Johnny Got His Gun
by Dalton Trumbo · first published 1939
36% recommend64% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Powerful, disturbing anti-war novel that changes how war is seen. It is compelling and unsettling, and it suits anyone curious about war's human cost.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This was no ordinary war. This was a war to make the world safe for democracy. And if democracy was made safe, then nothing else mattered--not the millions of dead bodies, nor the thousands of ruined lives ... This is no ordinary novel. This is a novel that never takes the easy way out: it is shocking, violent, terrifying, horrible, uncompromising, brutal, remorseless and gruesome ... but so is war. --Publisher.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2020–2024Ghost Boy
Martin Pistorius
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 32 recommend · 3 mention2 recommend · 32 recommend
2017–2026Fanged Noumena
Nick Land, Robin Mackay, Ray Brassier
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 93 recommend · 9 mention3 recommend · 93 recommend
2008–2025The diving bell and the butterfly
Jean-Dominique Bauby
Recommended by 1 · mentioned by 101 recommend · 10 mention1 recommend · 101 recommend
2010–2026I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
Harlan Ellison
Recommended by 21 · mentioned by 7421 recommend · 74 mention21 recommend · 7421 recommend
2009–2026Glasshouse
Charles Stross
Recommended by 19 · mentioned by 3219 recommend · 32 mention19 recommend · 3219 recommend
2007–2026The Mind's I
Douglas R. Hofstadter, Daniel C. Dennett
Recommended by 36 · mentioned by 5736 recommend · 57 mention36 recommend · 5736 recommend
2008–2026The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss, Marc Simonetti
Recommended by 60 · mentioned by 9960 recommend · 99 mention60 recommend · 9960 recommend
2007–2026The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
Recommended by 64 · mentioned by 14364 recommend · 143 mention64 recommend · 14364 recommend
* Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo. Powerful anti-war story. * Vagabonding, by Rolf Potts. Shaped my views on hard work and travel. * 1984, by George Orwell. Brilliant and terrifying. * The Power of Now, by Eckhart…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books of all time, and why?” ↗Here's the website directly: http://www.2arms1head.com/ Thread for anyone who's interested: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21729056 Very similar topic, also recommended: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo.
on “Using the hunger I experienced as a kid to teach mine about generosity (2019)” ↗Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo had a big impact on me when I read it recently. I wouldn't call it horror, but it's a disturbing and yet compelling read.
on “Ask HN: What should I read next?” ↗Johnny Got His Gun is a good book (/movie) but I don't think it's entirely relevant to this story of the fraud of facilitated communication.
on “Reborn Coma Man’s Words May Be Bogus” ↗As a teenager (30 years ago), I found this book to be a bit of a mindfuck. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Got_His_Gun I have heard of most on this list for obvious reasons but this book really got me to see war in a different light.
on “List of books that will induce a mindfuck” ↗Let me add Johnny Got His Gun to the surprisingly large number of works that seem to anticipate exactly this premise.
on “Not alive, but not dead: disembodied human brains used for drug testing” ↗I'd also highly endorse reading Johnny Got His Gun.
on “The US Government Keeps Harassing a UW Researcher Who Speaks for WikiLeaks” ↗That reminds me to the novel "Johnny got his gun". Highly recomended
on “Futuristic Predictions That Came True in 2012” ↗Is anybody else reminded of the character from the song "One"[1] by Metallica, and the movie/novel "Johnny Got His Gun"[2]? Granted, that was different in that the situation resulted from a traumatic injury and the man lost his limbs. But the idea of being "trapped in your body" - unable to communicate, aware of your…
on “Trapped in his body for 12 years, a man breaks free (2015)” ↗Learn morse code so you can communicate with any action you can do, like in Johnny Got His Gun (the basis for One by Metallica)
on “Kept alive with tubes for nearly 17 years” ↗"This problem (which is the topic of the hit Metallica song “One”) is..." Actually, no. Metallic's song, "One", is based on the novel, "Johnny Got His Gun". I happen to be a fan but it is not that difficult to research this stuff.
on “Can you treat loneliness by creating an imaginary friend?” ↗This reminds me of Johnny Got His Gun[1], about a wounded war vet who's locked in and unable to communicate with the outside world despite being conscious. It's a living nightmare. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Got_His_Gun
on “Some people who appear to be in a coma may be conscious” ↗It really reminds me of "Johnny Got His Gun" [1]. > He is a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. He remains conscious and able to reason, but his wounds render him a prisoner in his own body. Parts of this movie,…
on “Trapped in His Body for 12 Years, a Man Breaks Free” ↗…we only live a single lifetime then I'd be inclined to believe it, but in that case I don't think such a statement will help people questioning the value of staying alive. Coincidentally I was reading Johnny Got His Gun the other night, which is probably an antithesis to this statement. Imagine you're a veteran, no arms, no legs, no mouth or eyes or ears or anything really except one's own mind. All of it blown off by…
on “Tips for the depressed” ↗More than likely Johnny Got His Gun, although The Fly or Predator could apply.
on “Clumps of human brain cells in a dish can learn to play Pong faster than an AI” ↗