Y Hacker News Books

Ask HN: What are your favorite sci-fi books? ↗

The books people recommended

2023-05-21 · 84 points · 163 comments · 128 books named by at least one person here and at least 3 people overall. The number on the left is how many people named it in this thread.

  1. 9Bobiverse

    Bobiverse

    Dennis E. Taylor

    9 here · 28 all-time · #207 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 34,413 ratings on Amazon
  2. 8

    The Three-Body Problem

    Cixin Liu

    8 here · 152 all-time · #11 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 53,978 ratings on Amazon
  3. 7

    Snow Crash

    Neal Stephenson

    7 here · 119 all-time · #16 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 20,720 ratings on Amazon
  4. 7

    Project Hail Mary

    Andy Weir

    7 here · 88 all-time · #38 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 281,070 ratings on Amazon
  5. 6

    Foundation

    Isaac Asimov

    6 here · 110 all-time · #20 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 36,591 ratings on Amazon
  6. 6

    Hyperion

    Dan Simmons

    6 here · 56 all-time · #69 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 30,786 ratings on Amazon
  7. 6

    The Expanse

    James S. A. Corey

    6 here · 43 all-time · #112 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 38,667 ratings on Amazon
  8. 5

    Seveneves

    Neal Stephenson

    5 here · 58 all-time · #64 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 31,865 ratings on Amazon
  9. 5Revelation Space

    Revelation Space

    Alastair Reynolds

    5 here · 24 all-time · #251 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 10,275 ratings on Amazon
  10. 4

    Dune

    Frank Herbert

    4 here · 250 all-time · #3 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.7 out of 5, 104,032 ratings on Amazon
  11. 4

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    Douglas Adams

    4 here · 101 all-time · #28 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 30,738 ratings on Amazon
  12. 4

    Stories of Your Life and Others

    Ted Chiang

    4 here · 34 all-time · #154 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 16,602 ratings on Amazon
  13. 4Solaris

    Solaris

    Stanisław Lem

    4 here · 29 all-time · #197 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.1 out of 5, 6,713 ratings on Amazon
  14. 4

    The Murderbot Diaries

    Martha Wells

    4 here · 29 all-time · #198 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 69,410 ratings on Amazon
  15. 4Rendezvous with Rama

    Rendezvous with Rama

    Arthur C. Clarke

    4 here · 25 all-time · #233 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 16,602 ratings on Amazon
  16. 4

    Roadside Picnic

    Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

    4 here · 25 all-time · #237 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 4,708 ratings on Amazon
  17. 4

    Exhalation

    Ted Chiang

    4 here · 21 all-time · #298 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 14,849 ratings on Amazon
  18. 4Stand on Zanzibar

    Stand on Zanzibar

    John Brunner

    4 here · 9 all-time · #750 overall

  19. 4Robot series

    Robot series

    Isaac Asimov

    4 here · 7 all-time · #1036 overall

  20. 3

    Neuromancer

    William Gibson

    3 here · 117 all-time · #17 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 20,213 ratings on Amazon
  21. 3Permutation City

    Permutation City

    Greg Egan

    3 here · 73 all-time · #45 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 2,604 ratings on Amazon
  22. 3

    Blindsight

    Peter Watts

    3 here · 70 all-time · #48 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 8,527 ratings on Amazon
  23. 3

    The Diamond Age

    Neal Stephenson

    3 here · 64 all-time · #58 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 5,358 ratings on Amazon
  24. 3

    A Fire Upon the Deep

    Vernor Vinge

    3 here · 47 all-time · #93 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 5,097 ratings on Amazon
  25. 3

    Diaspora

    Greg Egan

    3 here · 45 all-time · #101 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 2,393 ratings on Amazon
  26. 3

    Red Rising

    Pierce Brown

    3 here · 35 all-time · #147 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 111,087 ratings on Amazon
  27. 3

    Wool

    Hugh Howey

    3 here · 23 all-time · #262 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 53,808 ratings on Amazon
  28. 3Excession

    Excession

    Iain M. Banks

    3 here · 16 all-time · #394 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 6,008 ratings on Amazon
  29. 3The Mote in God's Eye

