Book · 2014
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
A miner's son fakes his way into the ruling class's brutal war-games academy to bring down the system that executed his wife.
What does Reddit think of Red Rising?
2969 mentions, the most of any book in this set, split across r/printSF (1178), r/Fantasy (954), and r/suggestmeabook (835) more evenly than most crossover titles manage. One commenter (↑583) credits it with pulling in friends who "don't read fantasy" at all, and the sample backs that up: the sci-fi and general-recommendation subs together out-mention r/Fantasy itself. The recurring comparison is Hunger Games; one reader (↑267) calls the opening book "fast paced," an "emotional roller coaster" built on political intrigue with a first-person sci-fi frame. Another (↑235) is more skeptical, noting it "feels very fantasy" despite the sci-fi trappings, right down to sword fighting and the "farm boy sent on a quest to topple the unjust monarchy" trope. A third (↑236) flags the fan-art-and-adaptation wave building around it while admitting to being "not their biggest fan," a genuine outlier take in an otherwise enthusiastic sample. Mentions jumped from 285 in 2022 to 504 in 2023 and haven't come back down, sitting at 530 in 2025.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · farm-boy-topples-empire trope, sci-fi coated
- · Hunger Games-style political intrigue
- · crossover appeal beyond fantasy readers
- · adaptation hype wave
Common praise
- + One commenter says it pulled in multiple friends who 'don't read fantasy' at all, crediting the series with real crossover reach (↑583).
- + Readers describe the first book as an 'emotional roller coaster,' fast-paced and built on political intrigue in a first-person sci-fi frame (↑267).
- + It gets called 'very captivating,' with enough sequels to keep a reader busy well past the first book (↑649).
Common criticism
- − One reader admits the sci-fi trappings don't disguise the trope underneath: a farm boy sent to topple an unjust monarchy, sword fighting included (↑235).
- − Another calls out the fan-art-and-adaptation wave building around the series while personally saying 'I am not their biggest fan' (↑236).
Who it's for
This is the pick for someone who liked Hunger Games and wants the same political-intrigue engine with a body count and a sci-fi coat of paint. Friends who normally skip fantasy keep getting pulled in anyway, per the ↑583 comment, so don't rule it out on genre allergy alone. If "farm boy topples the monarchy" as a premise makes you tired before you start, the ↑235 comment confirms the trope is played straight, not subverted. Expect the fan-art-and-adaptation hype to follow you into any thread about it now; mentions have nearly doubled since 2022.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Red Rising?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“Try the Red Rising series, the first book is very captivating and there are plenty of books to keep him busy for a while.
“Pierce Brown and his Red Rising series is pretty huge. I have multiple friends who don’t read fantasy that have read them.
“The Razor from Red rising?
“Honestly, both are good for what you want. First book of Red Rising feels very similar to hunger games. The series is pretty fast paced and you feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster. It will fill the hunger games, political intrigue, and plotting aspects. It’s sci fi and written in first p…
“If you're SURE he'd be into that, because nothing is worse than buying 30 books for someone and they don't appreciate them. Red Rising trilogy Inkheart trilogy (Cornelia Funke) Percy Jackson maybe
“Not sure how many times I'm going to have to see DCC hype before I finally break. SoK is an all time favourite and I agree with the criticisms. I enjoyed the slow burn beginning, i think it set the mood nicely for things to escalate. I'll forgive the ending, the author was young and self published.…
“There's a big wave building for Red Rising. I enjoyed the books—though I admit I am not their biggest fan—but see a torrent of posts and fan art, fanfiction, etc., that usually corresponds with a growing phenomenon. It has all the seeds: romance, trauma, a hero to idolize. There will be a movie/sho…
“Red Rising feels very “fantasy”, even down to the sword fighting and “farm boy sent of a quest to topple the unjust monarchy” trope.
Convinced? Pick up Red Rising
Readers also mention
All books like Red Rising →Books that share discussion threads with Red Rising — counted from the comments, not curated.
Dune
Frank Herbert
A duke's son survives his family's betrayal on a desert planet and becomes the prophet who leads its people to war.
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries)
Martha Wells
A security robot hacks its own governor module, gains free will, and spends its days streaming soap operas instead of killing anyone.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
A six-year-old is drafted into a war academy that trains him to command a fleet, and he doesn't find out what he actually did until it's over.
Hyperion
Dan Simmons
Seven pilgrims journey toward a monster that grants one wish and kills everyone else, and each tells the story of why they came.
Children of Time
Adrian Tchaikovsky
A terraforming experiment goes wrong, a nanovirus lands on spiders instead of monkeys, and evolution builds a civilization nobody planned for.
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir
A high-school teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there and one job left: save Earth.
Red Rising — frequently asked
Is Red Rising just Hunger Games with more sci-fi?+
That's the comparison Reddit reaches for most. One reader (↑267) calls the first book 'fast paced' and an 'emotional roller coaster' built on political intrigue in a sci-fi frame, explicitly likening it to Hunger Games, though the series runs many books longer.
What does Reddit think of Red Rising?+
Mostly enthusiastic, with 2969 mentions, the highest total in this set, spread across r/printSF, r/Fantasy, and r/suggestmeabook. One dissenting voice (↑236) admits to not being 'the biggest fan' even while acknowledging the fandom's fan-art-and-adaptation wave.
Do you need to like fantasy to enjoy Red Rising?+
No. One commenter (↑583) specifically credits it with hooking friends who 'don't read fantasy' at all, and the mention counts back this up: r/printSF (1178) and r/suggestmeabook (835) together outpace r/Fantasy (954).
Why is Red Rising suddenly everywhere on Reddit?+
Mentions jumped from 285 in 2022 to 504 in 2023 and have stayed above 500 since, hitting 530 in 2025. One comment (↑236) attributes the surge to fan art, fanfiction, and adaptation buzz building around the series.