For me, Three Body Problem was far too loaded with hard science discussion, and I felt it was really lacking in enough descriptive or reflective language.
I’m not well versed in sci-fi, but I did really like Sea Of Tranquility, Project Hail Mary, This Is How You Lose the Time War, and Fifth Season. I think world building is really not my thing (Fifth Season maybe the exception).
Anyway, Children of Time sounded cool but I really know nothing about its narrative. Thoughts or descriptions would be helpful.
by choirandcooking
9 Comments
I couldn’t get into Aiden Tchaikovsky because he seemed to focus way too much on the characters. His books seem more like character fiction with sci-fi elements in the background, but that’s just me. I’ve reread the Three Body trilogy multiple times, so my tastes,may be different than yours. Try “Axiom’s End” by Lindsay Ellis. It’s a first-contact novel, a bit more like Andy Weir. There’s a sequel out too, with a third upcoming.
I looooooved three body problem, fifth season. I like hard science though. Not crazy about sea of tranquility (great writing but I don’t like time travel or multiverse plots). Project Hail Mary was fun. I just checked out children of time so I’ll bookmark this for after I read it.
Children of time was good but difficult to get through. Way too long in my opinion. I get what the writer was going for, but he could have made his point with half of the pages. Also, minor gripe, but did he really have to have everyone say monkey 10 billion times. I get it already, please let us move on. Overall I’m glad I read it but it felt like a chore.
I loved both Sea of Tranquility and Children of Time. Neither is super hard science. Children of Time has a lot of world building, so you have to enjoy that.
Try the Expanse.
Tchaikovsky is a better writer when it comes to characters the reader will care about, whereas everyone in 3PB just seemed to exist to move the plot forward or explain something to the reader. Obviously YMMV but there’s a reason that Children of Time is so highly regarded
Children of Time doesn’t have any hard science. But it’s a pretty unique book, don’t think there is any way to tell if one is going to be into it unless one reads it. I loved it FWIW. 3BP was like a 3-star read for me.
Agree with the other person that Children of Time probably could’ve been shorter than it is, but as to your comparison question, CoT is way less hard-science than 3BP is. Much more character driven.
It’s not a translation so the writing is significantly better. Three-Body is a great story but page to page is pretty meh.