This paper examines The Three-Body Problem through the conceptual framework of planetary futures, arguing that the narrative dramatizes a civilizational crisis that demands an ethical reorientation beyond the human. Drawing on Dipesh Chakrabarty’s theorization of planetary history, Rosi Braidotti’s posthuman ethics, and Claire Colebrook’s reflections on extinction and temporality, the study investigates how the novel and its Netflix adaptation depict the fragility of human civilization within a cosmic order where extinction is not a catastrophe, but a structural possibility. The narrative’s depiction of the Trisolaran system, the “dark forest” hypothesis, and the Wallfacer program collectively foreground the limits of liberal humanist ethics when confronted with planetary-scale dilemmas. Ye Wenjie’s disillusionment, the manipulation of planetary knowledge, and the suspension of individual agency point to a shift in ethical thinking, moving away from human autonomy and toward species-scale decision-making. Through comparative narrative analysis, the paper explores how the adaptation transforms these speculative and philosophical concerns into affective and geopolitical forms. By doing so, The Three-Body Problem becomes a critical site for reimagining planetary responsibility and civilizational ethics in an age where the future itself appears unstable, contingent, and profoundly relational.

Authors:
Sevda Kaya Kitınur, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Sevda Kaya Kitınur is a Research Assistant in the Department of New Media and Communication at Izmir University of Economics. Her research explores digital storytelling, visual studies, fan communities and the dynamics of participatory culture.

Additional website of interest
https://gcris.ieu.edu.tr/cris/rp/rp00003

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