Sophons, Wallfacers, Swordholders, and the Cosmic Safety Notice: Strategic Thought in Chinese Science Fiction

Science fiction, due to its ability to encourage creative thinking in environments estranged from our own, can be employed in strategy development and inspiration. Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem trilogy focuses on galactic relations and defense in a rich and nuanced way and provides insight into Chinese thought. An analysis of four strategies—sophons, wallfacers, swordholders, and the cosmic safety notice—highlights the ways in which Chinese strategic thinking systematically differs from Western modes of thinking.