The Broken Earth Trilogy
by N. K. Jemisin · first published 2018
72% recommend14% neutral14% critical
Why HN recommends it
Original, emotionally weighty fantasy blending sci-fi elements, with compelling worldbuilding, strong characters and brisk pacing. Suits readers tired of repetitive fantasy who want social and political depth.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Be warned: the article contains some (imho) significant spoilers for "The Fifth Season", the first book of the "Broken Earth" trilogy. I read the Broken Earth books and thoroughly enjoyed them (especially the first). I found Jemisin's worldbuilding and protagonists writing to be very compelling. I strongly recommend to read at least…
on “N. K. Jemisin’s Dream Worlds” ↗…it. The Righteous Mind has had perhaps the most impact upon my understanding of humanity and politics out of anything I've ever read. If you want to see what it's like to read for fun, check out the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin - this is probably the best pacing I have ever experienced in a fantasy series. And if you think science fiction would be more your thing, try to to take a stab at reading Dune by Frank…
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗Although I very much like hard sci-fi, my favorite this year was the "Broken Earth" trilogy (The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky) from N.K. Jemisin.
on “Ask HN: Best scifi of 2017? (Vernor Vinge/Larry Niven style)” ↗…some examples: - "Hello Summer, Goodbye" by Michael Coney - "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood (the first book in the Maddaddam trilogy) - "The Fifth Season" by N. K. Jemisin (the first book in the Broken Earth trilogy) - "The Mechanical" by Ian Tregillis (the first book in the Alchemy Wars trilogy) - "Nexus" by Ramez Naam (the first book in the Nexus trilogy) - "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson - "Pandora's Star"…
on “How Isaac Asimov shaped robotics and space exploration and predicted the Internet” ↗The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin Extremely well done series that straddles the sci-fi fantasy line. There's a reason Jemisin became the first person to win the Hugo three years running for three books of a series.
on “Ask HN: Which book would you pick to re-read for the rest of your life?” ↗Can second both Ann Leckie (her new book "The Raven Tower" is also a great page-turner) and N.K. Jemisin (who did totally blow my mind with her Broken Earth Trilogy). Ursula K. Le Guin also appears down below; The Left Hand of Darkness was a profound read.
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗…Still working on this one, but a deep dive into that era of American politics feels quite relevant at the moment, except that everything today feels stupid in comparison. Fiction By N.K. Jemisin: The Broken Earth trilogy. A really great self-contained story, extremely evocative, and the author actually puts out great books at an amazingly fast pace. Cooking By Stella Parks: Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts. If you…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗-The Broken Earth Trilogy: wow! Really fun to read and it packed an emotional sociopolitical message into an entertaining story with great characters. -2312: interesting world, meh story. -Artemis: fun, good read. -Remembrance…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗> If you want to see what it's like to read for fun, check out the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin - this is probably the best pacing I have ever experienced in a fantasy series. Another vote for Broken Earth trilogy here. Finished it last year (on Audible) and loved it. She takes…
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗NK Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy, which has won a hugo for every book in the trilogy. Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon and Who Fears Death are also excellent books. I also highly recommend Jeff Vandermeer's Sourthern Reach trilogy, of which…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗It is a bit newer than many of these suggestions, but the Broken Earth trilogy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._K._Jemisin) is a really compelling fantasy and tells a really human story amidst an inspired though familiar world. If you’ve felt like you’re reading the same fantasy…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗…Sanderson's aren't (though those are still great to read). I should note that I haven't had the chance to get to Le Guin yet (except for Omelas, which is great, and I see influence of in, for example, Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy). She's on my list, but I want to finish up basically everything by Jemsin first. Hopefully this year!
on “Ursula Le Guin Books” ↗If we’re recommending series in general, I recommend the Broken Earth Trilogy be NK Jemisin and The Poppy War series by RF Kuang. These series have a completely different approach to fantasy as a lens of society that I really adore. I’m also a big fan of the Daevabod Series by…
on “The Animal Is Tired” ↗NK Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy (each of which won a Hugo award) is phenomenal; it has more of a fantasy flavor, but plot/character-wise is amazing.
on “Ask HN: Modern Sci-Fi Book Recommendations?” ↗…the Road -- phenomenal. Most of these can be found standalone online The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas I enjoyed less, but it's a short read and fairly important culturally. NK Jemisin, who wrote the Broken Earth trilogy (highly recommend it), wrote a sort of tongue-in-cheek short-story in response to it called The Ones Who Stay and Fight -- also worth reading.
on “Reading more Ursula Le Guin (2019)” ↗