The Redemption of Time by Baoshu is the fourth and final novel in the Three-Body Problem series. This is an interesting novel in that it was written by a fan of the original work by Cixin Liu. It was so well received that it even got the blessing of the original author himself as an official continuation of the series. I admit it has been some time since I’ve finished Death’s End, and so I had a feeling picking up this novel and getting back into the universe may present some issues. Fortunately, I felt right at home. The Trisolarans, Earth’s demise, the sophons and so much more came rushing back to my memory. If anything, remembering the characters of old seemed to be the most challenging.

“Arrogant humans always imagined themselves as the victors, even when reading fiction.”

Yun Tianming

The book is divided into three parts, with Yun Tianming the focus of all three. The way I see it, the first part was easily the most digestible and easy to follow along with. I love how it explains things that may have been left unanswered in the original three books. We get to read about Tianming’s torturous time with the Trisolarans over the centuries after his capture. The second part gets more hardcore and cranks things up a bit, with Tianming being who he eventually will become. The third and final part of the book is where stuff gets crazy and hectic. This is the part where you’ll really need to exercise your mind and be prepared for some hard-core science-fiction thinking.

We are moved most not by the grand mysteries of the universe, but by the emotional personal truths that define our individual pasts.

Yun Tianming

I felt The Redemption of Time was a worthy read for all Three-Body Problem series lovers. Although I obviously couldn’t remember all the events that took place in the series, reading this fan novel jogged back a lot of memories and, more importantly, made me remember why I believe this series is one of the best works of science fiction I’ve had the pleasure of ever reading.