Excession
Excession by Iain M. Banksby Iain M. Banks
Shares rank 135 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
Recommended as a top science fiction novel, praised for its optimistic take on AI and for Iain Banks's enduring standing in the genre. No recurring criticisms appeared.
Recommended as a top science fiction novel, praised for its optimistic take on AI and for Iain Banks's enduring standing in the genre. No recurring criticisms appeared.
3 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Optimistic take on AI
“5 stars and the most optimistic series on AI”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” Iain Banks's enduring reputation
“Iain Banks still reigns supreme”
Comment from 8 Mar 2026 in “Science Fiction Is Dying. Long Live Post Sci-Fi?”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Excessionby Iain M. BanksThis page | 3 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
2 of the 3 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“5 stars and the most optimistic series on AI”
“Iain Banks still reigns supreme”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.