What Did the Editors Say When They First Read Three-Body?

这些评语之所以珍贵，是因为它们是在结果未知的情况下写下的。编辑们不知道《三体》后来会获得雨果奖，不知道它会被翻译成20多种语言，不知道它会被Netflix改编——他们只是凭自己的专业判断，认定这是一部杰作。

🇬🇧 What Did the SF World Editors Say When They First Read Three-Body?

"This Manuscript... It's Extraordinary."

In spring 2006, the editors at *Science Fiction World* (科幻世界) received a hefty manuscript. Nobody knew that this submission would forever change the landscape of Chinese — and global — science fiction.

Yao Haijun's Unwavering Conviction

Yao Haijun, then editor-in-chief of *Science Fiction World*, was the first champion of *Three-Body*. According to later accounts, he decided to serialize the novel "without a moment's hesitation." He recalled: "I was hooked from the first page. This was not ordinary science fiction."

Throughout the trilogy's publication history, Yao was not just an editor but Liu Cixin's most important intellectual interlocutor. In his editor's notes, he repeatedly called it "a landmark work in Chinese science fiction literature." History proved him spectacularly right.

The Shockwaves Inside the Editorial Office

Editors who worked at *Science Fiction World* at the time recall that Liu's manuscript caused a stir inside the office. One editor described: "I couldn't think straight the whole day after reading it. My mind was completely occupied by that world." Such reactions were extraordinarily rare among the usually reserved editorial staff.

Clues in the Forewords

In the May 2006 issue (the one that began the *Three-Body* serialization), the foreword read:

> "The serialization of *Three-Body* begins in this issue — a grand and profound story. We believe it will become something readers look forward to."

The language was restrained, but "grand and profound" was, in the editorial vocabulary of *Science Fiction World* at the time, among the highest possible praise. As it turned out, this was more than "something to look forward to" — it was a revolution.

Why These Comments Are Priceless

These assessments are invaluable because they were made without the benefit of hindsight. The editors didn't know *Three-Body* would win a Hugo Award. They didn't know it would be translated into 20+ languages. They didn't know Netflix would adapt it. They simply recognized greatness through their professional judgment.

These unvarnished, pre-fame reactions are the most authentic testament to true talent recognition in modern Chinese literary history.