Award, the most recognized, authoritative and influential international science fiction award,making Liu Cixin the first Asian winner in the history of this award.The Three-Body Problemhas attracted a large number of overseas fans, many of whom are big names such as Barack Obama,George Martin and Mark Zuckerberg. When finishing readingThe Three-Body Problem, then US President Obama wrote a letter to Liu Cixin in the name of the US government, urging him to update the series.①Long & Liu, 2016Both famous writer George Martin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spoke highly of this novel. How canThe Three-Body Problemattract such extensive attention and interest in the West?How can its success inspire Chinese science fiction to go global? According to Locus, a well-known US science fiction magazine, the reason forThe Three-Body Problem’soverseas success lies in its author’s accurate capturing of Western readers’ interests.②Yang & Zhang, 2015Due to cultural and ideological differences, overseas readers differ from Chinese readers in their interests in, and interpretation of, Chinese literature. The success of Liu Cixin and his workThe Three-Body Problemin the overseas market can serve as a sample for Chinese science fiction to be better accepted overseas. By analyzing how Liu Cixin has been received through comments by overseas media and readers, we have attempted to distill some key elements that might help Chinese science fiction to exert a greater impact on the West, interpret Liu Cixin’s work on the map of world literature in a comprehensive way, and provide references to contemporary Chinese science fiction creation and overseas reception.

1. Overseas readers’ comments on The Three-Body Problem

Liu Cixin’sThe Three-Body Problemis considered to “have raised Chinese science fiction literature to a world-class level all on its own,”①This comment has been presented in different versions by different media. This paper adopts the following version: Yan Feng. ( 2010, October 17). From here to eternity. Southern Metropolis Daily.and has established a global reputation and extensive social influence. In 2015, this novel started a new fashion in the international cultural community. Substantial recognition and praise have been given by numerous overseas scholars and ordinary readers toThe Three-Body Problem, which is thus believed to be “likely to change the reading preference of US science fiction fans.”②Zeng, 2016, p.84How isThe Three-Body Problem’s influence worldwide? What makesThe Three-Body Problemso popular worldwide? To find answers to these questions we conducted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of overseas readers’ comments on the online platforms of Goodreads and Amazon and determined the factors contributing to its popularity.

The first factor concerns its sales ranking. On the US Amazon website, the list of sales rankings is updated in real time. Therefore, the ranking varies from day to day according to daily sales. The data used for this case study were retrieved from the two websites on September 21, 2017. The paper and electronic versions ofThe Three-Body ProblemI and III(in English) were respectively listed No.4, No.10,No.3 and No. 6 on the overseas sales ranking of Chinese books. The electronic version ofThe Three-Body ProblemI, II and III(in English) were respectively listed No. 31, No. 69 and No. 66 on the sales ranking of global hard science fiction.

The second factor concerns readers’ ratings. As of September 21, 2017,The Three-Body Problemhad a total of 45,711 followers on Goodreads, the world’s largest book review and recommendations site. 74%(34,074) rated it with 4 stars to mark their recognition;5,972 followers posted their reviews; 71 followers initiated a themed discussion. Also, as of September 21, 2017, on the Amazon platform,The Three-Body Problemwas rated with an average of 4.2 stars (5-star rating system) by 1,506 overseas readers who had purchased and read the book. Although it was not long since their publishing,The Three-Body ProblemII andThe Three-Body ProblemIII were respectively rated with 4.6 and 4.8 stars. Those giving 4 stars and above to the two novels respectively accounted for 91% and 92% of their raters. Of all the Chinese books on sale overseas, the Four Classic Novels (i.e.Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin, The Story of the Stone) were the earliest ones to have been introduced there. The best-received one of the four isJourney to the West(2004 English edition), which only harvested 58 comments on Goodreads as of that very day. It was rated with 4.3 stars on Amazon, which was in stark contrast with the mere 51 comments it received.The Analects of Confucius, a representative masterpiece introducing traditional Chinese culture to the world, only harvested 477 and 135 comments on Goodreads and Amazon as of that very day. On Page 7 of thePeople’s Daily(Overseas Edition) published on December 2, 2014, there was a report entitled the2014 Most Influential Translation of Contemporary Chinese Literary Works Worldwide, which ranked books according to the number of libraries collecting them across the world. TheDecoded, written by Mai Jia,topped the list with 686 libraries collecting it. This showcased its strong influence worldwide. Even so, as of September 21, 2017, theDecodedonly harvested 232 and 146 comments, and 3.24 and 3.6 stars respectively on the abovementioned two websites. Thus, both in terms of readership and reader ratings,The Three-Body Problemis undoubtedly one of the most popular Chinese books among overseas readers.

