Having not read any of Liu's works: how exactly is the idea of total surveillance a narrative innovation of Liu's?
I'm reminded of Arthur C Clarke's The Light of Other Days; that to me was total surveillance.
I'm reminded of Arthur C Clarke's The Light of Other Days; that to me was total surveillance.
Having only read the wiki page for The Light of Other Days (now very interested in reading the book, thanks!), it seems you’re mostly right, with the difference in Liu’s work being that total surveillance of earth is achieved by an alien species from another galaxy.
It's less about some outside force surveiling (whether aliens or big corporations), and more about what happens when surveillance becomes a basic fact of life (e.g. why wear clothes if everyone can see you shower anyway?).
I also noticed that Liu cities Clarke as one of his inspirations according to Wikipedia, totally makes sense based on this thread.
In the book, trisolarans are from the Alpha Centaury system, the closest one to our own.