The Dark Forest

“The assembly fell into a prolonged silence. Ahead of them stretched the leaden road of time, terminating somewhere in the mists of the future, where all they could see were flickering flames and the luster of blood. The brevity of a human lifespan tormented them as never before, and their hearts soared above the vault of time to join with their descendants and plunge into blood and fire in the icy cold of space, the eventual meeting place for the souls of all soldiers.”

One of the most difficult aspects of the Crisis Era is the knowledge that most of those alive will not see their efforts come to fruition. The Trisolar invasion is on the horizon, but it will not happen for another four-hundred years, meaning that the people working hard for humanity’s defenses will not see the Doomsday Battle, leaving them with a sense of disappointment.

“The doctrine of Escapism arose alongside the Trisolar Crisis. Its primary argument holds that given the locked state of humanity’s advanced science, it does not make any sense to plan for a defense of Earth and the solar system in four and a half centuries. Considering the extent to which human technology can develop over the next four centuries, a more realistic goal would be to construct starships to enable a small portion of the human race to flee to outer space, thereby avoiding the total extinction of human civilization.”

This excerpt recognizes the issue of the power imbalance between the Trisolarans and humanity. No matter the efforts made, human technology will be no more advanced than it currently is when the Trisolarans arrive, spelling doom for humanity. That is why some believe that it makes more sense to use that technology to escape and survive rather than fight a seemingly hopeless battle.

“[T]hat under the present circumstances US national security was a priority ‘second only to planetary defense.’ The failure of the limited socialized technology proposal caused a split among technological powers and led to the bankruptcy of the plan to establish a United Earth Space Force.”

The nature of the Trisolar Crisis pushes for communication and cooperation as a means for success. In this case, the United States refuses to share information with the world and this lack of cooperation hinders plans for United Earth Space Force. Humanity is at its strongest when it is united, not when it is divided.

“This isn’t ordinary inequality. It’s a question of survival, and no matter who gets to leave-elites, the rich, or ordinary people-so long as some people get left behind, it means the collapse of humanity’s fundamental value system and ethical bottom line. Human rights and equality have deep roots.”

Escapism is outlawed because of its fundamental opposition to basic human values. Deciding who is worthy of escaping and who must stay and die creates a moral issue for humanity that they will not be able to solve. This leads to an approach of everyone staying and facing the future together, rather than splintering human civilization into factionalism and shattering the values that make them human.

“Wu Yue too looked out at Tang, and a new vision took hold of him: The ship was no longer a ruined ancient fortress but a prehistoric cliff with a multitude of deep caves carved into it, and the scattered sparks were flickering firelight in those caves.”

The discovery of an alien civilization with advanced technology and the subsequent call to develop a more advanced military creates an atmosphere in which human technology becomes primitive. In this case, Wu Yue looks at what would have been one of the most advanced ships in the military and now only sees a prehistoric object. It belongs to another time because humanity must jump into the future headfirst.

“The facts we see under the guidance of our science and reason may not be the true, objective facts. And since that’s the case, we need to learn how to selectively ignore them. We should see how things change as they develop, and we shouldn’t write off the future through technological determinism and mechanical materialism.”

The sophons block technological advancement by confusing what humans observe. The subatomic world studied through quantum physics is one that acts entirely different from the world at large. In this case, it is suggested that humanity take a different approach to scientific discovery and try not to accept a state of defeat with the technological lockdown.

“Fortunately, both sides are aware of the situation and are organizing a joint conference, and the military and the scientific communities have each established special agencies to strengthen communication between the two sides and establish a fully interactive relationship between space strategy and scientific research.”

Cooperation is the key to success in the Crisis Era and there is no more important cooperative relationship than that between science and the military. Both fields must use their knowledge and strategy in tandem to mount the best hope for a defense against a space invasion. Their willingness to work together shows a recognition that cooperation is the best way forward.

“I mean intelligence in the broadest sense of the word. Not just the traditional meaning of logical reasoning, but learning ability, imagination, and innovation as well. And also the ability to accumulate common sense and experience while preserving intellectual vigor.”

When Hines discusses intelligence, he approaches it from a multifaceted viewpoint. His picture of intelligence involves creativity and the ability to innovate and grow rather than just accumulate knowledge and logic. He recognizes that these factors make humans unique and dangerous to the Trisolarans and that their best hope is to develop minds that can circumnavigate the sophons’ block and Trisolaran strategy.

“That approach violates the basic moral principles of modern society: Human lives come first, and the state and the government can’t require any individual to take up a death mission.”

This excerpt is a response to Tyler’s proposal of a kamikaze army. It shows that humanity values life and individuality and that governments cannot be allowed to control their populations. Even in an intense crisis, these fundamental values cannot be displaced or refuted.

“Yan Yan, their approach to humans is a rational choice. It’s the responsible thing to do for the survival of their species, and has nothing to do with good or evil.”

As Luo Ji explains the Trisolarans’ strategy, he emphasizes that it is a natural response and not necessarily a malicious one. Every civilization strives for survival and the Trisolarans’ best chance at survival is to conquer the solar system and establish a home under a friendly sun. This necessity eliminates morality from their actions in Luo Ji’s mind.

“You see, hatred is a treasure more precious than gold or diamonds, and a weapon keener than any in the world, but now it’s gone. It’s not yours to give back. So the organization, like me, does not have long to live.”

This excerpt is from Frederick Tyler’s conversation with the leader of Al-Qaeda and highlights the shift the crisis has forced in normal human relations. With the appearance of a new enemy threatening all of humanity, the hatred different sections of humanity hold for each other dissipates. While not necessarily unifying, the views and opinions people have of each other change.

