Chinese manhua adaptation of hit novel being published by Yen Press
With the 3 Body Problem sci-fi series on Netflix being the #2 most-watched TV series on the platform last week, it looks like Yen Press is releasing the manhua (Chinese manga) based on author Liu Cixin’s novel of the same name at the right time.
The Three Body Problem manhua has now been licensed by Yen Press, with a comment that it will be “released in the near future”.
The manhua is based on a fiction series first published in a Chinese sci-fi magazine, and then republished in novel format back in 2008.
A novel that has since become one of the most successful Chinese novels of this century.
The Three Body Problem won the prestigious Galaxy Award in China for the best Chinese science fiction, was translated into English in 2014, and went on to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel for both author Liu Cixin and translator Ken Liu.
The plot of The Three Body Problem manhua adaptation
The American publisher describes the plot of The Three Body Problem like this:
Amid China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, a covert military project establishes contact with Trisolaris, an alien planet on the brink of destruction. This sets into motion the Trisolarans’ long and menacing journey to invade Earth.
Meanwhile, a secret society is formed by the world’s elite, broken into factions with differing motivations for aiding in the Trisolaran invasion—from saving the lives of their descendants to accelerating the destruction of humanity.
Decades later, a group of scientists and a cunning detective investigate a series of mysterious suicides, leading to the discovery of this Earth-Trisolaran Organization. Humanity’s battle against its greatest threat has begun…
An official publication date for The Three Body Problem manhua has not yet been announced by Yen Press but, considering all the hoopla around the Netflix series, I would imagine it won’t be long.
Meanwhile, if you enjoyed Liu Cixin’s work (named Cixin Liu in English-language releases), Yen Press also publishes another of his works — the short fiction book Taking Care of God — in manhua form as well.
Grab that while you’re waiting for The Three Body Problem manhua to come out.
You can also watch the Chinese drama adaptation of the novel (which purists say is much better than the Netflix adaptation and, I have to agree with them), as it’s now streaming on Amazon.