    The Mote in God's Eye

    Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

    3 here · 13 all-time · #496 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.1 out of 5, 22 ratings on Amazon
  30. 3True Names

    True Names

    Vernor Vinge

    3 here · 9 all-time · #763 overall

  31. 3Feersum Endjinn

    Feersum Endjinn

    Iain M. Banks

    3 here · 9 all-time · #778 overall

  32. 3The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

    The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

    Philip K. Dick

    3 here · 7 all-time · #1026 overall

  33. 2

    Brave New World

    Aldous Huxley

    2 here · 67 all-time · #55 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 48,055 ratings on Amazon
  34. 2

    Stranger in a Strange Land

    Robert A. Heinlein

    2 here · 55 all-time · #70 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 12,077 ratings on Amazon
  35. 2

    Daemon

    Daniel Suarez

    2 here · 52 all-time · #78 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 6,091 ratings on Amazon
  36. 2

    The Dispossessed

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    2 here · 42 all-time · #113 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 9,037 ratings on Amazon
  37. 2

    The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

    Robert A. Heinlein

    2 here · 38 all-time · #127 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 9,404 ratings on Amazon
  38. 2

    The Left Hand of Darkness

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    2 here · 36 all-time · #140 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 15,332 ratings on Amazon
  39. 2

    Children of Time

    Adrian Tchaikovsky

    2 here · 34 all-time · #157 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 51,405 ratings on Amazon
  40. 2

    A Canticle for Leibowitz

    Walter M. Miller Jr.

    2 here · 28 all-time · #205 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 5,243 ratings on Amazon
  41. 2

    Nexus

    Ramez Naam

    2 here · 21 all-time · #288 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 3,715 ratings on Amazon
  42. 2Old Man's War

    Old Man's War

    John Scalzi

    2 here · 21 all-time · #295 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 32,356 ratings on Amazon
  43. 2Ancillary Justice

    Ancillary Justice

    Ann Leckie

    2 here · 21 all-time · #301 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 21,235 ratings on Amazon
  44. 2We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

    We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

    Dennis E. Taylor

    2 here · 21 all-time · #306 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 34,413 ratings on Amazon
  45. 2A Scanner Darkly

    A Scanner Darkly

    Philip K. Dick

    2 here · 14 all-time · #455 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 4,019 ratings on Amazon
  46. 2This Is How You Lose the Time War

    This Is How You Lose the Time War

    Amal El-Mohtar

    2 here · 13 all-time · #502 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 20,359 ratings on Amazon
  47. 2There Is No Antimemetics Division

    There Is No Antimemetics Division

    qntm

    2 here · 12 all-time · #547 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 13,323 ratings on Amazon
  48. 2Sprawl trilogy

    Sprawl trilogy

    William Gibson

    2 here · 11 all-time · #586 overall

  49. 2The Peripheral

    The Peripheral

    William Gibson

    2 here · 10 all-time · #633 overall

  50. 2City

    City

    Clifford D. Simak

    2 here · 8 all-time · #851 overall

  51. 2A Memory Called Empire

    A Memory Called Empire

    Arkady Martine

    2 here · 8 all-time · #860 overall

  52. 2The Sheep Look Up

    The Sheep Look Up

    John Brunner

    2 here · 7 all-time · #1001 overall

  53. 2Chasm City

    Chasm City

    Alastair Reynolds

    2 here · 7 all-time · #1048 overall

  54. 2More Than Human

    More Than Human

    Theodore Sturgeon

    2 here · 6 all-time · #1154 overall

  55. 2House of Suns

    House of Suns

    Alastair Reynolds

    2 here · 6 all-time · #1164 overall

  56. 2Cyteen

    Cyteen

    C. J. Cherryh

    2 here · 6 all-time · #1168 overall

  57. 2Mockingbird

    Mockingbird

    Walter Tevis

    2 here · 5 all-time · #1479 overall

  58. 1

    Cryptonomicon

    Neal Stephenson

    1 here · 106 all-time · #23 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 8,425 ratings on Amazon
  59. 1

    The Martian

    Andy Weir

    1 here · 103 all-time · #25 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 187,449 ratings on Amazon
  60. 1

    1984

    George Orwell

    1 here · 94 all-time · #34 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 126,118 ratings on Amazon
  61. 1

