The Dark Forest

I wish I liked this book more than I did.

The pacing grates; the plot doesn't really get going until page 200 or so. Meanwhile, technological breakthroughs and huge historical advancements are skimmed over with only the barest detail.

The treatment of women throughout the book had me constantly thinking “ah yes, this was written by a man.” Amongst a massive cast, there are few female main characters. Many statements reduce women to their looks. Our protagonist / “mouth of God” character fails to acknowledge Ye Wenjie, the woman who at the start of the book introduces him to the breakthrough which ends up saving human civilization. And don't get me started on the 100 pages of Luo Ji's fantasy-girlfriend-come-to-life wife. Sooo cringey and dehumanizing.

The last 200 pages of the book were more fun, but I found myself having to re-read passages multiple times to understand what was happening. This didn't happen much in The Three-Body Problem, which makes me wonder if it is an issue with this book's new translator.

Characters felt flat throughout. Often felt myself unmoved over real or threatened character deaths. No matter how innovative the sci-fi concepts, a story doesn't compel if all characters sound the same.

Considering how much I enjoyed The Three-Body Problem, disappointed. Onto Death's End...