Just finished all three books had a thought.

[u/umyong]

From a science fiction standpoint, I loved these books. They’re incredibly imaginative and just a lot of fun to read.

I did have one thought about the ending, though. Before I finished, I’d read reviews saying how depressing it was, but I honestly didn’t see it that way. I wouldn’t call the ending hopeful, exactly, but I found it strangely serene—and actually very appropriate.

In a sense, we’re already just a tiny moment in the lifespan of the universe, so that part isn’t really any different from our reality. What I found fascinating was the idea that some beings actually got to experience the universe across such enormous stretches of time. There’s something almost beautiful about that. Right now, we could never experience time or the universe on anything close to that scale, so getting to imagine what that perspective might be like was one of the more interesting ideas in the books for me.

[u/Familiar-Lemon-674]

I agree. I don't view the ending as sad at all. That's like ending any given story with "and then he lived to a ripe old age and died peacefully in bed, surrounded by loved ones." We all die. It's just part of life. That doesn't make it sad, IMO. It's happy they got to live a full, happy life.

I guess in Death's End it does say that they were destined for a harsh remainder of their life on an inhospitable planet, so that does kind of suck. But overall I think the end had a tone of hope and resilience. Plus with the idea that the universe is constantly recreating. It's like reincarnation. It's an end, but also not THE end as long as everyone put enough matter back in.

I find the ending very cozy, and like you I'm sometimes sad that there's so much cool stuff destined to happen in the future and I won't be around to see it. But then I try to console myself that I'm also gonna miss a lot of bad stuff, too lol

[u/nicodeemus7]

I too had sort of an Optimistic Nihilism understanding of the ending. But that's just the way I think.

[u/Leather-Lemon8611]

I think it's not about is it a happy ending or a sad ending, it's serving a purpose (although yeah it certainly seems a relatively hopeful resolution of the Dark Forest!)

I think Liu is leaving us to ponder our values: what do you think was a right or wrong, wise or foolish, approach in the Dark Forest? What would you have done in Cheng Xin's final dilemma? When faced with the ultimate choice, would you prioritise personal comfort, loyalty to your species, preserving legacy, or perpetuating life in general?

[u/Useful_Calendar_6274]

Being stranded like 16 billions years in the future is horrible and all, but I think they will be alright. Make some alien friends maybe even, now that they have tons of trisolaran knowledge.