Save up to 20% off select gift cards
$12.99 with 35 percent savings
Print List Price: $19.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Macmillan. Price set by seller.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Cixin Liu
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Ball Lightning Kindle Edition

by Cixin Liu (Author), Joel Martinsen (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 2,194 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Three-Body Trilogy, Cixin Liu's Ball Lightning is the story of what happens when the beauty of scientific inquiry runs up against the drive to harness new discoveries with no consideration of their possible consequences.

When Chen’s parents are incinerated before his eyes by a blast of ball lightning, he devotes his life to cracking the secret of this mysterious natural phenomenon. His search takes him to stormy mountaintops, an experimental military weapons lab, and an old Soviet science station.

The more he learns, the more he comes to realize that ball lightning is just the tip of an entirely new frontier. While Chen’s quest for answers gives purpose to his lonely life, it also pits him against soldiers and scientists with motives of their own: a beautiful army major with an obsession with dangerous weaponry, and a physicist who has no place for ethical considerations in his single-minded pursuit of knowledge.

"Wildly imaginative."—Barack Obama on The Three-Body Problem trilogy

Tor books by Cixin Liu

The Three-Body Problem Series
#1 The Three-Body Problem
#2 The Dark Forest
#3 Death's End

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

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    379 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    August 14, 2018
  6. File size
    14.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. Sometimes what we find hardest to tolerate in others is our own reflection.
    Highlighted by 328 Kindle readers
  2. The direction of a man or woman’s life might be determined by the era they found themselves in. It’s impossible for someone to distance themselves very far from the times they live in.
    Highlighted by 260 Kindle readers
  3. “Take stars. If they didn’t exist, it’d be very easy to prove that their existence is impossible.”
    Highlighted by 241 Kindle readers
Next page

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wildly imaginative, really interesting." -President Barack Obama on the Three-Body Problem trilogy

“A breakthrough book . . . a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation, politics and history, conspiracy theory and cosmology.” ―George R. R. Martin, on The Three Body Problem

“Extraordinary.” ―The New Yorker, on The Three Body Problem

“Remarkable, revelatory and not to be missed.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Three Body Problem

"A must-read in any language.” ―Booklist, on The Three Body Problem

"A meditation on technology, progress, morality, extinction, and knowledge that doubles as a cosmos-in-the-balance thriller.... a testament to just how far [Liu's] own towering imagination has taken him: Far beyond the borders of his country, and forever into the canon of science fiction. - NPR, on Death's End

"The best kind of science fiction, familiar but strange all at the same time." -- Kim Stanley Robinson, on The Three Body Problem

About the Author

Joel Martinsen is research director for a media intelligence company. His translations have appeared in Words Without Borders, Chutzpah!, and Pathlight. He lives in Beijing.

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.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XRGCFS8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 14, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 14.3 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 379 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765394088
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 2,194 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Cixin Liu

Cixin Liu

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Liu Cixin, born in June 1963, is a representative of the new generation of Chinese science fiction authors and recognized as a leading voice in Chinese science fiction. He was awarded the China Galaxy Science Fiction Award for eight consecutive years, from 1999 to 2006 and again in 2010. His representative work The Three-body Problem is the BEST STORY of 2015 Hugo Awards, the 3rd of 2015 Campbell Award finalists, and nominee of 2015 Nebulas Award.

His works have received wide acclaim on account of their powerful atmosphere and brilliant imagination. Liu Cixin's stories successfully combine the exceedingly ephemeral with hard reality, all the while focussing on revealing the essence and aesthetics of science. He has endeavoured to create a distinctly Chinese style of science fiction. Liu Cixin is a member of the China Writers' Association and the Shanxi Writers' Association.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
2,194 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this science fiction book to be a fantastic read with compelling ideas that make their imagination run wild. The writing style and character development receive mixed reviews - while some find it well-written with well-developed characters, others criticize the terrible writing and indiscernible characters. The comprehension and pacing also get mixed feedback, with some praising the good English translation while others find the pacing extremely slow.

Select to learn more

ReadabilityInsightStory qualityStrengthWriting styleCharacter developmentComprehensionPacing
50 customers mention "Readability"42 positive8 negative

Customers find the book to be a fantastic and fun read, with one customer noting that the final 100 pages are particularly enjoyable.

"...I finished the book Ball Lightening by Cixin Liu which is easily the best SF book that I've read in years even better than the Three Body..." Read more

"...Even so, Ball Lightning is well worth a read; its ideas are compelling, its exploration of science comes from a place of love but also a place of..." Read more

"...the Three Body Problem several years ago and found it satisfactory as a stand alone book...." Read more

""Ball Lightning" by famed Chinese Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin is a good read...." Read more

43 customers mention "Insight"43 positive0 negative

Customers find the book uniquely thought-provoking, with the science parts being interesting and making their imagination run wild.

