Review: The Dark Forest

The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More isn't always better. In fact, it rarely is. I'm just going to throw that out there. That sentiment is likely to be a recurring theme in this review, so it's a statement that should be a the forefront. I tend to respect those who state their business at the start and I try to do the same. I'm here is chew bubblegum and nitpick a book I fully enjoyed. And I haven't chewed bubblegum in two decades.

Considering the follow-up to the "Three-Body Problem" is 100 pages longer, you would either guess it contains a lot more story, or you're in for a long haul. The bad news is that it's the latter. The good news is the book is still awesome. I will complain that there seems to be even less story in "The Dark Forest", but that might be its radical change of focus. While there are some connections to previous characters, we're mostly dealing with a totally new slate of people. The overall story is still there, bad aliens are on their way, but it focuses so much on the future it completely forgets about the history it built upon in the first novel. The shift in characters and scope can be jarring but it doesn't remain an unwelcome change.

My biggest complaint, and there has to be one, is that the book sure does take its time. This is especially true of the first third of the novel. The first novel was tighter in plot and focus on the characters wrapped up in the story, but this one likes to stop and smell the roses. I really wouldn't say it's slow or badly paced, the story just demands a sense of urgency that the narrative doesn't share. The book doesn't waste your time, it just demands you be patient before it lets you know what the hell is going to happen next.

Luo Ji also isn't the most compelling character. He doesn't really fit the type of a main character, but he's the closest thing to a through-line we get. He mostly observes, his motivations are rather weak, and he really only does two things throughout the entire book. I feel it's a case of the story, ideas, and themes being more important than the characters while a more balanced approach would have been more satisfactory. Also, many of the other characters just seem like a rainbow in comparison to Lou Ji. I can't tell if this is completely on purpose or not.

There is a lot of great prose and imagery in this book. Basically, if you liked how the first one was written, you should like this one. There are several long segments involving science and plot dumping, but I enjoyed it so much I can hardly complain. There are some parts of the book that really had me thinking about it afterward. Chewing on my brain like a puppy with a new toy. It's a really great feeling to read a book that stays with you after you finish it. So many fail to do that you wonder how half of them even get published.

While the actual plot could be summed up in a couple of pages and a lackluster protagonist, I really loved this book. It's unconventional in the idea of it being a squeal, but the writing is so well done I hardly cared. It's a simple case of if you liked "The Three-Body Problem", you'll love "The Dark Forest". It's not better, but that's simply because there's more here to digest. Les is more. But that's the way it's always been.

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