I highly recommend the novel. Goes into detail, sets up the jokes very well, the worldbuilding is amazing (lots of physics and history mentioned), and the character reactions are actually somehow more expressive than the art in this manga. Like, a picture is normally 1000 words, but this time the novel's words beat the picture. I'll still read the manga because I like the novel, but for those new to this series, I recommend reading the novel. It's going to be a hidden gem you'll regret missing if you ignore this story because of the manga quality.
I highly recommend the novel. Goes into detail, sets up the jokes very well, the worldbuilding is amazing (lots of physics and history mentioned), and the character reactions are actually somehow more expressive than the art in this manga. Like, a picture is normally 1000 words, but this time the novel's words beat the picture. I'll still read the manga because I like the novel, but for those new to this series, I recommend reading the novel. It's going to be a hidden gem you'll regret missing if you ignore this story because of the manga quality.