advanced-technology alien-contact alien-invasion aliencontact apocalyptic artificial-intelligence astrophysics bestseller chinese-history chinese-literature communication-with-aliens cultural-revolution dark-and-foreboding dark-forest-theory dystopia dystopian-future epic existentialism exploration extraterrestrial-intelligence fermi-paradox ficliu fiction first-contact game-theory general hardsciencefiction hugo-award-winner human-alienencounters humanity humanitys-survival imaginarywarsandbattles interstellar-communication military-strategy mind-bending mystery newyorktimesbestseller nyt:trade-fiction-paperback=2020-09-27 philosophical philosophy physics quantum-physics remembrance-of-earths-past-series remembrance-of-earths-past-trilogy science-fiction sciencefiction space-exploration space-opera speculative-fiction technological-advancement technology the-remembrance-of-earths-past time-travel trilogy virtual-reality war-strategy