    Anathem

    Neal Stephenson

    1 here · 83 all-time · #40 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 5,275 ratings on Amazon
  62. 1

    A Deepness in the Sky

    Vernor Vinge

    1 here · 41 all-time · #121 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 3,418 ratings on Amazon
  63. 1The Culture

    The Culture

    Iain M. Banks

    1 here · 37 all-time · #133 overall

    Buy on Amazon3.8 out of 5, 182 ratings on Amazon
  64. 1

    The Dark Forest

    Cixin Liu

    1 here · 27 all-time · #210 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 34,505 ratings on Amazon
  65. 1

    The Book of the New Sun

    Gene Wolfe

    1 here · 27 all-time · #211 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 3,428 ratings on Amazon
  66. 1

    Ubik

    Philip K. Dick

    1 here · 25 all-time · #234 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 7,135 ratings on Amazon
  67. 1

    The Sirens of Titan

    Kurt Vonnegut

    1 here · 23 all-time · #257 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 8,999 ratings on Amazon
  68. 1Starship Troopers

    Starship Troopers

    Robert A. Heinlein

    1 here · 21 all-time · #292 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 20,764 ratings on Amazon
  69. 1The Cyberiad

    The Cyberiad

    Stanisław Lem

    1 here · 21 all-time · #304 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 805 ratings on Amazon
  70. 1Remembrance of Earth's Past

    Remembrance of Earth's Past

    Liu Cixin

    1 here · 20 all-time · #321 overall

  71. 1Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

    Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

    Philip K. Dick

    1 here · 17 all-time · #367 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 25,618 ratings on Amazon
  72. 1Worm

    Worm

    Wildbow

    1 here · 16 all-time · #401 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 130 ratings on Amazon
  73. 1The Lathe of Heaven

    The Lathe of Heaven

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    1 here · 14 all-time · #452 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 8,654 ratings on Amazon
  74. 1Dark Matter

    Dark Matter

    Blake Crouch

    1 here · 14 all-time · #458 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 92,485 ratings on Amazon
  75. 1Consider Phlebas

    Consider Phlebas

    Iain M. Banks

    1 here · 13 all-time · #477 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.1 out of 5, 14,019 ratings on Amazon
  76. 1Childhood's End

    Childhood's End

    Arthur C. Clarke

    1 here · 13 all-time · #480 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 15,230 ratings on Amazon
  77. 1The Quantum Thief

    The Quantum Thief

    Hannu Rajaniemi

    1 here · 12 all-time · #530 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 2,607 ratings on Amazon
  78. 1Titan

    Titan

    Ron Chernow

    1 here · 12 all-time · #536 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 4,201 ratings on Amazon
  79. 1The City & the City

    The City & the City

    China Miéville

    1 here · 11 all-time · #568 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 5,610 ratings on Amazon
  80. 1Ringworld

    Ringworld

    Larry Niven

    1 here · 11 all-time · #569 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.3 out of 5, 8,555 ratings on Amazon
  81. 1His Master's Voice

    His Master's Voice

    Stanisław Lem

    1 here · 11 all-time · #576 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.1 out of 5, 438 ratings on Amazon
  82. 1Artemis

    Artemis

    Andy Weir

    1 here · 11 all-time · #603 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.2 out of 5, 52,884 ratings on Amazon
  83. 1Altered Carbon

    Altered Carbon

    Richard K. Morgan

    1 here · 10 all-time · #628 overall

    Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 15,405 ratings on Amazon
  84. 1The Overstory

