Ivanov spent three years translating The Three-Body Problem directly from Chinese to Bulgarian, during which he exchanged emails with the author to clarify confusing technological details.

“I was so absorbed in the story that even when I wasn't working, I sometimes couldn’t hear what my wife said to me because I was still lost in space,” Ivanov recalled, laughing.

"I believe that individuals like me, who are willing to dedicate three years to translating a book, are valuable in our society. This raises an important question: if AI can fully replace humans in translating literature, are we prepared to lose people like me?" he asked.