Author: mountainwashere

Nothing to see, move along.

Book Review: Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem

Cixin Liu’s The Three Body Problem, translated by Ken Liu, and published by Tor, is the first Chinese science fiction novel translated into English. It is wildly popular in China, and with good reason.

The Three Body Problem bears strong resemblance to American Golden Age science fiction, especially Arthur C. Clarke, but it is a refinement of it in a completely different direction than those taken by English speaking authors. It isn’t just because it’s the product of a wholly different culture and history (though that helps), it’s that it possesses a profound sense of cynicism and pessimism regarding the universe that is wholly alien to the mentality of Golden Age science fiction, and yet somehow makes the book refreshing and new, and massively magnifies the importance of hope and optimism.

Minor spoilers ahead:

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Weekly Comic Pull Review Returns!

I know, I know, it’s been forever since I’ve posted one of these. But hey, I can finally afford my comics again! Yay employment!

 

(Lady) Thor #2

I was genuinely skeptical about this series. I was a reader of Thor: God of Thunder for its entire 25 issue run, and I loved the hell out of it. Some of the best art of any superhero comic, a truly epic aesthetic, time travel, and Gorr the Godslayer, Voldemort’s bigger badder brother. So when they announced that Thor was becoming unworthy and being replaced, I pretty much dismissed it as another gimmick, like any superhero death or depowering. But I’m swiftly changing my mind. The God of Thunder storyline is picking up where it left off, but in a very new way. We still don’t know who Lady Thor is (though I feel that it should be obvious to readers of God of Thunder), but she brings a whole new style to the hammer. She’s less single knockout blow, more hurricane of fists, lightning, and hammerblows. Regardless, Jason Aaron and Co are keeping there momentum going at full throttle from Thor: God of Thunder, with the added bonus of being a great starting point for new readers.

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What happens when I remember Google Translator exists.

German: Berg Friseur
Catalan: Muntanya Perruqueria
Filipino: Bundok Barbero
Lithuanian: Kalnas Kirpėjas
Afrikaans: Berg Barbier
French: Montagne Coiffeur
Spanish: Montaña Barbero
Icelandic: Fjallið Rakari
Indonesian: Gunung Tukang Cukur
Welsh: Mynydd Barbwr
Croatian: Planina Frizer
Irish: Sliabh Bearbóir
Esperanto: Monto Frizisto
Maori: Maunga Kaiheu
Zulu: Ntaba Umgundi
Norwegian: Fjellet Barber
Latin: Montem Radentem
Basque: Mendia Bizargin
Swahili: Mlima Kinyozi
Romanian: Munte Frizer
Klingon: HuD chIp
Quenya: Oron Findë-Rissë

My name translates perfectly into almost everything. It’s great. Face it, I pretty much have the best name ever.
Seriously, though, I might start going by Montaña Barbero instead of Mountain Barber. Or maybe Ntaba Umgundi.