Reread for book club (again! But different book club!) which I welcomed since I rushed through the ending before. I loved this book the first time I read it and haven’t changed my opinion in the slightest; it presents uber nerdy space physics problems (with bonus computation engines!) alongside aftershocks from the Cultural Revolution. It’s also an alien encounter story, but like the best alien encounter stories, it’s really more about the humans and how they react to the aliens. I love the depth and ambition of the ideas in this book, but the characterization definitely suffers from lack of attention, and although the plot feels like it tries to be serious, the action occasionally borders on ridiculousness.