Originally published as 球状闪电 in 2005 by Sichuan Science & Technology Press in Chengdu, China. First published in the United States of America in 2016 by Tor, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates LLC
First published in the UK by Head of Zeus in 2018
Copyright © 2005 by 刘慈欣 (Liu Cixin)
The moral right of 刘慈欣 (Liu Cixin) to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
English translation © 2018 by China Educational Publications Import & Export Corp., Ltd
Translation by Joel Martinsen
The first three chapters of this translation appeared in the online magazine Words Without Borders in a slightly different form in 2009.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (E) 9781786694676
ISBN (HB) 9781786694683
ISBN (XTPB) 9781786694690
Jacket illustration © Stephan Martinière £18.99
Author Photo: Li Yibo
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