HACKER Q&A
📣 jstr_

What's Your Favorite Novel?


While many enjoy those non-fiction technical reads, there's more to life than that! What other (i.e. fiction) books does the HN community like?

My personal favorite is definitely Cat's Cradle (Vonnegut), but Kafka On The Beach (Murakami) has become my close second.


  👤 nancymiller Accepted Answer ✓
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. This novel depicts a dystopian world in which books are burned by firemen, and critical thinking is strongly discouraged. In this world, individuals rush through their lives and have no time to stop and think over vital questions. When they have spare time, they entertain themselves with various types of media enabled by advanced technologies or lead empty conversations with each other. You can find more information about this novel here: https://ivypanda.com/essays/ray-bradburys-fahrenheit-451-nov...

👤 skydhash
I’d say Adrian’s Shadows of the Apt. They were the books that make me realize how good it feels when the world building is done well. I have a list of books I’m currently waiting for, but I remember the above fondly

👤 MilnerRoute
"Bang the Drum Slowly" was really something.

A plot summary doesn't do it justice. It's the way the story rolls along, like someone capturing all the minutes of a real life. Really interesting style of writing.

I felt the same way about the book version of "About Schmidt."


👤 PaulHoule
I’ll say ORA:CLE by Kevin O’Donnell, it is one of the few sci fi books that has become largely true for me.

👤 uberman
The Count of Monte Cristo.

👤 roschdal
Anna Karenina