Das Buch startet wirklich seeehr langsam. Erst etwa ab der Hälfte nimmt es Fahrt auf, ab da hat es mich dann aber auch echt gepackt. 3,5 Sterne ( )

Imaginative and compelling all the way through. It’s nowhere near as epic in scope as the three body problem, and I’d always recommend people read that series first, but this is well-imagined hard SF for people who enjoy the writer’s style. Overall, its not a great novel, with underdeveloped characters, somewhat forced interpersonal relationships, and science that is a bit too farfetched, but it’s still a fun read. ( )

Chen (we are not told his other name) sees his parents killed by ball lightning while celebrating his 14th birthday. He dedicates his life to studying this phenomenon only to find that there are plans to weaponise it.

This is actually part of "The Three-Body Problem" universe, mainly taking place while the Trisolarians are watching Earth. If I'd known that I would have read it much earlier. As it is, I did find it dragged in places. ( )

What Cixin Liu does best is describing the way unknown or impossible objects and forces act upon the real world. His descriptions of people turning to ash after touching ball lightning, or of the way it moves, or even of the various weapons systems in the book (which would normally elicit revulsion from me) are concrete and beautiful.

His weakest point is his characters and their interactions, which are usually either heavy-handed exposition or annoying Murakami-style examples of enigmatic people failing to connect (unless we're told they connect, despite no evidence of it on the page). What lifted [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1)|Liu Cixin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415428227s/20518872.jpg|25696480] beyond this was the Trisolarans, the alien antagonists who were genuinely surprising and interesting in their tactical and emotional range. Ball Lightning lacks this extra spark, but it does everything else right, and unrealistic characters aren't exactly a deal-breaker for me in science fiction. ( )

Interesting sci-fi book about a scientist working to understand ball lightning, and the consequences that arise with increased understanding. Lots of focus on the speculative science behind the phenomenon, which I personally found really interesting, but I imagine would not appeal to everyone. The exploration of the ties between military and academics in research was compelling. Some of the characters were weak - I found this to be the case for the narrator, Chen. However, I overall enjoyed this book. ( )