The Lord Without Metaphors: Some Thoughts on Netflix’s Sci-Fi-Drama 3 Body Problem

This paper offers a preliminary discussion of Netflix's 3 Body Problem, focusing on the series’ exploration of metaphor and transcendent beings. The series juxtaposes humanity’s reliance on metaphorical language with the alien San-Ti civilization’s proclaimed rejection of figurative constructs. This contrast highlights a central paradox: while the San-Ti assert a disdain for metaphors, their actions and communication inevitably rely on figurative language. Ultimately, in the context of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) “Metaphors of Religion”, 3 Body Problem can be read as an allegory for the history of religions and humanity’s inescapable reliance on metaphor to articulate the transcendent.