The third factor concerns its readers’ comments.Both Goodreads and Amazon listed detailed comments ofThe Three-Body Problemposted by readers. Those comments serve as references to other readers and provide real market sources for researchers in this regard. By analyzing these comments onThe Three-Body Problemtrilogy, this paper concludes five major reasons for its popularity. First, the novel features great imagination, a lofty tone and a reflection on the ultimate existence of mankind. Second, the novel has a strong tech vibe, combining scientific concept,philosophy and history with literature to exhibit the best of hard science fiction. Third,The Three-Body Problemtrilogy reminds overseas readers of the unique style of great science fiction writers like Arthur C.Clark and Isaac Asimov from the “Western Golden Era.” It is precisely such familiarity and identification that enabled the novel to go global. Fourth, the story told in the novel features Chinese characteristics. Its depiction of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)satisfies overseas readers’ great curiosity. Fifth, the translation is good. While conforming to the English way of expression, the translator also manages to retain the unique style of the Chinese author, Liu Cixin. Also, some footnotes are added to help readers better understand certain historical backgrounds and contexts. According to overseas readers’ interpretation preference for contemporary Chinese science fiction novels, we respectively retrieved the first 200 comments on Goodreads and Amazon on September 21, 2017 and harvested 194 and 195 valid comments from the two websites; 11 negative comments were deleted from the 194 valid comments retrieved from Goodreads and 15 negative comments were deleted from the 195 valid comments on Amazon. Based on the five interpretation preferences, the results are listed below. The table shows that the overall comments regardingThe Three-Body Problemon the two websites were basically consistent.

2. Reflection on the ultimate existence of mankind

The two World Wars destroyed humanity’s firm belief in science and rationality. Against such a backdrop, dystopia (also known as anti-utopia), as a major topic of Western science fiction, has dominated the science fiction genre with the emergence of the Third Industrial Revolution. For most Western science fiction readers, it has been their reading habit and cultural demand to question human rationality and scientific progress and explore the status of human existence in the “post-human” era.The Three Body Problem“integrates a reflection on science into a reflection on history and human nature and gradually shifts to a reflection on anthropocentrism”.①Xu, 2015, p.44In this way, it satisfies most Western science fiction readers’long-term demand for philosophical reading and at the same time provokes their profound reflection on the ultimate existence of mankind from a universal perspective.

According to our survey statistics, some 21.4%and 22.6% readers of this novel on Goodreads and Amazon expressed that they were attracted by its theme–the ultimate existence of the universe. “Liu Cixin is a pioneer in cosmic sociology and he touches up the dialectical relationship between human nature and existence;”②Dario Cannizzaro. Goodreads. Goodreads Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https: / / www . Goodreads. com / book / show / 20518872-the-threebody-problem? ac = 1&from_search=true.date=2015/3/13.“Beside the hard-core science, the plot, and the imagination, a good SF fiction should provoke our thinking on humanity, existence, the laws of nature, and our destiny in the cosmos; theThree-Body Problemtrilogy does a good job on that.”③Young. Amazon. April 22, 2016. Amazon Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/ R3C1GGSFBENW3Z?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl.date=2016/4/22.This is in line with most overseas scholars’ comments onThe Three-Body Problem. David Brin, an American scientist and science fiction writer, has recommended it to the media on multiple occasions, holding that “The Three-Body Problemponders several Big Questions of our time” and that “Liu Cixin stands at the top tier of speculative fiction authors in any language.”④Quoted in the Editorial Review of the English version of The Three-Body Problem: “Vivid imaginative, and rooted in cutting-edge science. The Three-Body Problem ponders several Big Questions of our time. Liu Cixin stands at the top tier of speculative fiction authors in any language.”Mingwei Song, associate professor of Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures,Wellesley College, has written multiple papers on Liu’s creation. According to Song, the plot mainly focuses on the dilemma of ethics and existence in the universe.⑤Song, 2015, p.11Such a dilemma directs readers to a broad perspective of the universe and makes them rethink major philosophical propositions such as technology and human nature.

