Cover of The Three-Body Problem

Book · 2014 · Fiction

The Three-Body Problem

by Cixin Liu · Recommended by 20 people on 13 podcasts

#86 of 14,894 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts

mentions
31
people
20
podcasts
13
episodes
25
critical mentions
0

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Everybody should read them because they're fantastic books.
Krystal Ball · Breaking Points · Jul 2026 Listen at 20:41

What they say about it

Grouped from 31 mentions
  • Netflix show adaptation“Great show on Netflix”
    3
  • Great books
    2
  • Chinese science fiction novel“Chinese science fiction novel”
    2

The best things said about it

6 of 31 · every mention
Recommended
Great series of books by a Chinese author got turned into amazing Netflix show great show the books are phenomenal too.
Ben van Kerkwyk The Joe Rogan Experience · Sep 2025
Recommended
And like I don't know if you've read there's a um great uh Chinese science fiction novel called The Three Body Problem. Great show on Netflix, too. It's amazing.
Jesse Michels The Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 2025
Recommended
If you want to think about quantum, read The Three-Body Problem.
Steve Kwast The Shawn Ryan Show · May 2025
Recommended
I really liked the three body problem but that's a really hackneyed recommendation but it really made me think.
Nic Carter Lex Fridman Podcast · Apr 2021
Discussed
There's a a novel called the three-body problem it's a chinese novel by xi xin liu it's probably the most famous book on earth.
Terry Virts The Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 2024
Discussed
Why do you think The Three-Body Problem took off the way it did? Well, it is very good, right?
Tyler Cowen Conversations with Tyler · Jan 2024

Where and when it comes up

Mentions per year

Counted mentions by episode date. Our archive is deeper for recent years; 2026 so far.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

Most mentions, by podcast

Top 9 of 13 shows

20 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Also: Joe Rogan · Lulu Cheng Meservey · Michael Moynihan · Neil deGrasse Tyson · Rebecca F. Kuang · Saagar Enjeti · Terry Virts · Tim Urban

Why people recommend it

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is a sweeping hard science fiction trilogy starter that chronicles humanity's first contact with an alien civilization facing imminent destruction from a triple-star system. Krystal Ball recommended the trilogy on Breaking Points, calling the books fantastic and urging everyone to read them. Ben van Kerkwyk on The Joe Rogan Experience and Jesse Michels on the same podcast both praised the novel and its recent television adaptation, with Michels highlighting its depiction of scientific advancement in China. Steve Kwast enthusiastically recommended the trilogy on The Shawn Ryan Show to help readers conceptualize quantum mechanics and consider how advanced extraterrestrial civilizations might perceive Earth. Emily Jashinsky and her co-host on Breaking Points also brought up the novel during a discussion on trade wars, referencing a specific plot point involving the cultural revolution and alien revelation. Additionally, Ben Bowlin recommended the book on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know while discussing the Dark Forest Theory, assuring listeners that finishing the series is well worth the effort.

