The Word for World Is Forest
The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guinby Ursula K. Le Guin
Shares rank 135 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend this Ursula K. Le Guin novel as criminally underrated and a great read. No critics or recurring caveats appear in the quotes.
People recommend this Ursula K. Le Guin novel as criminally underrated and a great read. No critics or recurring caveats appear in the quotes.
3 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not 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: recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 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
Called criminally underrated
“I think “The word for world is forest” is criminally underrated.”
Comment from 8 Feb 2026 in “Curating a Show on My Ineffable Mother, Ursula K. Le Guin” Described as a great one
“Yes, true, that's also a great one.”
Comment from 8 Feb 2026 in “Curating a Show on My Ineffable Mother, Ursula K. Le Guin”
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 Word for World Is Forestby Ursula K. Le GuinThis page | 3 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
2 of the 3 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Yes, true, that's also a great one.”
“I think “The word for world is forest” is criminally underrated.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.