Contemporary Western dystopian literature tends to reflect on and criticize scientific technology’s function of “alienation.” Unlike that, Liu Cixin placed “human philosophical issues such as humanitarianism, love & beauty and the dark side of human nature” on the level of the universe, reflected on them and questioned anthropocentrism in a fundamental way.⑥Xu, 2015, p.44Scientific technology is no longer an accomplice to humanity evil. The awakening of human nature will not be the only hope for continued human existence. In a universe where the Dark Forest theory is rampant, humanitarianism is belittled by a survival crisis. Humans must give up the bright side of human nature for survival purposes. This is exemplified byThe Three-Body Problem’s Trisolar system, in which cannibalism was tolerated for the perpetuation of mankind. Evidently, Liu Cixin does not admire the humanitarianism manifested in the Dystopian science fiction in the contemporary West.In fact, he asserted that cannibalism should be allowed for survival purposes.⑦In a talk show featuring Liu Cixin and science historian Jiang Xiaoyuan, Liu Cixin asked, “Are ‘they’ allowed to eat the three of us for survival's sake?”That perhaps explains whyThe Three-Body Problembrings a certain “surprise” to overseas readers.

The charm ofThe Three-Body Problemdoes not lie in its criticism of humanitarianism, but in “its retaining of brilliant humanity even in the harshest place at the darkest moment”.⑧Song, 2015, p.11At the end of the story, Cheng Xin left the microcosmos, the only planet where humans can expect to live. Unexpectedly, Chen left the small ball that contained the lively ecological system there.“A little fish jumped out of it into another water-ball,gently swimming across the green algae; in the grass of a small strip of land, a drop of dew dropped from a blade of grass, swirling and reflecting a ray of sunshine to the outer-space…”①Liu, 2010, p.513In this way, Liu Cixin “used literary imagination as the strongest proof of human nature”,②Song, 2015, p.12yet at the same time destroyed mankind’s last utopian dream and once again led readers into the unknown. Can mankind survive in this Dark Forest universe? Will a new universe come into being? This concerns more than “where we are from and where we will go from here.” Rather, it touches upon the ultimate question of “where the universe is from and where it is to go.” It seems that Liu Cixin attempted to answer the question by telling that “mankind may be destroyed by their darker inner side but can also experience rebirth thanks to human love and kindness;this is the anthropological connotation of the so-called ultimate existence of the universe and is also the socalled dialectical relationship between ‘coming’ and‘going’”.③Xu, 2015, p.47Because of this, “Liu Cixin created a truly amazing world that stimulates readers to think and explore, and arouses a strong desire to probe into the infinity beyond the human world”.④Song, 2015, p.12According to theWall Street Journalreview,The Three-Body Problemis fascinating and full of imagination, and combines experiences facing all humans.⑤Tencent. ( 2015, August 24). The Future Linker. The Three-Body Problem in the eyes of American. Retrieved from http://news.qq.com/original/dujiabianyi/threebodyproblem.html.date=2015/8/24.These human experiences “have obviously transcended the narrative pattern of space travel-themed science fiction, which are mostly about adventure and conquest”,⑥Song, 2015, p.10and have madeThe Three-Body Problemmore like a proverb or fable than a contemporary science fiction novel,⑦Martiniere, 2017, p.53and thus “brought the novel to a height above ordinary science fiction literature and belles-lettres”.⑧Xu, 2015, p.44Such a height exhibits a literary return from genre fiction to literary fiction and highlights Liu Cixin’s efforts to approach literary fiction, which is endowed with more in-depth thinking and culture.

