# Crystal Nights by Greg Egan

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/crystal-nights/

3 people recommended Crystal Nights by Greg Egan in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 2 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

2 of the 3 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Crystal Nights (2008)”.

**Verdict:** Commenters recommend it as a favourite short story, and one links to it often.

Summary written by Claude from 1 comment.

## Why people recommend it

- Called a favourite short story (1 comment in the sample): "My favourite short story, I link it often." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48365517))

## Other short stories people recommend

- [The Last Question by Isaac Asimov](https://hackerapproved.com/p/last-question/): 44 recommend, 5 mixed, 2 criticize
- [They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson](https://hackerapproved.com/p/they-re-made-out-of-meat/): 15 recommend, 2 mixed, 4 criticize
- [The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster](https://hackerapproved.com/p/machine-stops/): 14 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 criticize
- [Lena by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lena/): 13 recommend, 3 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Crystal Nights by Greg Egan", https://hackerapproved.com/p/crystal-nights/ (3 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 3 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.