Ball Lightning

By: Cixin Liu

Narrated by: Bruno Roubicek

When Chen's parents are incinerated before his eyes by a blast of ball lightning, he devotes his life to cracking the secret of this mysterious natural phenomenon. The more he learns, the more he comes to realise that ball lightning is just the tip of an entirely new frontier in particle physics. Although Chen's quest provides a purpose for his lonely life, his reasons for chasing this elusive quarry come into conflict with soldiers and scientists who have motives of their own.

©2005 Liu Cixin (P)2018 W.F. Howes Ltd

good but not as great as "3 body problem" series

perhaps it's the difference style of writing and the high expectations listening to the book after finishing the trilogy, still interesting but not as immersive and definitely doesn't need to be considered as a prequel

Alright

The book was alright, but I read three body first and found that one much more interesting. The theoretical ideas in this book are interesting but the way the characters learns of the ideas didn't seem realistic enough to me. The odd physics genius stereotype just always had an explanation for every weird, unnatural phenomena they experienced.
also, the storytelling wasn't as compelling to me as three body problem.

Emensely Enjoyable

The verisimilitude of this world made listening a vivid experience. The narration was talented and colourful; greater emphasis on chapter breaks would have made my binge-listening more . . . comfortable?

brilliant story

This is a great story that unfolds to reveal layer after layer of narrative brilliance. Plenty of action and adventure too - enjoy!

Brilliant!

Great book, newest addition to my favorites. It made me think in non-linear terms.

Loved it

What a fabulous story !!!
This is one of those paradigms that grips you by tying into your own world and then bending it slightly
Loved the book from start to finish, thanks Author, it was a fabulous experience …

Distinctly Clarkian, but a bit worrying

I like the book. There are two major sources of inspirations for the plot: Arthur Clarke's novels and Chinese fiction on breathtaking discoveries. Clarke is a genre master for me, so I could not enjoy the novel. Highly recommended.

Now what worries me: if the book is in any way reflection of the sentiments of the Chinese society, the Western world should really start rearming. While it's not a main theme of the novel, militaristic and nationalist attitudes aimed against the sinister America are clearly accented. The Chinese army is a positive protagonist, the West is obsessed with arms development and when the war erupts (it just erupts somehow, no casus belli explained) the Chinese are worried about the invasion against the mainland China (what is absurd given the available manpower). It's as an alien attitude for the West, as any extraterrestrial.

Continues to be one of my favourite authors!

The book starts off absolutely brilliantly and you are hooked in immediately. It is a different feel and pace to Three Body Problem series, but I enjoyed the infiltration of science (however unnatural) into the near future. Narrator was brilliant.

Not hard sci fi

Quite different from 3BP, a lot softer and more fanciful
Story was a bit all over the place for my taste