For a long time, science fiction as a genre fiction somehow could not be accepted as “serious literature.” The worldwide popularity ofThe Three-Body Problemshould be attributed to its bridging the wide gap between genre fiction and literary fiction,prompting readers to further think about how to remove the science fiction novel’s stereotyped image as a genre fiction, how to deepen the significance of science fiction novels, and how to increase the literary value of science fiction novels by enriching science fiction representations. It is fair to say thatThe Three-Body Problemhas made a pioneering attempt to avoid stereotypes. In addition, Liu Cixin also overturned and reflected traditional images of a group of characters. Unlike the “heroes” portrayed by Han Song and Wang Jinkang, the “super-heroes”created by Liu Cixin would like to sacrifice the interests of a minority for the sake of the entire human race. Those “super-heroes” are known for being rational, calm, tough and persevering. A good example is Zhang Beihai, a character inThe Three-Body Problem, who completed a counter-attack on his own in the Dark Forest and sacrificed the minority for the continuation of human civilization. Compared with traditional heroes with moral halos, such heroes seemed much more solemn and lofty. After all, only by overlooking their individual existence as “fleshedout humans” can they shoulder such a cruel and resolute mission. Prof. Yan Feng, a well-known science fiction researcher, described those heroes as superheroes. According to Yan, “Super-heroes would like to sacrifice individual interests for the well-being of the entire human race, and try all means to achieve a particular goal, for which they are the extreme extension of previous revolutionary logic. It is precisely in this sense that those heroes should be regarded as super-heroes. They must have a supernaturally strong will, a supernaturally high IQ and a supernaturally brilliant craft. What they really strive to rescue is not a particular country, but the earth, or even the universe.Some may argue that in Chinese literature, the madman image was first created by Lu Xun; if so, the superman image should be initiated by Liu Cixin”.①Yan, 2011, p.75Liu Cixin’s super-hero depiction transcends traditional moralism and demonstrates an ultra-rationality.Although his representation seems somewhat cruel, it highlights his effort against stereotyped creation.

Yet, this does not mean that science fiction literature can only realize its own literary value by following the themes and artistic means of literary fiction. As a literary genre, the science fiction novel has its own law of development. “There is no need to artificially raise ‘genre fiction’ to the height of ‘literary fiction’ or evaluate ‘genre fiction’ according to the standard of the latter.”②He Shaojun expressed such a view on July 10, 2010 at the Symposium on Literary Genre & Genre Fiction in Daqing, a petroleum city in northeastern China.On the other hand, hastily regarding science fiction literature as a genre fiction should also be avoided. According to Song Mingwei, “a stable form is the prerequisite of literary genre, which is to maintain a cultural order; any reflection on or doubt of such a genre, however far from rebellion, is already a distrust of order.” “Contemporary Chinese science fiction, when regarded as a genre fiction, has a complexity of levels”,③Song, 2015a, p.74and has formed a unique“selective tradition” in the field of literature, giving rise to a subversive new wave.” Only by envisaging such a“new wave” in contemporary Chinese science fiction can we expect to grasp science fiction literature’s law of development and thus offer references to more quality Chinese science fiction works intending to go global.

3. Science fiction fans’ scientific vision and imagination

What kind of science fiction attracts science fiction fans the most? The answer should be those with a strong tech vibe. An excellent depiction of cutting-edge technology can bring readers a brandnew reading experience. The ubiquitous tech elements inThe Three-Body Problemsatisfied overseas science fiction readers to their heart's content. Judging from readers’ comments on Goodreads and Amazon,some 22.1% and 23.1% of readers agreed that the charm of this novel owed to its creation of a tech utopia through amazing imagination. This can be exemplified by the following comment excerpts. A reader wrote thatThe Three-Body Problemgame was the part that interested him most; it attracted most of his attention and also inspired him to think about all the technical issues, which he appreciated very much.④Rob. Goodreads. (2014, October 9). Goodreads Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.Goodreads.com/book/show/20518872-the-three-bodyproblem?ac = 1&from_search=true.date = 2014/10/9.“This is one of the best science fiction books I have ever read. The background relies heavily on physics which makes it fascinating. If you enjoy physics, this is a must read. ”①Nancy Famolari. Amazon. September 21, 2014. Amazon.Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R2SRRRA11JYY2H?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl.date=2014/9/21.According to Locus,“The Three-Body Problemis the first case of a hard(Chinese) SF novel in the modern sense. ”②Tencent. (2015, August 24). The Three-Body Problem in the eyes of American. The Future Linker. Retrieved from http://news.qq.com/original/dujiabianyi/threebodyproblem.html.date=2015/8/24.The USA-basedWashington Posteven published two articles to recommend it, one of which claimed that “Liu successfully interweaves hard science and adventure in this series debut.”③Quoted in the Editorial Review of the English version of the Dark Forest: “Liu successfully interweaves hard science and adventure in this series debut.”Publishers Weeklyexpressed a similar view by holding that, “Fans of hard SF will revel in this intricate and imaginative novel by one of China’s most celebrated genre writers.”④Quoted in the Editorial Review of the English version of the Dark Forest: “Fans of hard SF will revel in this intricate and imaginative novel by one of China most celebrated genre writers.”In the“Utopian Variation of Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction,” Song Mingwei argued, “The imagination of a tech utopia laid a foundation for Liu Cixin’s ‘hard SF’,which is built on a faith in scientific technology, rather than in human moral consciousness.”⑤Song, 2015b, p.111This virtually differentiates Liu Cixin’sThe Three-Body Problemfrom works created by his science fiction peers such as Xing He, Han Song and He Xi. Unlike his sic-fi peers striving to awaken human moral consciousness and depict technology’s alienation of mankind, Liu Cixin insists on praising science, holding that “the end of morality is exactly the beginning of science fiction.”This showcases a writer’s self-demand as a firm advocate of scientism.

Liu Cixin was engaged in front-line factory works for many years, which may explain his infatuation with scientific technology. As he has reiterated, he“is a crazy advocate of technicism and scientism and firmly believes technology to be the ultimate solution to all problems.”⑥Wang, 2007, p.86In multiple scenes inThe Three-Body Problemtrilogy, Liu Cixin showcased the charm of scientific technology and expressed his “worship” of tech power through exquisite depiction and magnificent imagination. Replacing character portrayal with tech depiction, he endowed humans with a semiotic character and filled the absence of aliens with a range of enigmatic high-tech terms in the novel. The loss of their original meaning transformed the characters into existences of metaphorical significance. This way of depiction, attaching great importance to technical details, to some extent resulted in a lack of clear and vivid character images and left a vague and abstract setting. This instead highlighted technology’s role as a definite and sophisticated primary existence.

The literariness ofThe Three-Body Problemis affected by Liu Cixin’s obsession with scientific technology, which can be testified by the majority of criticism on Goodreads and Amazon against the novel’s character stereotyping, irrational structuring,incoherent storytelling and other literary bugs.Nevertheless, his perseverance in scientific technology embodies a pursuit of “truth.” This truth-seeking spirit, a common personality trait among Westerners,was overlooked by traditional Chinese culture. Unlike traditional Western literature that has advocated“truth,” traditional Chinese literature has regarded“kindness” as the highest moral standard. Such a difference resulted from their varied social forms.In a traditional Western society, mercantilism was advocated, and businessmen had to learn more about and conquer nature. By contrast, in a traditional Chinese society, physiocracy was advocated and ancient Chinese people relied heavily on natural conditions for agricultural yield. In such a context,Chinese people were particular about the harmony between man and nature and tried all possible means to avoid moral flaw-caused disasters. Chinese people have not been motivated to seek truth in an objective world. Instead, they have focused on the cultivation of“kindness” deep inside. However, Liu Cixin became an exception by placing “truth” over “kindness,” holding that the concept of “kindness” changes with the times.“Human nature has been in constant change; people today would think their ancestors in the Stone Age inhumane, and vice versa.”①Wang, 2007, p.86.Should the survival of mankind be threatened, their so-called code of ethics would be trapped in a dilemma. The universe depicted by Liu Cixin may be callous and terrible, but “it has its own merit for being ‘true.’ By comparison, ‘kindness’is far less significant, for humans are insignificant,yet humans are great because they can tell right from wrong. They are decent because they keep forging ahead and they are solemn and stirring because they can fail.”②Jia, 2011, p.41.Chinese literature has been inundated with various theories on “good and evil.” Against such a backdrop, Liu Cixin injected authentic Western elements into Chinese science fiction literature, which broadens Chinese readers’ science fiction vision and,more importantly, arouses a strong sense of identity among Western readers.

