Ra
Ra by qntmby qntm
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 14 of 122 novels by recommenders
Readers recommend it for its interesting ideas and an enjoyable story, and say it is a good entry point to the author's work. Critics say the ending is weak.
Readers recommend it for its interesting ideas and an enjoyable story, and say it is a good entry point to the author's work. Critics say the ending is weak.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 13
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 87%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: 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 carries the badge
- 13 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 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
Enjoyable story, strongly recommended
“I greatly enjoyed it and would strongly recommend it.”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “"Ra" is one of my all-time favorite books.”
Comment from 7 Apr 2026 in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division” Author's other work also praised
“in Ra (same author) you get just what you're looking for”
Comment from 6 Apr 2026 in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division” “I really enjoyed one of their other stories”
Comment from 24 Dec 2025 in “Qntm's Power Tower Toy” Interesting ideas and worldbuilding
“I love when you learn why magic was discovered in the year it was.”
Comment from 7 Apr 2026 in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division” “in my opinion a better story, doesn't rely on the whole SCP thing”
Comment from 7 Apr 2026 in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Weak or unsatisfying ending
“If you end up rewriting your entire world at the end of the book, it is an intellectual failing to tackle the main issues straight on.”
Comment from 25 Dec 2025 in “Qntm's Power Tower Toy” “He has interesting ideas, but cannot seem to write an ending.”
Comment from 6 Apr 2026 in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division” “the ending of Ra was a big letdown for me”
Comment from 6 Apr 2026 in “Book Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Raby qntmThis page | 13 | 2 | 87% | 4 | — | Approved |
What people said
12 of the 16 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I greatly enjoyed it and would strongly recommend it.”
“"Ra" is one of my all-time favorite books.”
“I love when you learn why magic was discovered in the year it was.”
“in my opinion a better story, doesn't rely on the whole SCP thing”
“in Ra (same author) you get just what you're looking for”
“I liked Ra, but I liked Fine Structures more.”
“the ending of Ra was a big letdown for me”
“He has interesting ideas, but cannot seem to write an ending.”
“If you need a simple, cross-provider agent harness, give it a shot!”
“If you end up rewriting your entire world at the end of the book, it is an intellectual failing to tackle the main issues straight on.”
“felt it needed a solid once over”
“I really enjoyed one of their other stories”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.