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Ball Lightning

By Cixin Liu
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3.79 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 14,486 ratings, 1,543 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu, the protagonist becomes obsessed with understanding ball lightning after witnessing a personal tragedy caused by it. His scientific journey leads him into military projects and encounters with unconventional researchers. This deep exploration delves into the mysteries of natural phenomena and the boundaries of science.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by a blend of scientific exploration and philosophical depth, combined with rich storytelling. As it delves into the mysteries of a natural phenomenon, it offers a compelling mix of science fiction and a thought-provoking examination of humanity's relationship with nature and technology. Fans of intelligent and imaginative narratives that tackle complex themes will find it particularly satisfying.

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Ball Lightning

A new standalone science fiction novel from Cixin Liu, the bestselling and award-winning author of The Three-Body Problem.

A new standalone science fiction novel from Cixin Liu, the bestselling and award-winning author of The Three-Body Problem.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Cixin Liu is the author of your next favourite sci-fi novel WIRED

On his fourteenth birthday, right before his eyes, Chen's parents are incinerated by a blast of ball lightning. Striving to make sense of this bizarre tragedy, he dedicates his life to a single goal: to unlock the secrets of this enigmatic natural phenomenon. His pursuit of ball lightning will take him far from home, across mountain peaks chasing storms and deep into highly classified subterranean laboratories as he slowly unveils a new frontier in particle physics.

Chen's obsession gives purpose to his lonely life, but it can't insulate him from the real world's interest in his discoveries. He will be pitted against scientists, soldiers, and governments with motives of their own: a physicist who has no place for moral judgement in his pursuit of knowledge; a beautiful army major obsessed with new ways to wage war; a desperate nation facing certain military defeat.

Conjuring awe-inspiring new worlds of cosmology and philosophy from meticulous scientific speculation, Ball Lightning has all the scope and imagination that so enthralled readers of Cixin Liu's award-winning Three-Body trilogy.

Praise for Cixin Liu:

'Your next favourite sci-fi novel' Wired

'Immense' Barack Obama

'Unique' George R.R. Martin

'SF in the grand style' Guardian

'Mind-altering and immersive' Daily Mail

'A milestone in Chinese science-fiction' New York Times

'China's answer to Arthur C. Clarke' New Yorker

Winner of the Hugo and Galaxy Awards for Best Novel

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Cixin Liu's Ball Lightning is celebrated for its blend of awe-inspiring scientific concepts, clever plotting, and quirky yet plausible characters. It offers an intriguing exploration of science's uneasy relationship with its funders while prompting readers to reimagine the world around them. The novel showcases the author's profound knowledge of physics, cosmology, and the ethics of scientific investigation, promising both inspiration and thoughtful speculation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781800248953

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 August 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Head of Zeus -- an AdAstra Book

Contributors:

  • Translated by Joel Martinsen

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 360g

Pages: 496

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Cixin Liu Featured Fiction General Fiction In-Stock Fiction Books New Release Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction

About the Author

Cixin Liu is China's #1 SF writer and author of The Three-Body Problem – the first ever translated novel to win a Hugo Award. Prior to becoming a writer, Liu worked as an engineer in a power plant in Yangquan.

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