Is Netflix’s 3 Body Problem accessible to someone who hasn’t read the books?

3 Body Problem is being tipped as Netflix’s next major hit but can you fathom what’s going on in this cerebral sci-fi without the background of the books?

2024 Is already a banger year for sci-fi with Dune: Part 2 achieving mass appeal and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes right around the bend. Sandwiched in between these two is the release of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem.

The series is helmed by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss of Game of Thrones fame and adapts Liu Cixin’s beloved series of novels. Our own review calls the show “an incredibly rewarding way to dedicate eight hours of your life to television”.

So, is it still as rewarding to binge if you’re not familiar with the novels on which it’s based? I’ve watched all eight episodes of 3 Body Problem and I have an answer.

Can you follow 3 Body Problem as a non-book reader?

The short answer for this one is: Yes, I think so.

Everyone is different of course so that assertion should come with a bit of a caveat. I am already positively pre-disposed to the genre and had the good fortune of being given a single-sentence synopsis that helped contextualize some early moments in the show.

Rest assured, by the end of its third episode, anything that isn’t meant to be a mystery should be apparent to most viewers. If you are feeling like something hasn’t been properly touched upon, it’s likely part of one of the many jaw-dropping reveals.

A common description for the 3 Body Problem books from people in my life who have read them is that large swathes of them can read “like a science lecture.” There are definitely some big concepts to grapple with in this series like computers the size of protons or the titular 3 Body Problem itself.

Fortunately, the showrunners clearly understand that if you want to make a hit (and money), people need to be able to grasp what is happening and being discussed. 3 Body Problem on Netflix definitely spends the right amount of time explaining some of the more complex sci-fi elements so that you’re able to follow along.

If you are looking for a second opinion, I can divulge that some of Dexerto’s own, who are not as geeky as this writer, have gone into the series blind and thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

3 Body Problem is now available to stream on Netflix. Find out more about the cast, whether you need to read the books before, and catch up with other amazing TV shows to stream this month.