Cibola burn
by James S. A. Corey · first published 2014
29% recommend65% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Fourth Expanse novel, a hard-leaning space opera praised for its detailed exploration of alien technology and its distinct viewpoint chapters; suits readers already following the series who enjoy the world-building.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonize has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Ilus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire. Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage, and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world. The struggle on Ilus threatens to spread all the way back to Earth. James Holden and the cr
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…has been quite the game changer for me. For one, I'm always looking forward to it, since I really like to immerse myself into my current book's world (I'm reading a really good book right now called "Cibola Burn" by James S. A. Corey, the fourth book in The Expanse Series). Additionally, it helps me to fall asleep much better and my sleep has improved a lot, too. I can recommend this to almost anyone; IMHO sleep…
on “Some Favorite Non-Technical Books (2018)” ↗Currently reading Cibola Burn - the 4th in the Expanse series by James SA Corey. Very good hard-ish SF series. I also just finished Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull's book about Pixar. Extremely valuable insights about running a creative…
on “Ask HN: What book are you reading right now?” ↗Here is a partial list of the books I read this year. These are all books that stood out to me which I enjoyed: Fiction Books: * Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War, Abaddon's Gate, Cibola Burn by James S. A. Corey * Homeworld, Out of the Black (books 3 & 4 in the Odyssey One series) by Evan Currie * Furies of Calderon, Academ’s Fury (1 & 2 of the Codex Alera series) by Jim Butcher * The…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗The Cibola Burn book did a much better job of explaining things on Illus, particularly the alien stuff. And the Investigator POV chapters were wild. You don't get as much of that on the show.
on “The Expanse UI Design” ↗I don't know. People keep complaining about Cibola Burn (book 4), but I liked it. I genuinely consider it one of the better ones. That's perhaps because it's the first, and to date the most detailed, exploration of the aliens and their technology, which to…
on “Amazon acquires MGM for $8.5B” ↗Near the end of Cibola Burn, there was this part that gave some extra details about the hand terminals they use. I almost cried when reading it. A computer that's designed to work off-line just as well as on-line, that can form…
on “The Expanse UI Design” ↗…Post-apocalyptic novel about the effects of an EMP attack on the USA. - "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. Another post-apocalyptics novel, about conventional nuclear attack on many sites in the USA. - "Cibola Burn" by James S. A. Corey. Part of the Expanse Series that has been made into a show on SyFy. These books aren't page turners for me, but overall they are entertaining enough.
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗As for lithium (the third-most abundant element after the Big Bang, at 0.00000001% of nuclei), it so happens I was just reading the James S. A. Corey novel Cibola Burn where it plays a role: "People used to think gold was worth fightin' over, and that shit gets made by every supernova, which means pretty much every planet around a G2 star will have some. Stars burn…
on “What's the third most common element?” ↗* Computer Organization and Architecture [1] * Algorithms [2] * The 50th Law [3] * Applied Predictive Modeling [4] When I get a breather from school... * Cibola Burn [5] 1: http://amzn.com/013293633X ; 2: http://amzn.com/032157351X ; 3: http://amzn.com/006177460X ; 4: http://amzn.com/1461468485 ; 5: http://amzn.com/031621762X
on “Ask HN: What Books Are You Reading?” ↗Sprinting through Cibola Burn http://www.amazon.com/Cibola-Burn-Expanse-James-Corey/dp/031... before Nemesis Games gets here http://www.amazon.com/Nemesis-Games-Expanse-James-Corey/dp/0... Also working my way through SICP to see…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗…have some. Stars burn through lithium as fast as they make it. All the available ore got made at the big bang, and we’re not doin’ another one of those. Now that’s scarcity, friend.” ― James S.A. Corey, Cibola Burn
on “We’re Going to Need More Lithium” ↗…"Gatebound" - Brandon Sanderson "Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England" Re-reads (mostly on audio for dozing off, but then got hooked .. again): - James S.A. Corey "Caliban's War" & "Cibola Burn" - George RR Martin "Game of Thrones" - Robin Hobb "Assassin's Apprentice"
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗…House by Ann Patchett - Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the End of the World by Eric Jay Dolin - All the Sinners Bleed by S A Cosby - Project Hail Mary and Artemis by Andy Weir - Cibola Burn and Nemesis Games by James S A Corey (the Expanse series)
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗I think some stuff is improved in the series though. For example, the story from Cibola Burn seemed a lot better on the show than the book in my opinion and some of the characters are better. In particular, Ashford's character is massively improved (it helps that David Strathairn plays the role…
on “The Expanse UI Design” ↗…plenty of variability. RE hardness, I'd say it's 90% hard by volume. The protomolecule is a core plot point, but its magical properties aren't big part of the story, by volume (with possible exception of Cibola Burn). Beyond that, the only "out there" elements are the absurd fuel efficiency of the Epstein drive, and the plausability-stretching stealth tech. But it may be that my threshold for hardness is lower than…
on “'The Expanse' Canceled at Syfy” ↗