That's why I enjoy so much of what happens in Netflix's 3 Body Problem, the TV series which brings to life a sprawling, successful Chinese novel rooted in science, outlining a new kind of alien invasion. Netflix's 3 Body Problem is based on a 2008 novel from Chinese engineer and science fiction writer Liu Cixin; the original novel became a book series touted by big names like Barack Obama. So kicking off 3 Body Problem with a scene showing a young Chinese scientist watching an angry mob murder her father – who is also a scientist – during the purges of China's cultural revolution feels daring and entirely on brand.