"...theory Liu about which he writes is not only speculative but incredibly inventive and this carries the reader through the book as fast as one is..." Read more

"...I think this book starts well and is very intriguing, but the culmination of the plot near the end leaves a lot to be desired...." Read more

"...Meanwhile, while Liu's ideas about ball lightning are original and truly imaginative, they never feel like they're explored in as much depth as you..." Read more

"As a weather buff who loves lightning, the title alone piqued my interest. The fact it was by Cixin Liu sealed the deal...." Read more

31 customers mention "Story quality"31 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's story quality, describing it as fascinating and irresistible, with the author skillfully creating plausible scenarios.

"Great story. Enjoyed it quite a lot." Read more

"...and as Liu concedes in his afterword, it's much more of a Chinese work of science-fiction - it's focused very much on Chinese breakthroughs and..." Read more

"...The fact it was by Cixin Liu sealed the deal. I really enjoyed the story and the leap of imagination regarding the nature of ball lightning." Read more

"...As a conclusion this is a book I can strongly recommend, and I really liked the ending...." Read more

5 customers mention "Strength"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the strength of the book, with one noting it ends strongly and another describing it as solid Cixin Liu's work.

"...on the massive success of The Three-Body Problem books, but Ball Lightning is a solid, freestanding novel about an interesting topic...." Read more

"...I found the book to start strong, end strong, but sag a bit in the middle, largely because of Liu's painstaking approach to developing a kind of..." Read more

"Hard Sci fi that goes off the rails... until it doesn't...." Read more

"Perfect condition..." Read more

25 customers mention "Writing style"16 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it well written while others describe it as terrible.

"...I appreciated the book being written in the first person perspective as I’m a Sherlock Holmes fan and author...." Read more

"...The translation is pretty darn good, but presents the writing style as a bit stilted. I Thank you Cixin Liu for this glimpse into your world...." Read more

"...It’s well written and captivating, and it keeps you interested all the way up to and including the ending...." Read more

"...34;Ball Lightning" is a smoother read than the "Three Body Problem" was; the relationships are better developed, the storytelling less..." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"9 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some praising the well-developed characters and distinctive voice, while others find them indiscernible.

"...The characters are well developed and written. You come to care about them. The pacing is quick and the book never lags...." Read more

"...develop events, leaving a superficiality to them, and the character dialogue is stilted, awkward and melodramatic...." Read more

"...of the book one has developed an interest in them and they appear as very real people; and when as I read along I developed and interest and concern..." Read more

"...I also found the characters a little bland with not enough depth, until right towards the end of a very lengthy book...." Read more

12 customers mention "Comprehension"5 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's comprehension, with some praising the good English translation, while others find the scientific content overwhelming and difficult to follow.

"...has a good amount of highly technical language and theories concerning quantum mechanics, which are obviously over the head of almost anyone reading..." Read more

"...The translation is pretty darn good, but presents the writing style as a bit stilted. I Thank you Cixin Liu for this glimpse into your world...." Read more

"...a shortcoming for me was the author taking too long to unfold scientific ideas and losing me along the way...." Read more

"...The author makes the quantum physics very easy to understand (!?!),..." Read more

9 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with several noting it is extremely slow, while one customer describes it as a "slow burn of a story."

"...You come to care about them. The pacing is quick and the book never lags. Another win." Read more

"Felt terribly rushed at the end. Like the author was trying to tie the whole thing together in a couple of chapters...." Read more

"...It's a slow burn of a story, but eerie and unputdownable. Raises troubling questions about the ethics of pure science in a militaristic world...." Read more

"...However, if you can survive long enough, the pacing speeds up, and things become dynamic and interesting...." Read more

Way way out there
5 out of 5 stars
Way way out there
I read his three body trilogy and thought it was the most imaginative set of books I've ever read - Ball Lightning is completely different, but he still manages to be completely captivating and groundbreaking... not sure how he does it.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • The Prolific Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another amazing read from Cixin Liu.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Going into this book, I had not been prepared for it being a sort of prequel to the Three Body Problem trilogy. Ding Yi is in this book as well as a mention of alien life that has observed them working on Macro entanglement. These aliens and Yi, are, by the authors admission, the ones from the aforementioned trilogy.

    I did not have an idea of how this story would develop. The main protagonist spends his life searching for ball lightning, to wind up working on advanced weapons with the military, to becoming completely disenchanted and became tornado chaser, only to have the last 50 pages describe what happened to the woman he worked with.

    I appreciated the book being written in the first person perspective as I’m a Sherlock Holmes fan and author. It was nice seeing this done.

    The book did not head in the direction that I thought it would which became a nice surprise.

    Every time I read a book from Cixin Liu, I feel as though I’ve read a physics textbook broken down into an understandable wrote.

    The characters are well developed and written. You come to care about them.

    The pacing is quick and the book never lags.

    Another win.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amy F.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great story. Enjoyed it quite a lot.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Thomas A. Reilly
    5.0 out of 5 stars best si fi book currently available
    Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Sixty one years ago when I was in high school I could recognize 3 shining stars in science fiction, Azimov, Clark, Heinlein. Now 61 years later there is an even more brilliant star Cixin Liu a Chinese science fiction writer who has won multiple awards.

