The Three-Body Problem

The only novel of the overbuzzed category that deserves its overbuzzed status, this tale reads like classic Hard SF: rigid prose, paragraphs devoted to mechanics and scientific theory, and dialogue-driven exposition (although, just when it gets tiresome, Liu offers some creative ways of bypassing this with flashbacks). It begins with a bang in the middle of the turbulent Cultural Revolution, then jumps ahead to modern times, where it slows down a bit (and I almost ditched it here because it was starting to feel like a Robert Sawyer/Robert Charles Wilson "let's take a scientific pseudo-theory and run with it!" plot), but it actually gets really interesting, if stretched, with its quantum theoretical technology and I might actually read the sequel.

I know why I like it -- I LIKE vintage science fiction-- but it's pleasing to see so many modern readers, who normally turn up their noses at anything old, actually enjoy this book.