Hauntingly gentle in its delivery and gorgeous in its own wondrous atmosphere, The Dark Forest is a quiet slice of lovely science fiction. The Dark Forest centres on the impending doom of the Trisolarian fleet, who are prowling towards Earth to lay devastation. However, their own missionaries, the sophons, are already here, and are quietly altering the future of humanity for the Trisolarians. All that stand in their way is Luo Ji, an unassuming astronomer who becomes caught up in something called the Wallfacer Project, a desperate tactic designed to combat the aliens.

The Trisolarian’s own slow journey towards the Earth is reflected in the mood of The Dark Forest. It’s almost as calm and unassuming as Luo himself, but it has a delicate, self-assured swagger that entices the reader page after page. That general flavour of The Dark Forest might not be as effective for some readers however. Its smooth, unruffled pace compliments the tangled nature of the story, but it also means that this is a novel you should take your time with.

For those who enjoy cosmic literature that unfolds with grace, The Dark Forest is one hell of a treat. Thanks to an abundance of characters and locations being peppered throughout the story, a vast maze of emotions exudes from the pages. This is a world of a novel, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The Dark Forest has the ability to slither into your mind and find a snug place for it to rest, knowing that its own addictive self is something that shan’t leave you anytime soon. Its sheer scale and multi-layered storytelling may not suit everyone, but it’s bursting with character and ingenuity.

THE DARK FOREST / AUTHOR: CIXIN LIU / TRANSLATOR: JOEL MARTINSEN / PUBLISHER: HEAD OF ZEUS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW