The translation is a little less Chinese compared with the other 4 books currently (summer 2019) in English and again this is explained in the Afterword. Different from but related to The Three Body trilogy as explained in the Afterword. Highly recommended for fans of Liu and any general readers looking for an exciting and breathtaking new sf read. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2019 Verified Purchase An enjoyable read. While on a smaller scale than his previous trilogy, Ball Lightning continues Liu’s combination of intriguing scientific speculation and engaging, evocative prose. As they delve deeper into the nature of ball lightning and explore its history and its explosive and dangerous possibilities, Chen is haunted by the consequences of his research and the inexplicable and possibly ghostly phenomenon that surrounds each and every new victim of a ball lightning incident. Serving as a very loose prequel to The Three Body Problem, Ball Lightning has a far smaller scope: Here, Liu’s focus is almost entirely on Chen, an awkward, obsessive researcher who, at age 14. Ball Lightning, by award-winning Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu, is a fast-paced story of what happens when the beauty of scientific inquiry runs up against a push to harness new discoveries with no consideration of their possible consequences. After devoting himself to studying this strange and unexplained atmospheric occurrence, Chen comes into contact with the beautiful but ruthless Lin Yun, an army major whose obsession and devotion to creating and using strange new weapons matches Chen’s own obsessive quest. The latest novel from acclaimed Chinese sf novelist Cixin Liu ( The Three-Body Problem, 2014) follows Chen, a young man whose parents are tragically taken from him on his fourteenth birthday by the mysterious phenomenon, ball lightning.

Ball lightning cixin liu review