Review: Imaginative, Lurching Sci-Fi Balladry 79/100
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 11, 2014
The Wandering Earth is dense with detail; so-called "hard science fiction" tinged with poetic beauty and resonance. No matter the realism, Liu makes the reader believe in the possibility of huge engines thrusting Earth across the cosmos. It's well-written and often captivating. But for all of the technical splendor, the narrative and character voice is somewhat lacking. The people are broadly defined and the story moves in fits and starts, sometimes lumbering underneath the weight of its immense vision. But despite this dryness, it's a fairly original concept executed far more intelligently and "science-minded" than the genre norm.