4. Literary familiarity & identification

“Interpreting contemporary Chinese literature by associating Chinese works with well-known writers’works in their own traditional culture has become an established trend of Western readers. After all,they tend to transform the unfamiliar to the familiar.They subsequently integrate the relatively unfamiliar contemporary Chinese literature into their familiar framework of Western culture to look for a sense of familiarity and identity, provoke shared emotions deep inside, or verify their certain imagination of China.”③Jiang, 2015,p.188Western readers’ reception of Liu Cixin demonstrates a clear trace of seeking common ground.

Of the new generation science fiction writers in China, Liu Cixin is arguably among the few most open to foreign literature. Both directly and indirectly, he has been influenced by foreign writers in terms of science fiction philosophy and science fiction creation. He has been influenced by Western writers such as Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and, above all, Arthur C. Clarke.Liu Cixin once recalled, “Verne’s novels aroused my passion for science fiction, while Clarke’s works formed the original impetus of my science fiction creations.”④Liu, 2007, p.23“Everything that I write is a clumsy imitation of Arthur C. Clarke.”⑤Liu has been quoted in interviews as saying: “Everything that I write is a clumsy imitation of Arthur C. Clarke.” Li Fuying. (2014, August 2). Liu Cixin,“ I am a sci-fi fan, as well as a writer.” Shenzhen Evening News.“Clarke’s influence on me is perhaps even greater than that of my father.”⑥Jiang, 2011, p.81And, “All of my works have been created under the strong influence of Arthur C. Clarke.”⑦Wu, 2012, p.59Consequently, Liu Cixin has been frequently placed on a par with Clarke and other Western writers by his readers. On Goodreads and Amazon, a respective 8% and 4.5% of readers mentioned thatThe Three-Body Problemreminded them of the science fiction style in the “Western Golden Era; ” that it was clearly influenced by Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke,①Amy Sturgis. Goodreads. February 2, 2015. Goodreads Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.Goo-dreads.com/book/show/20518872-thethree-body-problem?ac=1&from_search=true.date=2015/2/2.and that Liu Cixin’s style was very much like Clarke’s, with both writers full of incredible imagination.②Richard Murphy. Amazon. February 20, 2015. Amazon Inc. September 21, 2017, Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R16Y8FSQLRU9BH?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl.date=2015/2/20.For this reason,Liu Cixin is widely considered “China’s Clarke” by Western media and scholars. TheNew York TimesconsideredThe Three-Body Problemto be “a classic science-fiction story in the style of the British master Arthur C. Clarke.”③Quoted in the Editorial Review of the English version of Death's End: The Three-Body Problem tomes chronicle a march of the human race into the universe set against the recent past, the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution. It is a classic science fiction story in the style of the British master Arthur C. Clarke.”In his articleChina’s Arthur C.Clarkepublished in theNew Yorker, American science fiction critic Joshua Rothman compared Liu Cixin to Sir Arthur C. Clarke. Song Mingwei also held that, “What Liu Cixin strove to present in his works is exactly mankind’s astonishment and awe of the powerful known, as was depicted by Clarke.”④Song, 2011, p.20

