Death's End

The epic Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy concludes with Death's End.

The difficult balance of the Dark Forest Deterrence is keeping the alien invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity, but peace has also made humanity complacent.

Liu Cixin concludes the trilogy with a hopeful ending. But it can only happen if we are able to set aside our preconceptions about the nature of the universe and our place in it. Only then humanity will be able to reach for the stars.

Favorite quotes from the book:

When humanity finally learned that the universe was a dark forest in which everyone hunted everyone else, the child who had once cried out for contact by the bright campfire put out the fire and shivered in the darkness. Even a spark terrified him.

Death is the only lighthouse that is always lit. No matter where you sail, ultimately, you must turn toward it. Everything fades in the world, but Death endures.

She avoided life by staying outside of time, and she watched as others aged, seemingly in an instant. Her heart was filled with regret and guilt. She decided that no matter what happened from now on, this was her last hibernation.

Weakness and ignorance are not barriers to survival, but arrogance is.

By the time the builders of this monument truly understood the power of time, they no longer believed that a vanished civilization could really leave behind any marks that would last through geologic eons.

Time really was the cruelest force of all.