What are Seven-Ten lists?

In the ada palmer universe, what are the "seven ten lists"?

In Terra Ignota—the 25th-century setting of Ada Palmer’s quartet—“Seven-Ten Lists” are eagerly awaited power-rankings published by the world’s most influential news outlets. Each list names ten people who matter right now, but with a twist:

Slots	What they signal
1 – 7 (“the Seven”)	A sober, quasi-statistical judgment about who really controls the fate of the planet—usually the heads of the great Hives or other actors whose combined clout could tip the world into war or keep it at peace.
8 – 10 (“the Ten”)	Lower-stakes kudos for rising celebrities, cultural icons, or outlier talents—people whose fame matters, but whose influence is not (yet) civilization-breaking.

Think of the Seven-Ten as a hybrid between Time’s “Person of the Year,” a Wall Street index, and a bookmakers’ odds sheet: placement on the list instantly sways markets, public confidence, and political maneuvering. (terra-ignota.fandom.com)

Why the name “Seven-Ten” if there are only ten names?

The first seven are what everyone argues over; the extra three are almost garnish. Hence “Seven-Ten” became shorthand, even though the document itself is only ten lines long.

How often and by whom?

Major newspapers or broadcast syndicates in each Hive issue their own list—normally once a year, but special editions appear whenever the political temperature spikes. The Black Sakura paper in Tokyo, for example, is famous for its list. (terra-ignota.fandom.com)

Plot weight inside the novels

The theft and replacement of a Black Sakura Seven-Ten List is the fuse that ignites the Days of Transformation chronicled in Too Like the Lightning and Seven Surrenders; once an altered list circulates, rivals scramble to confirm or refute the rankings, alliances wobble, and the utopian façade cracks. (Jayde Holmes)

In short, the Seven-Ten Lists are the series’ canary in the geopolitical coal-mine: a deceptively simple top-ten chart whose shifting names warn both characters and readers that the balance of world power is about to lurch.