    His latest book just published in English is Ball Lightening. This story is worth whatever award that it might win. I waited months for it to be published and it was so worth the wait!

    I finished the book Ball Lightening by Cixin Liu which is easily the best SF book that I've read in years even better than the Three Body series.

    The story plays on advanced physics. The theory Liu about which he writes is not only speculative but incredibly inventive and this carries the reader through the book as fast as one is able to read. And the story concludes with a bang far from a whimper of disappointment.

    Yet the book is not only about science, his characters are very well developed. By the end of the book one has developed an interest in them and they appear as very real people; and when as I read along I developed and interest and concern in the characters none of whom are flat.

    So Cixin has developed an inventive science based novel as well as excellent character development. And finally like Azimove he lays out a world social milieu which had become responsive to the development of the science that the author has created.

    This is a remarkable book. Once started I found that every available moment I had to find myself a quiet place to read. The only moment of disappointment I had during my reading the book was the sentence "At the moment, I'm sure that the quantum rose will smile at me" -- Cixin Liu's last sentence of the book.
    62 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Phil March
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    It's hard to match the three body problem. I think this book starts well and is very intriguing, but the culmination of the plot near the end leaves a lot to be desired. Still, I enjoyed reading it.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Josh Mauthe
    4.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't compare to Three-Body Problem, but still complex, compelling, and fascinating
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    It's hard not to compare Cixin Liu's Ball Lightning to his incredible Three-Body Problem series, and I'll be the first to admit that doing so doesn't do Ball Lightning many favors. The Three-Body Problem is something staggering, taking a slew of complex concepts and pulling them together into an exploration of life across the universe, the nature of existence, and so much more. Ball Lightning is a much smaller work, and as Liu concedes in his afterword, it's much more of a Chinese work of science-fiction - it's focused very much on Chinese breakthroughs and explorations of science, rather than something larger. And yet, that doesn't really detract from some of the mind-bending ideas at play here, or just how ambitiously odd Ball Lightning can be, once you can get it out of the shadow of Liu's masterpiece.

    Ball Lightning, as the title suggests, orbits around a study of the bizarre phenomenon of ball lightning, which affects the life of our protagonist at an early age. And over the course of a life dedicated to its study, he finds himself involved in military applications of his science, questions about the nature of the universe, and much more. At its best moments, Ball Lightning really grapples with the questions raised by science - what responsibility do scientists have when their work is used to hurt and kill other human beings? Can the quest for knowledge be separated from its uses? Those are thorny questions, and Liu doesn't have easy answers to them - something which gives the book a moral depth that resonated with me.

    Other aspects of Ball Lightning aren't quite as strong, though. The character who comes to most represent the weaponization of science ends up feeling like a one-note characterization, which is more disappointing since she's one of the book's only female characters. Meanwhile, while Liu's ideas about ball lightning are original and truly imaginative, they never feel like they're explored in as much depth as you'd wish - there are implications there that could drive a whole trilogy, once again. Even so, Ball Lightning is well worth a read; its ideas are compelling, its exploration of science comes from a place of love but also a place of complex ideas, and its imagination is boundless. Just try to set aside expectations that might be set by one of the great works of science fiction.
    11 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Nick Del Regno
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyable read, with some way out of the box imagination
    Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    As a weather buff who loves lightning, the title alone piqued my interest. The fact it was by Cixin Liu sealed the deal. I really enjoyed the story and the leap of imagination regarding the nature of ball lightning.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Brett
    4.0 out of 5 stars Rad premise, curious voice
    Reviewed in Australia on February 2, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Good read. Felt quite Chinesy as the author mentions in the afterword. Similiar to the three body series although this one was smaller in scope.
    Report
  • Anthony
    5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I love Cixin Lui, and once again a great story with mind-blowing concepts that gets you thinking.
    Report
  • Christoph Seifert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interessanter Spin zum Thema Kugelblitze
    Reviewed in Germany on November 14, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Das Phänomen der Kugelblitze - soweit ich weiß kann man die im Labor immer noch nicht gezielt reproduzieren - ist an sich schon mysteriös, auch wenn man dabei ausgehen kann, dass diese wohl so etwas wie Plasmabälle sein dürften.
    Der Autor spinnt zu diesem Thema eine originelle Handlung bei der die Kugelblitze eine neue Art Physik darstellen. Auch spannend erzählt ist das Jagdfieber nach den Kugelblitzen.
    Report
  • Daedalus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Impecable
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 20, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Otra obra impecable de Liu. Antecede cronológicamente a la famosa trilogía (3BP) y vale ampliamente leerla por méritos propios. Combina de manera intrigante la especulación científica de primer nivel con ciencia dura, imaginación fantástica y personajes entrañables. 5/5
    Report
  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro
    Reviewed in Spain on March 26, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Cixin Liu no defrauda. Esta novela es más accesible que la de Los Tres Cuerpos.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report