# Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a favorite novel by J.G. Ballard, with several readers calling it very good and placing it alongside his other well-loved books.

## Why people recommend it

- Loved by many recommenders (3 comments): "Hell I LOVE The Midnight, Com Truise, Essenger, Empire of the Sun" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45837554)) "Loved High rise, Concrete island, Empire of the sun." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47869612)) "considered it one of my favorites" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46118235))
- Praised as very good (1 comments): ""the wind from nowhere" and "empire of the sun are very good"" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47871677))
- Ranked with Ballard's other favorites (2 comments): "Loved High rise, Concrete island, Empire of the sun." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47869612)) "considered it one of my favorites" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46118235))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0007221525?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780007221523) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard", https://hackerapproved.com/p/empire-of-the-sun/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).