u/Perfect-Invite6733

Think about it:

1. Ye Wenjie only starts the crisis because the men around her betray humanity first. She is reported by a male colleague after revealing her environmental concerns, leading to further punishment. At the Red Coast Base, the male leadership exploits her talents while keeping her isolated and under strict control.
2. Luo Ji is a selfish, womanizing slacker who has to be manipulated into saving the world.
3. Thomas Wade is an authoritarian psychopath willing to sacrifice anyone.
4. Yun Tianming is an obsessive simp whose entire life revolves around a woman.
5. Zhang Beihai lies to everyone and murders innocent people.
6. Mike Evans is a delusional extremist.
7. The male leaders repeatedly fumble humanity’s future.

How many more incompetent, violent, selfish, or morally compromised men does Liu Cixin have to write before we admit he hates men?

Or… maybe fictional characters making terrible decisions isn’t the same thing as the author endorsing those traits for an entire sex (ergo not misandrist).

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, this post is satire to help show how the books don’t have misogyny or misandry.

If I missed any incompetent men, please let me know in the comments lol.

I will agree on this - does the trilogy contain moments and themes that can reasonably be criticized as gender stereotypical? Yes. There is evidence for that interpretation. But is the trilogy clearly a misogynistic work that argues women are inferior? That is much harder to demonstrate.

Side note: I support feminism in so far as they pursue gender equality. When feminism starts saying that women are superior to men, that’s when I will disagree. I will also disagree if someone says men are superior to women.

Reasons I don’t think the trilogy is misogynistic:

1. Men are generally physically stronger and larger than women (it’s why many men view women as delicate and desire to protect them, this helps explain Luo Ji’s view of his wife/woman of his dreams)

2. Women are generally more empathetic than men and express their emotions outwardly (it’s why Cheng Xin had the maternal emotions to protect life instead of being more shrewd and callous like Luo Ji who is willing to sacrifice humanity)

3. The series is pessimistic about humanity as a whole, not just women. Men and women alike make catastrophic decisions throughout the story. Luo Ji starts as an aimless and selfish character. Ye Wenjie begins the crisis. Thomas Wade is ruthless to the point of disregard of human life (on a separate note: isn’t it odd that Wade keeps a verbal promise to Cheng Xin, but he’s also willing to kill her for his goals, like why didn’t he just kill her instead of keep his promise or wake her up after light speed ships were built, I think it shows that even his character isn’t capable of completely abandoning human nature in pursuit of advancement. Also, why in the world would Cheng Xin trust a man who tried to kill her… it’s unbelievable…but I guess when humanity’s existence is on the line, people do wild things).

4. Cixin’s fictional world history feminized the entire human society and forgot about traditional masculinity

5. Ye Wenjie is one of the most important and influential characters in the entire trilogy. She is brilliant, complex, and drives the entire story.

6. The trilogy isn’t saying women are inferior. It’s asking whether traits like compassion and trust can survive in a universe governed by the Dark Forest principle.

7. The novels never suggest that a woman’s proper role is to be a housewife or to bear and raise children. In fact, many of the most important women in the story are scientists, military leaders, and political leaders who hold positions of immense authority.

8. Fiction is allowed to include characters who embody traditionally masculine or traditionally feminine traits. Having a compassionate female character or a ruthless male character isn’t inherently misogynistic. People in real life span a wide range of personalities, including traits that align with traditional stereotypes, and portraying those kinds of characters isn’t the same as arguing that all women or all men should be that way.

I also think some people approach books with such a strong feminist lens that they interpret any portrayal of a woman making poor decisions or embodying traditionally feminine traits as misogyny.
No one seems to have a problem with Cixin describing typically masculine, rigid men like Thomas Wade (Bc some men are softer, gentle, and more emotionally expressive too). But some seem to be put off with Zhuang Yan’s stereotypically feminine character who chooses to be happy by being married and raising a daughter. I think her presence in the story is not about describing how all women should be but more about expanding Luo Ji’s (complex and flawed) character and giving him something he wants to live for.
Liu Cixin does not consistently portray women as weak or incapable: Ye Wenjie is arguably the catalyst of the entire story, Cheng Xin becomes a major figure, and many women hold positions of scientific and societal importance.

I really wished Zhang Beihai had survived. He ended up being one of my favorite characters.
I know Dongfang Yan viewed him more as a father figure and mentor rather than a romantic partner, but I still found myself hoping that, if they had more time together, their relationship could have developed into something deeper.
After everything Beihai sacrificed and everything he went through, I wanted to see him get more personal happiness and relief for all his efforts. I had to stop reading for awhile to come to acceptance that they all died.. just bc of a few seconds of compassion 😭 he accepted his fate a lot faster than I did