# The Laundry Files by Charles Stross

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/laundry-files/

7 people recommended The Laundry Files by Charles Stross in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a fun, humorous sci-fi series where magic is a branch of mathematics, written by an ex-programmer. Some readers find later books moving to a revolving cast.

Summary written by Claude from 8 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Fun, humorous sci-fi series (4 comments in the sample): "Generally a fun series, but it seems to be moving towards a revolving cast that I'm less interested in continuing on with." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46387537)) "If you want an humourous take based on this notion, read the Laundry Files book series" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46160715)) "Try Charles Stross's Accelerando and the Laundry Files series if you need good sci-fi." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49902405))
- Praised as good reading (1 comment in the sample): "Merchant Princes and Laundry series are good, but not at all along the lines of Banks." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48160784))

## Other science fiction TV series people recommend

- [Star Trek: The Next Generation](https://hackerapproved.com/p/star-trek-the-next-generation/): 43 recommend, 10 mixed, 13 criticize
- [Star Trek: Deep Space Nine](https://hackerapproved.com/p/star-trek-deep-space-nine/): 37 recommend, 11 mixed, 7 criticize
- [The Expanse](https://hackerapproved.com/p/expanse/): 24 recommend, 8 mixed, 4 criticize
- [Silo by Apple TV](https://hackerapproved.com/p/silo/): 19 recommend, 7 mixed, 10 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, "The Laundry Files by Charles Stross", https://hackerapproved.com/p/laundry-files/ (7 recommend, 3 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.