    The Overstory

    Richard Powers

    1 here · 10 all-time · #659 overall

  85. 1Ministry for the Future

    Ministry for the Future

    Kim Stanley Robinson

    1 here · 9 all-time · #714 overall

  86. 1Cloud Atlas

    Cloud Atlas

    David Mitchell

    1 here · 9 all-time · #725 overall

  87. 1Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Matt Dinniman

    1 here · 9 all-time · #748 overall

  88. 1I, Robot

    I, Robot

    Isaac Asimov

    1 here · 7 all-time · #907 overall

  89. 1Recursion

    Recursion

    Blake Crouch

    1 here · 7 all-time · #912 overall

  90. 1Spin

    Spin

    Robert Charles Wilson

    1 here · 7 all-time · #917 overall

  91. 1Count Zero

    Count Zero

    William Gibson

    1 here · 7 all-time · #963 overall

  92. 1Fiasco

    Fiasco

    Stanisław Lem

    1 here · 7 all-time · #975 overall

  93. 1The Machine Stops

    The Machine Stops

    E. M. Forster

    1 here · 7 all-time · #979 overall

  94. 11632

    1632

    Eric Flint

    1 here · 6 all-time · #1089 overall

  95. 1Mona Lisa Overdrive

    Mona Lisa Overdrive

    William Gibson

    1 here · 6 all-time · #1098 overall

  96. 1Mars trilogy

    Mars trilogy

    Kim Stanley Robinson

    1 here · 6 all-time · #1128 overall

  97. 1Burning Chrome

    Burning Chrome

    William Gibson

    1 here · 6 all-time · #1129 overall

  98. 1The Dresden Files

    The Dresden Files

    Jim Butcher

    1 here · 6 all-time · #1133 overall

  99. 1Lilith's Brood

    Lilith's Brood

    Octavia E. Butler

    1 here · 6 all-time · #1185 overall

  100. 1A Psalm for the Wild-Built

    A Psalm for the Wild-Built

    Becky Chambers

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1270 overall

  101. 1The Night's Dawn Trilogy

    The Night's Dawn Trilogy

    Peter F. Hamilton

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1273 overall

  102. 1The Difference Engine

    The Difference Engine

    William Gibson, Bruce Sterling

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1316 overall

  103. 1The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

    The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect

    Roger Williams

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1339 overall

  104. 1Kill Decision

    Kill Decision

    Daniel Suarez

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1343 overall

  105. 1The Egg

    The Egg

    Andy Weir

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1377 overall

  106. 1Ninefox Gambit

    Ninefox Gambit

    Yoon Ha Lee

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1383 overall

  107. 1Dragon's Egg

    Dragon's Egg

    Robert L. Forward

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1416 overall

  108. 1Battlefield Earth

    Battlefield Earth

    L. Ron Hubbard

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1420 overall

  109. 1Stainless Steel Rat

    Stainless Steel Rat

    Harry Harrison

    1 here · 5 all-time · #1437 overall

  110. 1Clockwork Rocket

    Clockwork Rocket

    Greg Egan

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1543 overall

  111. 1Chocky

    Chocky

    John Wyndham

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1560 overall

  112. 1The Long Earth

    The Long Earth

    Terry Pratchett and Steve Baxter

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1593 overall

  113. 1Citizen of the Galaxy

    Citizen of the Galaxy

    Robert Heinlein

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1637 overall

  114. 1Aurora

    Aurora

    Kim Stanley Robinson

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1640 overall

  115. 1Wandering Earth

    Wandering Earth

    Liu Cixin

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1642 overall

  116. 1The Long Run

    The Long Run

    Daniel Keys Moran

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1664 overall

  117. 1The Dark Side of the Sun

    The Dark Side of the Sun

    Terry Pratchett

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1793 overall

  118. 1The Word for World is Forest

    The Word for World is Forest

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    1 here · 4 all-time · #1840 overall

  119. 1Hench

    Hench

    Natalie Zina Walschots

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2008 overall

  120. 1The Humans

    The Humans

    Matt Haig

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2125 overall

  121. 1The Shadow of the Torturer

    The Shadow of the Torturer

    Gene Wolfe

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2149 overall

  122. 1The Road Not Taken

    The Road Not Taken

    Harry Turtledove

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2222 overall

  123. 1The Space Trilogy

    The Space Trilogy

    C. S. Lewis

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2253 overall

  124. 1Too Like the Lightning

    Too Like the Lightning

    Ada Palmer

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2342 overall

  125. 1Terra Ignota

    Terra Ignota

    Ada Palmer

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2354 overall

  126. 1Book of the Long Sun

    Book of the Long Sun

    Gene Wolfe

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2375 overall

  127. 1The Polity

    The Polity

    Neal Asher

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2618 overall

  128. 1Sphere

    Sphere

    Michael Crichton

    1 here · 3 all-time · #2619 overall