“Research is a process of leaping forward, and qualitative change is only produced by long-term quantitative accumulation. Breakthroughs in theory and technology are mostly achieved in concentrated bursts.”

Science can be a quick-moving discipline in which one discovery can lead to many others. Therefore, the sophon block on technological advancement is so crushing. It prevents new discoveries which would in turn lead to more discoveries, freezing humanity with the technology they already have.

“The moment the Wallbreaker revealed himself, Tyler’s intuition as a politician and strategist informed him that the other man was the victor, but at this point he would be lucky if his mind had not been laid entirely bare.”

Tyler is a seasoned strategist and realizes that his Wallbreaker has defeated him. He sees no path to victory but is concerned with how deeply his Wallbreaker infiltrated his mind, and what he may have uncovered. He knows defeat is imminent, but he hopes it is minor in its fallout.

“You politicians sound off about humanity at the drop of a hat, but I can’t see humanity. I can only see individuals. I’m just one individual, an ordinary person, and I can’t take on the responsibility of saving all humanity. I just want to live my own life.”

Luo Ji expresses the unique position he is put in by being a Wallbreaker. He is a normal civilian suddenly tasked with saving humanity. He cannot comprehend this, having only ever needed to protect himself, and it takes him years to finally find the right headspace to succeed in this role.

“It’s impossible for people outside the cone to comprehend events taking place inside the cone. Think about it: Information about who-knows-how-many major events in the universe is flying toward us right now at the speed of light. Some of it has been traveling for hundreds of millions of years, but we’re still outside the light cones of those events.”

One of the most impactful aspects of a power imbalance between two forces is an information imbalance. In this case, Earth’s information is limited because of the way in which light travels. This means that humanity will have to make decisions based on the limited information they have and hope that it is the right one.

“He was even aware of the gravitational interaction between these stars: it wasn’t three-body motion, but the 200-billion-body motion of all of the stars in the galaxy! Then the swirling stars clustered into an enormous vortex, and in that mad spiral the vortex transformed again into a giant serpent formed from the congealed silver of every star, which drilled into his brain with a roar.”

This is the moment that Luo Ji looks to the sky and finally understands “cosmic sociology.” He realizes what is out in the universe and what those stars represent, resulting in his phobia of them. Once he knows that many of those stars likely give life to civilizations that will kill humanity if made aware of Earth, he cannot fathom their beauty.

“When she spoke, her nurse’s uniform shone a fast-rising sun, and under its golden light, the dry yellow earth turned green, and flowers bloomed in wild abandon.”

The sun is one of the many solar bodies frequently mentioned in the novel and is the most used motif outside of the image of eyes. In this case, it represents hope and happiness as the sun replenishes a dry and dying land. Because it reflects the nurse’s thoughts, Luo Ji understands that she believes the sun to be a positive force.

“It’s called civilization immunity. It means that when the world has suffered a serious illness, it triggers civilization’s immune system, so that something like the early Crisis Era won’t happen again. Humanism comes first, and perpetuating civilization comes second. These are concepts that today’s society is based on.”

This theory of civilization immunity echoes the resistance Frederick Tyler encountered while trying to recruit his kamikaze army. Civilization's instinct is to survive but not at the expense of its people. If people cannot thrive as individuals, they cannot thrive as a collective.

“It’s that army’s history that so clearly taught us the significance of a technological gap during wartime. The glory you know is what you’ve read in the history books, but our trauma was cemented by the blood of our fathers and grandfathers. We know more than you do what war means.”

Zhang Beihai remembers war in a way that the people of the future do not. He remembers his ancestors fighting in wars decided by technological gaps and refuses to be deceived by the new starships’ supposed power. He is more concerned with possible negative outcomes than the glory that can be won.

“A second reason for selecting this formation was that the Fleet International and the United Nations both desired stunning visuals, not so much to show off for Trisolaris as to give the masses something to look at. This visual impact held enormous political significance for both groups.”

When the starships intercept the Trisolar probe, they are in a tight rectangular formation, making it easy for the probe to destroy them efficiently. They do so because humanity wants to see their own power and believes that they will be victorious, shunning responsible strategy for showmanship. This is a clear mistake and exhibition of humanity’s misguided faith in their starship technology.

“The probe was a perfect teardrop shape, round at the head and pointy at the tail, with a surface so smooth it was a total reflector. The Milky Way was reflected on its surface as a smooth pattern of light that gave the mercury droplet a pure beauty. Its droplet shape was so natural that observers imagined it in a liquid state, one for which an internal structure was impossible.”

The probe is the first visible piece of Trisolaran technology that the solar system encounters and truly exhibits the technological gap between the two civilizations. The probe is shaped like a teardrop and so smooth that its true purpose cannot be guessed. They can hide its inner workings and shroud it in mystery through their technological advancement, further widening the divide between them.

“At that last word, Lan Xi shuddered, He looked up at Dongfang Yanxu, and she met his gaze. In the blankness of her eyes, all he saw were tightly closed windows to her soul.”

Communication through eyes and expressions is a common aspect of the novel but in the case of the darkness that descends on Natural Selection, communication is cut off. The dire situation plaguing the crew results in them shutting themselves out of the external world, keeping all emotions and thoughts in check and secret, further exacerbating the chain of communication the breaks down.

“So even if escape were successful, what survived would no longer be human civilization, but some other dark and evil thing. And, like Trisolaris, that thing would be the antithesis of human civilization and an enemy of it. It had even been given a name: Negacivilization.”

This excerpt further explains the atmosphere of Natural Selection, in which the void of space breaks down human values and the ties that hold humanity together as a civilization erodes. The knowledge that many are left behind and that resources will be sparse with little hope of finding a new, habitable planet, strains humanity. The civilization that develops in this vacuum barely resembles that of Earth.