Every mention

31 counted mentions · 5 passing or ad reads below
Steve Kwast There is a Chinese fiction writer that wrote a trilogy called The Three-Body Problem. 2
Recommended
“There is a Chinese fiction writer that wrote a trilogy called The Three-Body Problem.”
Recommended
“So that's why I propose the book, uh, of, uh, if you want to think about quantum, read the three-body problem.”
Emily Jashinsky Although, if you read the threebody problem, you do know that there of course benefits. Uh, as somebody who… 2
Discussed
“I mean your mind immediately starts to go to like Three-Body Problem if you've ever”
Recommended
“Although, if you read the threebody problem, you do know that there of course benefits. Uh, as somebody who wants aliens revealed to be to the United States, that that was the only benefit of the cultural revolution from that book.”
Ben Bowlin incorporating What's called the Dark Forest Theory shout out three body problem and then it's time to finis… 1
Recommended
“incorporating What's called the Dark Forest Theory shout out three body problem and then it's time to finish that it's worth it”
Ben van Kerkwyk So, it's this came out of uh it was the threebody problem. uh great series of books by a Chinese author got… 1
Recommended
“So, it's this came out of uh it was the threebody problem. uh great series of books by a Chinese author got turned into amazing Netflix show great show the books are phenomenal too”
Jesse Michels And like I don't know if you've read there's a um great uh Chinese science fiction novel called The Three B… 1
Recommended
“And like I don't know if you've read there's a um great uh Chinese science fiction novel called The Three Body Problem. Great show on Netflix, too. It's amazing.”
Krystal Ball I read these the three body problem trilogy and in the first book, and I'm not really giving it away anythi… 1
Recommended
“I read these the three body problem trilogy and in the first book, and I'm not really giving it away anything here, but everybody should read them because they're fantastic books.”
Marshall Kosloff two of which we picked out were the three body problem i have it right behind me here 1
Recommended
“two of which we picked out were the three body problem i have it right behind me here”
Nic Carter i really liked the three body problem but that's a really hackneyed recommendation but it really made me think 1
Recommended
“i really liked the three body problem but that's a really hackneyed recommendation but it really made me think”
Andrew Klavan I recently watched the three body problem a science fiction an adaptation on Netflix of a science fiction n… 2
Discussed
“I recently watched the three body problem a science fiction an adaptation on Netflix of a science fiction novel the novel of which I kind of enjoyed and it was really interesting because the heroes were hard driving physicists all of whom were women”
Discussed
“I recently watched the three body problem a science fiction an adaptation on Netflix of a science fiction novel the novel of which I kind of enjoyed”
Tyler Cowen Why is volume one of Three-Body Problem the best of the three volumes? 2
Discussed
“Why is volume one of Three-Body Problem the best of the three volumes?”
Discussed
“Why do you think The Three-Body Problem took off the way it did? Well, it is very good, right?”
Dan Wang Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem. 1
Discussed
“Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem.”
David Kipping did you get to watch the three body problem yeah I did and d read the couple of the first couple of books a… 1
Discussed
“did you get to watch the three body problem yeah I did and d read the couple of the first couple of books and I thought the show was really intriguing”
Joe Rogan like some there's some editor who it's probably more like you know um the threebody problem the the books a… 1
Discussed
“like some there's some editor who it's probably more like you know um the threebody problem the the books and the show.”
Lulu Cheng Meservey You know, in the threebody problem, especially in the dark forest in the second book, where the tricolerans… 1
Discussed
“You know, in the threebody problem, especially in the dark forest in the second book, where the tricolerans look at humans and determine which humans, which wallfacers have what level of deterrence.”
Michael Moynihan I just watched uh three body problem on uh Netflix which I tried to read the book yeah but there's a scene… 1
Discussed
“I just watched uh three body problem on uh Netflix which I tried to read the book yeah but there's a scene in there like a depiction of the cultural revolution at the very beginning um of the show and it's it is visceral it is incredibly hard to watch”
Neil deGrasse Tyson I wanted to know your thoughts on the dark forest theory presented as a solution to the Fermi paradox in th… 1
Discussed
“I wanted to know your thoughts on the dark forest theory presented as a solution to the Fermi paradox in the 3body trilogy, Spoiler Warnings for Others. The dark forest principle says that when each civilization discovers the other, there exists no solution where they do not end up attacking each other. So the universe is teeming with intelligent life,”
Rebecca F. Kuang My fiance is reading 2001: A Space Odyssey right now and its sequels, and he was a big fan of Liu Cixin's T… 1
Discussed
“My fiance is reading 2001: A Space Odyssey right now and its sequels, and he was a big fan of Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem trilogy, and he's telling me he can see where the Clarke influence comes from.”
Saagar Enjeti just read Three-Body Problem. So, yeah, so reading that and then seeing this, of course I instantly was lik… 1
Discussed
“just read Three-Body Problem. So, yeah, so reading that and then seeing this, of course I instantly was like, Oh, what's going on here? is uh you know it's not it's not the greatest thing ever made, but uh it was okay.”
Terry Virts there's a a novel called the three-body problem it's a chinese novel by xi xin liu it's probably the most f… 1
Discussed
“there's a a novel called the three-body problem it's a chinese novel by xi xin liu it's probably the most famous book on earth”
Tim Urban And then um and then I um, more recently obviously I read the whole Three Body Problem trilogy which is by… 1
Discussed
“And then um and then I um, more recently obviously I read the whole Three Body Problem trilogy which is by the way an example of one of those times when I couldn't do that either.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker7
Recommended
“Although, if you read the threebody problem, you do know that there of course benefits. Uh, as somebody who wants aliens revealed to be to the United States, that that was the only benefit of the cultural revolution from that book. Sorry, I guess I just spoiled it, but whatever. Yeah, it's still worth reading. It's been it's been out”
Discussed
“if you haven't seen it or read it of the three body problem that a civilization like tardy grades live somewhere else”
Discussed
“And you know, have you all watched 'Three Body Problem' yet? We talked about it when it first came out.”
Discussed
“it makes me think of the three body problem I wouldn't want to spoil it too much but there's a a position that's created within that world”
Discussed
“they also control a bunch of intellectual property including that of the three-body problem book series or the the book series that is named that it's been stylized a bit in the US with the number three rather than the word three”
Recommended
“I believe the introduction to the 'Three-Body Problem' should be required viewing in schools; kids should definitely watch it.”
Discussed
“I'm only going to show a quick couple of seconds because I thought it was colorized footage of the show 'Three-Body Problem.' In the show, they depict a physics professor in a dunce cap on stage while he's being screamed at and told to reject science.”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“Is there a world with no walls to face just to keep going with that three body problem stuff?”
Passing
“Before you know it, you're reading the threebody problem.”
Passing
“do you do you remember there was a a a whole service around uh buying and naming stars do you do you remember this this was kind of like a big idea in the '90s maybe early 2000s three body problem that's like one of the one of the ideas I hav't”
Passing
“because of course he put the three body problem on one of his lists of favorite books of the Year”
Passing
“If I had to send a person to one place to learn Chinese science fiction, assuming they're not going to read three volumes of Three-Body Problem, I'd send them to Folding Beijing.”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Krystal Ball, Anthony Quintano / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0); Tyler Cowen, Tyler Cowen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Andrew Klavan, Embutler / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).