# High-Rise by J.G. Ballard

7 Hacker News commenters recommended High-Rise by J.G. Ballard and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a sharp, prescient novel about how modern society and its class divides can break down, with a fast, unsettling read. No recurring caveat appears in the quotes.

## Why people recommend it

- Excellent, interesting novel (3 comments): "I can recommend the excellent novels Concrete Island and High-Rise from the same author." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48502414)) "are both excellent reads with very interesting stuff going on" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47678932)) "Loved High rise, Concrete island, Empire of the sun." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47869612))
- Part of a worthwhile body of work (2 comments): "There's like at least two or three dozen articles, short story collections and novels of his that are worth reading." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48502849)) "High Rise, Running Wild, Crash, Super-Cannes, Cocaine Nights, and so on are all about this." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48503871))

## 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/0393341410?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780393341416) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "High-Rise by J.G. Ballard", https://hackerapproved.com/p/high-rise/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).