Arthur C. Clark, known as the “Big Three” of the greatest science fiction authors in the 20th century, was a popular writer whose works are regarded as science fiction classics by Western readers. Placing Liu’s works on a par with this science fiction master indicates the popularity of Liu among Western readers and also proves “science fiction is the most global of literatures,and it is capable of being understood by the peoples of all nations.”⑤Ken Liu, 2015, p.25“For a country, the first barrier they need to overcome when introducing their native literature to the rest of the world is cultural differences.⑥He, 2016, p.58Many Chinese science fiction works, such as Han Song’s2066: Red Star Over America, are restricted to national narratives.The Three-Body Problemhighlights the“insignificant” humans’ existential dilemma in the vast universe. Such a cosmopolitan topic transcends cultural differences and lays a cultural basis for the novel’s overseas reception. It can thus be concluded that seeking common ground is the starting point of cognition and is a basic instinct of readers from a foreign culture. In this sense, interpreting contemporary Chinese literature by associating Chinese works to well-known Western writers can help Western readers to better understand and accept Chinese works. By transforming the unfamiliar to the familiar, they can establish a rapport with Chinese writers and thus acquire a sense of identity.The Three-Body Problem’s overseas fever highlights the literary and cultural exchanges between the East and West.In this way, mutual understanding, mutual reflection,mutual examination and mutual learning are enabled.

5 Cultural curiosity triggered by ideological differences

Western readers access contemporary Chinese literature out of an aesthetic psychology of seeking discrepancy, as well as seeking sameness. By reading Chinese literary works (contemporary ones in particular), they expect to learn more about the life of Chinese people. Howard Goldblatt, acclaimed by some as the most important translator of contemporary Chinese literature, once argued in an interview that American readers were more interested in current,contemporary China under reform and development and that they hoped to learn more about China from litterateur, as well as from newspapers.⑦Luo, 2008, p.120After all,literary representations of a society usually outperform that of pure sociological materials. Out of ideological curiosity, Western readers tend to pay special attention to the novel’s political setting and are interested in exploring the political connotations behind the story.

Why isThe Three-Body Problemso well received among overseas readers, particularly those in the USA? Because this novel unfolds a story with Chinese characteristics. Though adopting a universal writing style, Liu Cixin still gave play to unique Chinese characteristics when it came to story-telling and narrative skills. For example, the “image of China” was highlighted inThe Three-Body Problemby a variety of Chinese elements such as the “Red Coast Base,”the “Tang” aircraft carrier, the Chinese army, and the First Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang). The fluttering red flags on the space fleet greatly excited the Chinese readers while its setting in the Cultural Revolution highlighted a special by-gone era of China. Annabel,a model in New York, was deeply attracted by the historical background of China and the science fiction adventure inThe Three-Body Problem. According to her, the book showcases Chinese culture, an oriental tech vibe, as well as alien elements, and those with a passion for exploration will surely love it.①Tencent. (2015, August 24). The Three-Body Problem in the eyes of American. The Future Linker. Retrieved from http://news.qq.com/original/dujiabianyi/threebodyproblem.html.date=2015/8/24.In his article“China’s Arthur C. Clarke” published on the New Yorker, Joshua Rothman analyzed Liu Cixin’s success,“For an American reader, one of the pleasures of reading Liu is that his stories draw on entirely different resources.”WhatThe Three-Body Problemattracts Western readers most is its depiction of the Cultural Revolution’s influence on Chinese society.②Dean, 2015, p.890“Liu’s novel delivered an unfamiliar feeling unique to him through his depiction of China’s Cultural Revolution.”③Martiniere, 2017, p.53Ben Bove, winner of multiple Hugo Awards, claimed,“Liu Cixin brings to the reader a deep and insightful vision of China past and future; first-rate work by a powerful new voice.”④Quoted in the Editorial Review of the English version of The Three-Body Problem: “Cixin Liu brings to the reader a deep and insightful vision of China past and future. First-rate work by a powerful new voice.”Such a view echoed readers’comments on Goodreads and Amazon. Accordingly,some 27.1% and 20.4% of comments on the two websites concerned a fresh feeling and a brand-new reading experience brought by a foreign science fiction writer. For overseas readers, the most interesting part of such an exotic reading experience was clearly from the novel’s political setting (Cultural Revolution in particular). “From the opening, I was struck by how much history I didn’t know about China’s Cultural Revolution. It might be obvious to anyone growing up in those parts, of course, but I was almost lost in that story long before I saw that there was anything science fiction about the novel.”⑤Robyn. Goodreads. November 2, 2014. Goodreads Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.Goodreads.com/book/show/20518872-the-threebody-problem?ac=1&from_search=true.date=2014/11/2.“I liked the setting during the Cultural Revolution and post-Cultural Revolution of China.”⑥Donald Krueger.amazon. (May 11, 2016). amazon Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.ama-zon.com/gp/review/R3C0Y4E0MZZ2FB?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl.date=2016/5/11.

