# A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge

21 Hacker News commenters recommended A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a far-future science fiction novel with memorable alien characters and inventive ideas, praised as one of Vinge's best.

## Why people recommend it

- Among favorite books of recommenders (3 comments): "a book and a character I already enjoy a ton" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49935701)) "It just might be my most favorite book." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46135790)) "That's one of my favorite books :)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47836061))
- Far-future setting and spider civilization (2 comments): "IMO actually the superior story. It plays in the far future of humanity." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47587113)) "the whole spider civilization angle is so fun" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48750502))
- Ideas like focus and control (3 comments): "It's a good book and you can see how the concept of controlling ubiquitous tech is a thing he tries to do" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49170276)) "Vernor Vinge's concept of "focus" in "A deepness in the sky" really clicked with me" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49166149)) "Vinge put into mere footnotes what others would use to write entire novels" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48159118))
- Believable alien and memorable characters (2 comments): "didn't feel like a human wearing an alien suit" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47271819)) "one of favorite characters in fiction" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49934640))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir](https://hackerapproved.com/p/project-hail-mary.md): 117 recommend
- [There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-is-no-antimemetics-division.md): 98 recommend
- [Blindsight by Peter Watts](https://hackerapproved.com/p/blindsight.md): 96 recommend
- [Dune by Frank Herbert](https://hackerapproved.com/p/dune.md): 82 recommend
- [Accelerando by Charles Stross](https://hackerapproved.com/p/accelerando.md): 71 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1473211964?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781473211964) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge", https://hackerapproved.com/p/a-deepness-in-the-sky/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).