9 comments

Te_HengaJanuary 6, 2023

So excited for Three Body Problem.

areteJanuary 6, 2023

I haven't read the books (not my cup of tea), but have seen Chinese women who have read them condemn their sexism online. And apparently Ken Liu whitewashed its sexist content in his English translation in order to make the books more palatable to Western readers...

Te_HengaJanuary 7, 2023

That is interesting. I read the translation and felt the main female character had real depth and genuine complexity (not just a token STEM nerd who makes good choices and is reliable, etc. the usual woke sci-fi trope). I wonder what else he changed.

areteJanuary 7, 2023

Found a list of some of the most glaring examples of Ken Liu's whitewashing:

https://www.reddit.com/r/China_irl/comments/rgzln0/三体翻译和原文的差别/

Quite a few commenters in this thread note they feel the Three Body Problem was written by an incel, while some also remark that the English translation is much more polished than the Chinese original, and Ken Liu deserves at least half of the credit for Liu Cixin winning the Hugo award. 😅

Te_HengaJanuary 7, 2023

Ha! I got a copy of Chinese sci-fi short stories from Christmas and it literally says “Ken Liu is a genius” on the cover: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWb4LOEQ0gif9Tc2Kym1FgxZ5jBE1ZSTqyug&usqp=CAU

areteJanuary 8, 2023

Haha, that's hilarious!

maypearlJanuary 6, 2023

I was until I saw the showrunners. There's no way they're not going to find a way to stuff unnecessary fanservice into it, especially considering how dry the first book was (didn't read the others).

Te_HengaJanuary 7, 2023

Yeah, that’s fair, and depressing.

pandaJanuary 6, 2023

Looking forward to Daisy Jones and the Six, and Lessons in Chemistry. Have read both of them and think they will benefit from an adaptation to the small screen.