Books generally collect lots of upvotes, but few comments, since you generally have to read the book first before commenting.

Controversial news articles, whose entire content can be summed up in the headline, collect both upvotes and comments. The ranking algorithm punishes submissions with many comments, to push those submissions off the front page.

I don't know the algorithm but it likely gives weight to newness and perhaps a boost for clustered upvotes.

The book was mentioned in a previous thread earlier today, about learning assembly

If those upvotes are fast enough, it will have a very high score, and it will shoot straight onto the top of HN.

~(Score) = votes / time

Also, people open links, upvote if they like it, and then continue reading (most of the time). That way if their reading is interrupted, they can check their "saved stories" to get back to reading later.

It won't load here.

That's really weird.