# The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov

9 Hacker News commenters recommended The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend this short story for its prediction of a society that has lost the ability to do its own calculations, and it stays with readers long after they finish it.

## Why people recommend it

- Predicts today's reliance on technology (3 comments): "Both are social dramas about societies that went far down the path of ignorance." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47648390)) "it is a treat predicting this trend from the 1950s" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49573505)) "reminded more of (and scared by)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48254809))
- Stays with readers long after (2 comments): "I still think about it, often." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46850538)) "it's very much an old friend" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47804619))
- Works well as a short story (2 comments): "You could probably make a pretty good short story out of that scenario" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47036373)) "it didn't really "land" properly until I read the short story" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48966101))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Last Question by Isaac Asimov](https://hackerapproved.com/p/last-question.md): 50 recommend
- [There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury](https://hackerapproved.com/p/there-will-come-soft-rains.md): 27 recommend
- [They're Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson](https://hackerapproved.com/p/they-re-made-out-of-meat.md): 17 recommend
- [Lena by qntm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/lena.md): 16 recommend
- [The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster](https://hackerapproved.com/p/machine-stops.md): 15 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/9998070015?tag=YOURTAG-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/YOURID/9789998070011) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov", https://hackerapproved.com/p/feeling-of-power/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).