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Judy
This is what I consider hard sci-fi at its very best. Definitely not space opera. Many of the characters are heavy duty theoretical physicists. Read the NPR review, it's a good one:.
"This is hard SF, full of lovingly lengthy passages of technical exposition about everything from quantum mechanics to artificial intelligence. But Cixin Liu supports all of that braintwisting theory with empathetic characters and a strong action-thriller backbone. "
"This is hard SF, full of lovingly lengthy passages of technical exposition about everything from quantum mechanics to artificial intelligence. But Cixin Liu supports all of that braintwisting theory with empathetic characters and a strong action-thriller backbone. "
Bodhi
It's not either really. Closer to hard SF. It goes into a lot of detail about planetary physics, quantum mechanics, scientific breakthroughs, particle accelerators, the nature of scientific research, etc. It's mixed with a good amount of "James Bond"-type spy stuff and thriller action. It's almost historical fiction in some parts.
Bunbury
Depends on your definition of Space Opera, but it's certainly not hard SF.
Hard Science Fiction is based on our understanding of science. It may extrapolate towards the future, but it can't add things we know are wrong. This book does that, and it glosses over some really difficult undertakings as well for the sake of plot.
Hard Science Fiction is based on our understanding of science. It may extrapolate towards the future, but it can't add things we know are wrong. This book does that, and it glosses over some really difficult undertakings as well for the sake of plot.
Alex
To me it felt a lot more like Neal Stephenson's relationship with sci-fi. He has big science-y ideas he's interested in and he wraps a plot around them.
Tapan Chandra
Its definitely not a Space opera.
Budd
This answer contains spoilers…
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Flow In
its supposed to be hard sci fi, but its really just nonsense
Paul Camp
It's garbage. It is the worst written book I've read in a long time. The Characters are cardboard whose only purpose is to be pushed around by a predetermined plot. Plot does not in any way emerge from real characters with real motivations.
Robin Edwards
It's hard sci-fi and not a space opera (star wars). Cixin was a nuclear engineer (iirc) and make use of whatever degrees and expertise he has on the matter.
That said, he extrapolates into speculative fiction and it plays a huge role in this story. Toward the end, epistemology comes into play, and then, game theory.
I quite enjoyed the hard aspects. The speculative fiction was interesting to think about.
That said, he extrapolates into speculative fiction and it plays a huge role in this story. Toward the end, epistemology comes into play, and then, game theory.
I quite enjoyed the hard aspects. The speculative fiction was interesting to think about.
Richard Kolivoski
I still say this qualifies as hard SF. If you expect 2001: A Space Odyssey, then, you will be disappointed. After laying a solid ground work in physics,astronomy, and philosophy, the book flips everything we believe about reality around. It makes us question how do we know what we know?
The strongest theme in the book is "What do we do when faced with an unsolvable problem?"
If I say more, I will spoil the book. So, my comrades, read! Read! Read!
The strongest theme in the book is "What do we do when faced with an unsolvable problem?"
If I say more, I will spoil the book. So, my comrades, read! Read! Read!
Fab
For me it's like a mix of Dan Brown, Phillip K Dick, Neal Stephenson, Murakami. Dont let that put you off though, it's good!
Michael Booth
Definitively not a space opera or a hard sci fi.
This is sort of like cyberpunk/first contact.
This is sort of like cyberpunk/first contact.
Greg Coates
Hard SF for certain.
Erik
It's for sure not space opera, and it's not hard sci-fi, so neither. It's more communist storytelling drama, with a bit of "sciencism" mixed in.
Eugene Galt
It is not space opera, but I would not unreservedly call it hard science fiction either. The level of hardness of the science fiction is all over the place, from hard enough to scratch diamonds to whimsical to “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Julia
if you like SF, it is hard core and a must read!!! loved this book and would suggest it, not for the simpleminded and has lot to do with astrophysics and space science
Uk Dubey
I dont know what a Space Opera is ,, but I found the whole series ( I read them one after the other over a month ) ,, amazing,, with visions and thoughts and study of human nature and evolutionary ideas and hard quantum stuff.....it is amazing
Shawn Conroy
Between soft and hard science fiction, I would say this is firmly in the hard science fiction category.
When I say space opera, I usually mean deep space adventure. Though it's often used to mean simplistic or melodramatic. This could not be space opera because it almost all exclusively takes place on Earth.
So even crappy soft science fiction might not be space opera, in my opinion, because if it all takes place on earth it's not very spacey. (I would say Star Wars could be viewed as the most popular space opera.)
When I say space opera, I usually mean deep space adventure. Though it's often used to mean simplistic or melodramatic. This could not be space opera because it almost all exclusively takes place on Earth.
So even crappy soft science fiction might not be space opera, in my opinion, because if it all takes place on earth it's not very spacey. (I would say Star Wars could be viewed as the most popular space opera.)
George
Not space opera in either feel or content. But so totally speculative on quantum mechanics--which is, after all, already half mystical--that I have to call it science-fantasy.
Kishen Thyagaraj
Science Fiction.
Lenka Příplatová
Hard SF, and a brilliant one.
Graham
I'm not convinced that the two are mutually exclusive. I haven't read the book yet, but everything I've heard about it make it seem like it's both.
Pavel Lishin
This is Space Opera masquerading as Hard SF. There are hard aspects to it, but I believe that it boils down to S.O. in the end. (See my comment on Budd's answer for my reasoning.)
Having said that, it was a good read, and the interpersonal stuff between the characters was really fantastic.
Having said that, it was a good read, and the interpersonal stuff between the characters was really fantastic.
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