The Dark Forest

The Adventists are a faction of the ETO. They want to assist the Trisolarans in wiping out all of humanity because the Adventists have lost faith in humanity. Before his death, Mike Evans was… read analysis of Adventists

The Battle of Darkness is a battle between the ship that Zhang Beihai hijacks as part of his escapist plan, the Natural Law, and the ships in the fleet that Natural Law is traveling… read analysis of Battle of Darkness

Cosmic sociology is the study of the relationship between extraterrestrial civilizations. Ye Wenjie provides Luo Ji with the tenets of cosmic sociology at the start of the novel. The two main principles are that the… read analysis of Cosmic Sociology

The dark forest theory is the theory that Luo Ji derives from the principles of cosmic sociology. According to the dark forest theory, the universe is similar to a forest that is full of… read analysis of Dark Forest Theory

A defeatist is someone who believes in defeatism. read analysis of Defeatist

The Doomsday Battle is the predicted future battle when humans will face off against the Trisolarans. read analysis of Doomsday Battle

Escapism is the impulse that people have to escape Earth to try and survive rather than stay on Earth to face the Trisolarans. People who are escapists are also often defeatists, meaning that they… read analysis of Escapism

A escapist is someone who believes in escapism. read analysis of Escapist

The ETO is the Earth-Trisolaris Organization, which is a group of pro-Trisolaran humans founded by Ye Wenjie and Mike Evans. The organization works together with the Trisolarans to try and assist the Trisolarans in… read analysis of ETO

The Great Ravine is a period of significant economic hardship on Earth that occurs about 20 years after Luo Ji enters hibernation. It lasts for about 50 years and is compared to the Great Depression… read analysis of The Great Ravine

A mental seal is a tool that Hines and Keiko develop that allows them to “imprint” an almost unshakeable judgment in someone’s mind. For example, early in the development of the mental seal, people are… read analysis of Mental Seal

The “mosquito swarm” plan is Tyler’s stated Wallfacer plan. In that plan, a fleet of spacecraft equipped with powerful bombs will fly at the Trisolaran fleet to detonate those bombs. read analysis of Mosquito Swarm Plan

The PDC is the Planetary Defense Council. It is initially part of the UN and aims to coordinate the work necessary to try and defeat the Trisolarans. When Luo Ji hibernates and reawakens 200 years… read analysis of PDC/SFJC

The Redemptionists are a faction of the ETO. Like the Adventists, the Redemptionists have lost faith in humanity, but they hope that the Trisolarans will help redeem humanity rather than wipe out human… read analysis of Redemptionists

The Snow Project is a plan put in place by the SFJC to try and keep track of the Trisolaran fleet by measuring that fleet’s progress through areas of interstellar dust. In place of having… read analysis of Snow Project

Sophons are microscopic supercomputers developed by the Trisolarans. The Trisolarans develop the sophons by designing them at a macroscopic scale and shrinking them down after they are designed. Sophons that are in an un-shrunken state… read analysis of Sophon

Technofetishism is an obsession with technology. In the novel, the term points to some people’s belief that humans cannot possibly defeat the Trisolarans because the Trisolarans are significantly more technologically advanced than humans. In that… read analysis of Technofetishism

Technological triumphalism is the belief that whichever side is more technologically advanced between humans and Trisolarans will triumph in the war. Technological triumphalism is not to be confused with “triumphalism,” which is the… read analysis of Technological Triumphalism

The Three Body virtual world is the virtual space where members of the ETO meet to discuss their plans to counteract the human effort to defeat or neutralize the Trisolarans. Members of the ETO use… read analysis of Three Body Virtual World

Triumphalism is the belief that humans will necessarily triumph over the Trisolarans in the impending war between the two civilizations. Triumphalism is the opposite of defeatism. read analysis of Triumphalism

Someone who believes in triumphalism. read analysis of Triumphalist

The Wallbreaker Project is a project developed by the ETO. In that project, the ETO assigns a Wallbreaker to each Wallfacer except for Luo Ji. Each Wallbreaker’s goal is then to unravel the… read analysis of Wallbreaker Project

Wallbreakers are members of the ETO who are assigned to monitor the Wallfacers’ plans to try and determine the true intent of the Wallfacers behind those Wallfacers’ lies and deceptions as part of the Wallbreaker… read analysis of Wallbreaker

The Wallfacer Project is a project designed by the United Nations and the PDC. Four people are appointed as Wallfacers: Hines, Tyler, Rey Diaz, and Luo Ji. Through the Wallfacer… read analysis of Wallfacer Project

A Wallfacer is one of the four people chosen for the Wallfacer Project. The four Wallfacers are Hines, Tyler, Rey Diaz, and Luo Ji. read analysis of Wallfacer