book 2 of Remembrance of Earth's Past 
 Earth awaits Trisolaran invasion in 400 years time 
 Under a technological curfew to prevent progress and continuous global observation by their 'sophon' technology 
 even with the 400 year deadline, Earth struggles to unite 
 UN puts forward small number of individuals, Wallfacers, with authority to command vast resources without question, to formulate plans in isolation and secrecy 
 The Trisolaran supporters on Earth establish a counter group of Wallbreakers to crack these plans 
 our main protaganist here, Luo Ji, (view spoiler)[an astronomer and unenthusiastic Wallfacer, decides to use his power to build his personal Eden and retreat from society 
 but a visit from Ye Wenjie pushes him to consider the likely proliferation of civilisations in the galaxy and their probable attitude/approach to each other in that they cannot assume benevolence and are aware that others cannot assume it of them 
 the ultimate imperative is survival of your species, 
 there is limited mass in the universe but life grows exponentially, so life must fight for space 
 i.e. the dark forest 
 we can skip forward in time as character hibernate, to the arrival of the trisolaran outriders ahead of the main fleet 
 Earth has progressed incrementally within the limits imposed by sophons 
 controlled fusion and space elevator technology means we have assembled a vast fleet of ships and weaponery and confidence is high ahead of contact - unfounded :( 
 some remnants of humanity's fleet survive, fleeing the solar system, but ultimately our trump card is the ability to call out our position and the trisolaran's to the galaxy, which is likely to lead annihilation of both 
 ends on this uneasy truce - fascinated to see where book 3 goes 
 (hide spoiler)] 
 new translator here from book 1- maybe was primed to notice, did feel there was a difference in style - my preference was for the first, but did not detract