Darkness at Noon
by Arthur Koestler · first published 1941
65% recommend30% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Powerful novel of Stalin-era show trials and total state control, seen as an influence on Orwell's 1984. Suits readers who like dystopian fiction and want to see how a system breaks a person into submission.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Second 'Darkness at Noon'. A very powerful read. By Arthur Koestler 1940. Orwell's 1984 was published in 1948, wasn't it?
on “Noam Chomsky: A Surveillance State Beyond Imagination Is Being Created” ↗Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler, is another allegorical book about the Russian Revolution, more specifically the Moscow trials that followed. The book had a strong impact on me.
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗Since HN seems to have an interest in Soviet history, I would recommend Darkness at Noon by Koestler and Khrushchev: The Years in Power by Medvedev.
on “H. G. Wells’ interview with Stalin (1934)” ↗I think Darkness at Noon by Koestler is the best book about how system breaks man and forces into submission. The ending of 1984 is rather pale in comparison. There are also a few books by Russian authors on that topic, but…
on “Mystical Experiences of Arthur Koestler (1954)” ↗…Of American Unreason, The Jaynes, Julian - Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind, The Kerouac, Jack - On The Road Kidd, David - All The Emperor’s Horses Koestler, Arthur - Darkness At Noon Laing, R. D. - Divided Self, The Di Lampedusa, Giusseppe - Leopard, The Larson, Nella - Passing Lautréamont, Comte de - Maldodor Lawrence, D.H. - Lady Chatterly’s Lover Lebowitz, Fran - Metropolitan…
on “David Bowie’s Top 100 Books (2013)” ↗…or The Children's Crusade by Kurt Vonnegut TI 99/4a basic reference manual Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, by Abelson, Sussman Object Oriented Analysis and Design by Grady Booch Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler Thieves in the Night by Arthur Koestler All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. War and Peace by L.N.Tolstoy…
on “Ask HN: What's one book that changed your life?” ↗Readers who appreciate Orwell's work will also likely appreciate Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. The latter's novel inspired Orwell on how to highlight dystopian ideas, and convinced Orwell that fiction is the medium best suited for this. It's a good read (and so is his research-oriented…
on “Before he was George Orwell, he was Eric Blair, police officer” ↗…Tractatus LogicoPhilosophicus, Ludwig Wittgenstein (These you might want to approach via a gentle introduction if you did not study Philosophy to degree level) The Rediscovery of the Mind, John R Searle Darkness at Noon, Arthur Koestler The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse A Handful of Dust, Evelyn Waugh Diaries, Samuel Pepys Falling Off the Map, Pico Iyer A Time of Gifts, Patrick Leigh Fermor The Lonely Sea and the Sky,…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read?” ↗…Tractatus LogicoPhilosophicus, Ludwig Wittgenstein (These you might want to approach via a gentle introduction if you did not study Philosophy to degree level) The Rediscovery of the Mind, John R Searle Darkness at Noon, Arthur Koestler The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse A Handful of Dust, Evelyn Waugh Diaries, Samuel Pepys Falling Off the Map, Pico Iyer A Time of Gifts, Patrick Leigh Fermor The Lonely Sea and…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read?” ↗my favorites for 2025 Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler the whole Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗…essentially fixes one of the commonest problems in fantasy (plot over characters). On Writing (Stephen King). I read a few writing guides this year and was by far freshest. Collected Fictions (Borges). Darkness at Noon (Arthur Koestler) is a classic in the same vein as One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Shadow Divers (Robert Kurson) is a true-life story about divers discovering and exploring a remarkable wreck.…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023” ↗I've read 'Darkness at noon'[1] at year ago or two. It's one of the books Orwell was heavily influenced by. It's about Stalin's Russia and it's amazing. Same topic, total gov control. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkness_at_Noon
on “Noam Chomsky: A Surveillance State Beyond Imagination Is Being Created” ↗…profoundly about brainwashing and thought control in the end persuaded a woman that since he wasn't going to live any longer, her life wasn't worth living, either. I only have the profoundest respect for Darkness at Noon. I read it in high school and it has stayed with me ever since. But it strikes me that sometimes you escape great trauma and sometimes you don't. A man who spent a lot of his time having a great public…
on “The Desperate Plight Behind “Darkness at Noon”” ↗You should read Darkness at Noon.
on “Dr. Stallman responded to my open letter” ↗…civil war or his schooling years. He witnessed first-hand how totalitarian governments operate and a possible future outcome. A book that played a major role in his understanding of the Soviet Union was Darkness at Noon[1] by Arthur Koestler written in 1940, a book which gives an insight view of the Moscow Trials[2] in 1938. Orwell's 1984 was published in 1949. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkness_at_Noon [2]…
on “At last, a law to stop almost anyone from doing almost anything” ↗