While you wait for Season 2, check out its competition.

Captivated by the mind-bending series that is Netflix’s 3 Body Problem? Sad that you have to wait for a second season? Don’t have time to read the books the series is based on, the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy by author Liu Cixin? Then allow us to turn your attention to the Chinese adaptation that came before it. If you want to consume more of the larger-than-life sci-fi story, here’s what you need to know.

When will Season 2 come out?

While Netflix’s 3 Body Problem hasn’t officially been given the green light for a Season 2, the showrunner team of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are optimistic. “Honestly, the ending of the third book is one of my favorite endings of any giant saga of all time, so we want to get there,” Benioff said in an interview. “The hardest thing is always the first season. Can we justify the big investment from Netflix? I feel like this will grow as it grows. I’m hopeful.”

Season 1 has earned some mixed reviews (check out our full review of the series), but one thing is certain: audiences are intrigued. It may not follow the book as much as people had hoped, but it still sits at a 79% rating (both critics and audiences) on Rotten Tomatoes. Will that be enough for Netflix to take the gamble?

In the meantime, you can consume all 30 (yes, you read that right) episodes of the Chinese version.

Wait…there’s another adaptation of The Three-Body Problem?

Yep! A Chinese adaptation from Tencent, dubbed Three-Body, aired in China last year. Conveniently, per The Hollywood Reporter, Peacock acquired the rights to it in early February. Like the new Netflix series, Three-Body is adapted from The Three-Body Problem, the first novel in Liu’s trilogy, and offers a different perspective on the story. A presser from NBCUniversal stated, “With all the buzz surrounding Netflix’s English adaptation, we’re excited about the opportunity for sci-fi and Chinese drama fans to watch the Chinese-language original (with English subtitles) ahead of the Hollywood adaptation.”

Here’s a trailer for the Chinese adaptation:

What’s the difference between Netflix’s 3 Body Problem and Tencent’s Three-Body?

The most obvious difference is that one is in English and the other is in Chinese with English subtitles. Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is also just eight episodes, while Tencent’s Three-Body is a whopping 30 episodes. Obviously, with 30 episodes, the Chinese adaptation is able to stay more true to the content of the book, while the English adaptation takes a few more liberties in order to condense the plot and still remain comprehensible. Each has its perks and its criticisms, of course. You’ll have to watch them both for yourself in order to choose which adaptation is better.

How to watch 3 Body Problem

In case you’re late to the game, 3 Body Problem is a Netflix Original Series. That means the only way to watch it is with a Netflix subscription. Currently, there are three different Netflix tiers: Standard with ads, Standard, and Premium. If you don’t mind watching a few ads here and there, the Standard with ads plan is by far the most affordable at just $6.99 per month. To remove the ads, you’ll have to fork over $15.49 per month or $22.99 per month for the Standard or Premium plans, respectively.

If you’ve already made it through all eight episodes of 3 Body Problem and you’re patiently awaiting Season 2, Three-Body will make for a good binge-watch while you wait. As of Feb. 10, NBC released the complete 30-episode English-subtitled version of Three-Body on Peacock. It’s also streaming on Prime Video, so you have a couple different options for watching. Peacock is the more affordable option, with plans starting at just $5.99 per month, while Prime Video will run you $8.99 per month (as a standalone service) or $14.99 per month as part of a Prime membership.