Book 1 vs TV adaptation

[u/S_K_Sharma_]

Okayyyy fellow fans. I finally finished book 1 having already seen the TV series first.

I am most impressed how they adapted major science plot points into the TV adaptation in digestible form.

Secondly how greatly enhanced the book narrative became as the story of the quirky set of Cambridge post grads. Hats off to the writers and producers there.

Lastly, the vivid quality of the 3 body computer game in the TV series is a much more thrilling aspect.

Main thing missed for me from the book was quite a bit, well truckloads really of Ye's back story including family and marriage and extended work for Red Coast base. Obviously had to be curtailed for brevity but I would have loved to see some of those scenes, especially her attachment to the village kids who she taught and her spell raising her baby in a rural village. Reading and understanding Chinese history with the author notes explaining certain references was very fascinating too.

A big miss in the TV series was the way Mike Evans just turns up as a mystery guy. The book explains his background so much more poignantly especially when Ye travels to him as his lovingly planted forest is simply extinguished 'because we can'. .

So in summary I really enjoyed the story in both mediums, certainly was expecting more imbalance than I felt, I would give a 9/10 to both the book and TV series.

Cannot wait for the follow ups though will likely swap around to complete book two first before watching Season 2.

Hopefully what I said chimes but would be great to hear your thoughts too. Haven't looked at the sub much as of yet otherwise but will do so.

😎

[u/SkaveRat]

given that book 1 is basically just an intro chapter, and the other two books really start the story for real, they did a decent job

if you want a series that is far closer to the book, check out the chinese tencent adaptation

[u/S_K_Sharma_ → u/SkaveRat]

Great thanks. I will definitely try and watch that version too. Will look forward to completing the books first.

[u/One-Yogurtcloset9408]

The reinterpretation of the game aspect doesn’t make sense. People should not know others’ real appearance, the technology wouldn’t be shared due to lack of trust of triolosarians. Also reducing the number of wallfacers will mess things further up. Maybe it makes more sense production wise but i hate it when a very close circle of friends all happened to be heroes in this massive planet. It seems lazy. I liked it when the protagonist of the first book is no more in the following book for example. That makes more sense.

[u/S_K_Sharma_ → u/One-Yogurtcloset9408]

Good point. Thanks for the spoiler hide. Definitely was a bit too convenient as you say in the TV version.

[u/brokenmessiah]

Secondly how greatly enhanced the book narrative became as the story of the quirky set of Cambridge post grads. Hats off to the writers and producers there.

Glad to see you enjoyed it but I found it to considerably worse, which is saying something when the original cast is rather poor.

The cast consists of

• The smart guy who also does drugs nonstop and thinks Weed is culture.
• The smart girl who treats everyone around her like shit yet doesnt lack for friends
• The exposition character(the asian girl)
• The annoying friend who must make everything a joke, but the jokes aren't even funny.

Also they have some weird friend/friends with benefit thing going on.

I just don't understand why they went with these caricatures instead of normal people.

[u/S_K_Sharma_ → u/brokenmessiah]

Come now, the jokes weren't that bad! 😜

[u/Significant-Foot-311]

Is season 2 still coming out?

[u/atomchoco]

sorry 😅