What are you reading, Mr Sai?
For decades, humans have been reaching out into the vast, silent cosmos—sending messages of friendship into the unknown. The whale songs, laughter, footsteps, and simple greetings in dozens of languages aboard the Voyager Golden Record, and launched into the void, are filled with curiosity and hope, embodying the deep-seated human desire to connect, hopeful that someone, somewhere, might one day answer
But what if this is a mistake?
In “The Dark Forest,” the second book in Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, this hopeful outreach is turned on its head. The novel presents a chilling hypothesis: in a universe where survival is the only priority, civilizations that reveal themselves risk instant annihilation. The cosmos is not a place of collaboration—it’s a battlefield where the safest move is to stay hidden. As Earth prepares for an inevitable alien invasion, one man—Luo Ji—discovers that the very act of saying "We are here!" could be an open invitation to destruction.
Liu Cixin, probably the most successful contemporary Chinese science fiction author, worked for a long time as an engineer in a power station. He weaves a story that blends rigorous scientific speculation with profound philosophical questions. Blending game theory, psychology, and astrophysics, “The Dark Forest” forces us to confront a profound question: Is it wiser to reach out, or to remain silent? Unlike many spacefaring sci-fi tales that imagine cooperative galactic federations, “The Dark Forest” suggests that the cosmos is a place of silent, ruthless competition.
It’s a fascinating read, especially for scientists, because it challenges our assumptions about communication, cooperation, and intelligence. If you enjoy thought-provoking science fiction grounded in real-world scientific concepts, this book will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
A podcast to balance the existential dread
To counterbalance these vast and weighty thoughts, I frequently listen to The Bugle—a satirical news podcast that describes itself as “an audio newspaper for a visual world.”
“The Bugle” delivers a brilliantly absurd take on world politics, bizarre current events, and the general chaos of modern life. Whether dissecting international scandals, or diving into the truly ridiculous, The Bugle blends quick wit, wordplay, and surreal humor into a uniquely entertaining format.
For those who find traditional news overwhelming, “The Bugle” offers a refreshing, laugh-out-loud alternative—reminding us that even in the most tumultuous times, satire remains one of the best ways to stay sane.
Cixin Liu: The Dark Forest. Bloomsbury UK, 2015
The Bugle. Podcast
