Translation State
Translation State by Ann Leckieby Ann Leckie
Shares rank 108 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a strong standalone science fiction novel with unusually strange aliens, and it works even for readers new to Leckie's books.
People recommend it as a strong standalone science fiction novel with unusually strange aliens, and it works even for readers new to Leckie's books.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 4
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 4 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not 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
Strange, original alien species
“I like it because it contains the strangest aliens (the Presger) that I have come across.”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Works without reading other Leckie
“I feel comfortable recommending it even if you haven’t read any other Leckie”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Described as great
“while Ann Leckie's Translation State is great”
Comment from 9 Feb 2026 in “Every book recommended on the Odd Lots discord”
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 |
| Translation Stateby Ann LeckieThis page | 4 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
3 of the 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“while Ann Leckie's Translation State is great”
“I feel comfortable recommending it even if you haven’t read any other Leckie”
“I like it because it contains the strangest aliens (the Presger) that I have come across.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.