The age-old debate over which is the better option between a book and its film/show adaptation is still unresolved. While it has now become a norm to carve out some excellent films and TV shows from renowned books, many readers believe films can never do justice to the details that a well-written book presents through a story.
Netflix’s recently released sci-fi show, ‘3 Body Problem‘ is making headlines as it continues to garner viewership with its gripping tale and a fresh approach towards the sci-fi genre. The show is a rendition of Cixin Liu’s acclaimed sci-fi book titled ‘The Three-Body Problem’. But as one may expect, there’s a lot that the show makers have changed from the original, written version of the story. Here are the chief differences between the book and the series adaptation of ‘3 Body Problem‘.
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The Protagonist(s) In The Book Adaptation Of ‘3 Body Problem’ Are Different In The Show
‘The Three-Body Problem‘ stands as a prime example of an excellently written book that brings science, political intrigue, and existential crisis together in a gripping story. It does not miss the classic antagonists in any sci-fi production — aliens. As Earth grapples with the presence of aliens, author Cixin Liu’s narrative delves into the complexities of humanity’s response to the unknown.
However, what’s different here compared to other sci-fi productions is the time factor. Liu’s genius has introduced the alien invasion to be centuries away — an approach that has rarely been taken in the sci-fi genre before.
In Netflix’s adaptation of the book, the protagonist(s) have been tampered with. In Liu’s novel, Wang Miao stands alone as the one leading humanity’s struggle against the Trisolaran invaders. But on the show, Wang Miao is just a part of a group that comes together to fight against the unknown. While he still holds a prominent place in the story narrative, Wang Miao gets significant help from a cadre of scientists from Oxford.
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‘3 Body Problem’ Has Packed Elements Of Two Other Books Into Single Season
The show has also made some technological changes to the show. In the book, the main players of the story navigate the struggle against aliens with the help of technologically advanced virtual reality suits. However, Netflix’s adaptation has replaced these suits with futuristic chrome helmets that have a Trisolaran origin.
The flow of the story that was originally told has also been modified by the show makers. The show has brought together elements and twists from the second and third parts of the book series titled ‘The Dark Forest‘ and ‘Death’s End’.
While most TV or movie adaptations generally present the story of the first part of the book in the first season, ‘3 Body Problem‘ has gone a step further and combined parts of the story from the two other parts of the book as well.
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