A View from the Stars

Q: Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?

No, you don’t have to buy the ebook to participate, but we do recommend it to get the most out of your club. There are several premium social reading features that are only available when you buy the ebook, like annotations, reactions, comment threads, resources, discussion prompts, and more, all embedded right in the text. It’s a unique and immersive way to read.

Q: Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?

It’s annoying, we know. App store rules prevent us from selling directly in the app, so for now you can only purchase ebooks on our website. Don’t worry: when you purchase an ebook on the web, it’s automatically added to your bookshelf in the app.

Q: How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?

Kindle is a straightforward e-reader; Fable is an interactive e-reader that includes social features inside the ebooks. When you read an ebook on Fable, you can see and react to the text with others in real time. Start a discussion, share highlights and quotes, add emoji reactions—all of it lives right inside the book. It’s hard to explain and easy to see, so we recommend reading the free sample in one of our most active clubs to get a feel for it.

Q: Do you sell physical books too?

We do not sell physical books at this time. Wish we did? Let us know why here!

Q: Are book clubs free to join on Fable?

Most of our clubs are completely free to join. The only exceptions are clubs marked as “Premium” or “Career Development,” which do require a fee. You can find out more on each club’s detail page.

Q: How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?

The first step is to download the Fable app. From there, you’ll be able to create your own private or public book club and invite others to read with you. Once your club is created, click on the plus sign under “Currently reading” and search for this book to add it to your club.

By Cixin Liu

Publisher Description

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Three-Body Problem series—now a Netflix Original series—A View from the Stars is a new collection of short fiction and nonfiction pieces.

A VIEW FROM THE STARS features a range of short works from the past three decades of New York Times bestselling author Cixin Liu's prolific career, putting his nonfiction essays and short stories side-by-side for the first time. This collection includes essays and interviews that shed light on Liu's experiences as a reader, writer, and lover of science fiction throughout his life, as well as short fiction that gives glimpses into the evolution of his imaginative voice over the years.

“A vital collection. . . . down-to-earth, but unafraid to ask big questions.”—Publishers Weekly

The Three-Body Problem Series
The Three-Body Problem
The Dark Forest
Death's End

Other Books by Cixin Liu
Ball Lightning
Supernova Era
To Hold Up the Sky
The Wandering Earth
A View from the Stars

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download the free Fable app

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

6 Reviews

3.5

nuri ladan

Created 22 days ago

Gomski

Created about 2 months ago

Sunny Reads

Created about 2 months ago

“If youre ever curious about Sci fi literature, Cixin Liu should be who you read. A view from the stars is an incredible book full of his short stories and personal essays about Sci fi through his eyes. It's a perfect beginners book for anyone who wants to read works from Cixin Liu.”

Beautifully writtenDescriptive writingOriginal writing

Ruby Kilpatrick

Created 3 months ago

“I think that it’s safe to say that I enjoyed my time reading ‘A View From the Stars’. Massive thanks to NetGalley for providing me an arc of this book. Despite me giving it 3.75 stars (which isn’t a bad rating but I haven’t really rated many books lower that 4 stars this year) I did enjoy every second reading this. I’ve been meaning to read a book by Cixin Liu for the longest time and I thought that I would have started with ‘The Three Body Problem’, which is probably his most famous work, but the arc of this is where I started. I would say not to start with this book if you’re looking to get into his work, probably start with The Three Body Problem (although I haven’t read it). I flew through the first 60% and it took me longer to get through the last 40% but that was just a time issue. I thought that the book was very thought provoking, and as an avid science fiction fan and someone who thinks a lot about physics, some of the essays in here really helped bring new light to some little arguments and conversations I have with myself about the things brought up. I also enjoyed learning a little more about the science fiction scene in china versus the United States. It really show how diverse they are from each other. Overall, I gave this 3.75 stars!”

Rachael Hamilton

Created 5 months ago

“It's important to understand, not all points of view about the realm and genre of Science-Fiction, come from the same foundation. I think, we as readers, sometimes forget the way we define things is not going to be the same as other cultures. With all of that being said, I loved this book and the perspectives we get from Cixin Lui regarding the genre and culture surrounding Sci-Fi, especially from the perspective of someone who saw it as a way to further scientific though and to speculate on the "What if's". After reading Three Body Problem a few years ago at the recommendation of a close friend, I found myself lead to read more of his works. His perspectives are often unique and not always happy. There is a lot of thought which goes into these stories as well as some actual science. I enjoy the opportunity to understand subjects from the view of some of my favorite authors. Where I often turn to Neil Gaiman for gritty fantasy who also talks about some of the darker aspects of the human condition; I find Cixin Liu does something similar with the genre of Sci-Fi. Asking us not only to question the science we know and how far we can push it (or should we push it) But also highlighting some of the failings of being human when science gives us the opportunity to go "too far." I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing group for allowing me the opportunity to read and provide and honest review of this book. I felt it was thought-provoking and helped to bridge some of the gap between sci-fi, fantasy, and even a bit of science.”

About Cixin Liu

CIXIN LIU is the most prolific and popular science fiction writer in the People’s Republic of China. Liu is an eight-time winner of the Galaxy Award (the Chinese Hugo) and a winner of the Chinese Nebula Award. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked as an engineer in a power plant. His novels include The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death's End.