The three-body problem ceased to be merely a scientific question and became the topic of the moment. In 2006, Chinese author Cixin Liu published a book that took this mystery as its title and central part of its plot, and on March 20, Netflix brought this fiction to the small screen. What are the differences between the series and the novel? We explore them below.
‘The 3 Body Problem’: differences between the Netflix series and the books
One of the most noticeable differences is the extension of the stage. The novel is set almost exclusively in China, while the series takes a more international approach: while the eastern country remains central to the story, it is also set in modern-day New York and London.
In this sense, many international characters who have not experienced major historical events in China (as in the books) are also introduced.
In addition, the Netflix production also introduces new main characters: The Oxford Five.
In “3 Body Problem”, this club consists of Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), Auggie Salazar (Eiza González), Saúl Durand (Jovan Adepo), Will Downing (Alex Sharp) and Jack Rooney (John Bradley), who they met in his university days at Oxford, but in Cixin Liu’s work there is no such group. Instead, parallels can be found between some of the characters in the books.
Speaking of differences between characters, the case of Wang Miao is worth mentioning. In the book “The 3-Body Problem”, he is introduced to us as an expert in nanotechnology and one of the main actors (the story is told from his point of view), but in the Netflix series he is not even mentioned by name. And that’s because it was divided into three others: this is how Auggie Salazar, Jack Rooney and Jin Cheng are born.
The TV adaptation also plays with the chronology of the events. Although it stays true to the general plot of “The Three Body Problem”, starting from the fifth episode it incorporates elements from the other two books that make up Cixin Liu’s trilogy, “The Dark Forest” and “The End of the World”. death,” which leaves open the question of whether Netflix will make more seasons of the show.
One of these changes is replacing Yang Dong with Vera. In the books, the suicide of Yang Dong, Ye Wenjie’s daughter, is told in the last part, while in the TV version, it happens in the same installment.
The creative liberties taken by Netflix were such that they even changed the name of the aliens that threaten humanity: in the books they are called Trisolaris, while in the series, San-Ti.
What does Cixin Liu think of the Netflix series ‘The 3 Body Problem’?
Science fiction fans weren’t the only ones to notice differences between the two versions of the story: the author of the books was aware of the changes that would be made.
Series creators David Benioff, DB Weiss, and Alexander Woo met via video call with Cixin Liu early in their creative process and gave them his “blessing” to adapt his work and encouraged them to make the necessary narrative changes. in the transition to the screen, according to “Tudum”.
After this approval, the creators (who have worked on other successful book adaptations) felt more comfortable making the necessary changes while trying to maintain the “sense of wonder” of the novels.
Regarding the decision to take the plot to a global stage instead of confining it to China, “3 Body Problem” director Derek Tsang said, “This is very much a story about humanity, humanity’s struggle with ‘a seemingly unsolved mystery that turns into a total existential crisis, so we wanted to represent, as much as possible, all of humanity.”
Additionally, he commented that they believed it was the best way to bring the story to a global audience.
‘The 3 Body Problem’: what critics are saying about the Netflix series
On the specialist site “Rotten Tomatoes”, it has a 76 percent acceptance from specialized critics, while the general public rated it at 62 percent.
In general, specialized critics have applauded the production, noting that it did not stay completely faithful to the original content.
How did ‘The 3-Body Problem’ series compare to the books? Write your opinion in the comments.
Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