The Cultural Revolution inThe Three-Body Problemonly served as a setting, which unexpectedly became the part that impressed Western readers the most. This is mainly due to a reading preference unique to those Westerners to whom the Cultural Revolution remains a mystery. It is true that numerous attempts have been made in the West to learn more about this Oriental revolution. China’s information blockade during the Cultural Revolution, along with limited related materials available in China even today,prevented Western readers from improving their understanding of the Cultural Revolution. Under such circumstances, they hope to learn more about China and this revolution in literary works. The Cultural Revolution-related passages in this novel undoubtedly satisfy their curiosity and arouse their reading interest.Yet, this cross-ideological reading is likely to cause twisted understanding. For example, some readers considerThe Three-Body Problemto be “a communist party training manual,”①Amazon Customer. Amazon. (2016, May 29). Amazon Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R3SX6UIYK7OX1W?ref_=glimp_1rv_clholding that life in China is no different from that in North Korea, that “I kept thinking she was actually in North Korea, not China,”and that “Maybe the story accurately depicts life in China.”②Picky1. Amazon. (April 9, 2016). Amazon Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R47GQF2JPXEI3?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl.date=2016/4/9.Given that, when approaching Chinese history, contemporary Chinese writers must shoulder their social and historical responsibilities and at the same time try to avoid misleading overseas readers with twisted depictions.

In addition to these aspects,The Three-Body Problem’s success overseas should also be attributed to its good translation. According to Jaydia Spencer, a postgraduate at NYU, it is much easier for Americans to accept science fiction works done by native English writers; it is already an inherent challenge for Chinese science fiction literature to access the European and North American markets, as this requires a good understanding of the target culture and a good translation; the success ofThe Three-Body Problemhas a lot to do with its good and fluent translation.③Tencent. (2015, August 24). The Three-Body Problem in the eyes of American. The Future Linker. Retrieved from http://news.qq.com/original/dujiabianyi/threebodyproblem.html.On Goodreads and Amazon, respectively 7.6% and 9% of its readers praised the professional translation which retained the essence of the original work while giving consideration to foreigners’ reading habits. “Ken Liu did an excellent job on the translation. Cixin/Ken Liu explained the required terms in understanding the plot as easy as possible, making sure that the readers fully understand the plot at least.”④Neil Hepworth. November 11, 2014. Goodreads Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.Goo-dreads.com/book/show/20518872-the-threebody-problem?ac=1&from_search=true.date=2014/11/11.“This book reads unbelievably well in English and flows as smoothly as I would imagine the original did.”⑤Tanstaafl.amazon. September 30, 2014. amazon Inc. September 21, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Three-Body-Problem-Remembrance-Earths-Past/product-reviews/0765377063/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_43?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=43&sortBy=recent&filte rByKeyword=+translationOf course there were no shortage of negative comments overseas,criticizing the novel’s character stereotyping, irrational structuring, redundancy in storytelling and other literary bugs. Nevertheless, defects cannot belittle virtues.The Three-Body Problemis no second to those world-class science fiction novels. For the first time ever, a Chinese writer successfully ranked among the“first echelon” of science fiction writers worldwide.Liu Cixin adopted the narrative skills of Western writers to tell Chinese science fiction stories. While presenting the life of Chinese people, he also touched upon the ultimate issue of mankind. This perhaps is the key to the elimination of cultural barriers and the establishment of a rapport.