The Ministry for the Future
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinsonby Kim Stanley Robinson and Simon Saito
Hacker ApprovedRanked 43 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
Recommended for its sobering, hopeful take on the socioeconomic barriers to climate action. Critics find the writing uneven and the plot too optimistic.
Recommended for its sobering, hopeful take on the socioeconomic barriers to climate action. Critics find the writing uneven and the plot too optimistic.
14 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 86%
Recommended in 7 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 7 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, 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
Frank look at climate politics and economics
“I found it especially interesting because it does expose and address the socioeconomic issues preventing us from taking action on climate.”
Comment from 11 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What are young technically minded people reading?” “interesting, sad, but hopeful science fiction about where this is headed”
Comment from 20 May 2026 in “India's hottest district shuts at 10 am as mercury breaches 48 C mark” Memorable opening chapter
“the first few pages of "The Ministry for the future" will make a great first episode for an HBO show”
Comment from 29 Mar 2026 in “The Cloud: The dystopian book that changed Germany (2022)” “That first chapter lives rent-free in my head. Highly recommend reading it.”
Comment from 14 Jun 2026 in “A 'cold blob' in the Atlantic could be a sign of AMOC shutdown – CNN”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Uneven, weak writing
“parts could be better written, and I'm not hopeful things will turn out the way they do in the book”
Comment from 15 Jul 2026 in “Global Warming at 3 °C by 2050? What's Behind the New German Climate Warning” “The only good bit of the book is that first chapter”
Comment from 20 May 2026 in “India's hottest district shuts at 10 am as mercury breaches 48 C mark” Unrealistic, too-optimistic societal response
“One of the biggest fantasies in that book is that the "protesters" would be so unified and ethical in their plots.”
Comment from 10 Apr 2026 in “Molotov Cocktail Is Hurled at Home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman” “The positive cultural/societal reaction to the disaster strained my suspension of disbelief pretty hard”
Comment from 4 Jun 2026 in “Mornings and nights no longer exist at 47C: A day in the hottest place in India”
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 |
| The Ministry for the Futureby Kim Stanley Robinson and Simon SaitoThis page | 12 | 2 | 86% | 7 | — | Approved |
What people said
All 14 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The strong no, in the most absolute terms.”
“we will actually wake up to realize we are living in Kim Stanley Robinson's Anthropocene climate future”
“Ministry for the Future is, in my view, much better.”
“parts could be better written, and I'm not hopeful things will turn out the way they do in the book”
“That first chapter lives rent-free in my head. Highly recommend reading it.”
“The positive cultural/societal reaction to the disaster strained my suspension of disbelief pretty hard”
“The only good bit of the book is that first chapter”
“interesting, sad, but hopeful science fiction about where this is headed”
“One of the biggest fantasies in that book is that the "protesters" would be so unified and ethical in their plots.”
“the first few pages of "The Ministry for the future" will make a great first episode for an HBO show”
“I generally endorse that book”
“it changed my view on climate change”
“The stereotypes he wrote about Spain were atrocious.”
“I found it especially interesting because it does expose and address the socioeconomic issues preventing us from taking action on climate.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.