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Beacon 23 #2
Pet Rocks
It's been a week since the cargo ship was lost on my watch. A week with very little sleep and not much appetite. Now the bio scanner is picking up some sign of life out there in the wreckage, and it's my duty to go see what it is. Maybe I'm not as alone out here as I thought. And maybe I don't want to be.
29 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2015
68 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Howey
151 books57.6k followersI'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
January 16, 2017
Mind-blowing. I am still amazed how such a short story manages to capture so many emotions, background story, environment and feelings. Superb. Can't wait to read the rest.
November 11, 2015
I read this book once it was complete but I thought I would throw in my two cents for anyone reading this as a serial.
I didn't care much for this part. I thought it was juvenile and stupid. Had I read this as a serial, I would've stopped at this one...which is why I'm taking the time to tell you to continue on if you also feel this way. It gets much better from here and actually brings more meaning to this part. Trust me. Keep reading.
I didn't care much for this part. I thought it was juvenile and stupid. Had I read this as a serial, I would've stopped at this one...which is why I'm taking the time to tell you to continue on if you also feel this way. It gets much better from here and actually brings more meaning to this part. Trust me. Keep reading.
July 11, 2015
Another brilliant little short in this serial series. Howey at once provides the most laugh-out-loud moments of any of his books, as well as some of the more heart-wrenching moments of any of his books all in one small package. The dialogue had me busting up in public as I read it, and the ending had me speechless, even as I saw it coming.
I love Hugh Howey, and i love this little series already.
I love Hugh Howey, and i love this little series already.
January 29, 2016
Another great "episode" in this series! I love the humor and the originality of the setting and plot elements, but it was also great to learn a little more about the protagonist and his backstory. I'm definitely on board for future installments.
July 1, 2025
4.5✨
Why did a short story about a lonely guy on a space station hallucinating about a rock make me cry 😭😂 goddammit
Why did a short story about a lonely guy on a space station hallucinating about a rock make me cry 😭😂 goddammit
July 13, 2015
You can tell Howey really enjoys writing this story. I wasn't sure where he would go after Part 1, but Part 2 really dives into the mind of our lone beacon operator. We get a glimpse of his past in the military and how he ended up alone in space. It doesn't hurt that Howey also adds a bit of playful humor to Part 2 which makes the story even more enjoyable. Looking forward to Part 3 and beyond.
February 4, 2017
We're getting more of a feel for the guy now.
But philosophers stone is gonna hang around??
But philosophers stone is gonna hang around??
July 24, 2015
This story is certainly compelling, and I like the character a lot. I feel sorry for him at the same time. This episode has its funny side, too. I hope he kept the rock. There's nothing wrong with a pet rock.
September 21, 2017
This is a second chapter of a longer story rather than a complete story and the ending leaves you hanging without a true ending (similar to the first one). Unlike previous Howey works I have enjoyed, there’s a lot of rough language that really detracts the reader. I picked this up for free with Kindle Unlimited – if I had paid the 99 cents (pricing for this episode as I type this review) I’d want my money back as it is fairly incomplete.
June 18, 2017
Hugh Howey is getting close to becoming a favorite of mine. I just recently started reading his writing and I am completely hooked. Everything is just so clever and odd. Look forward toward reading more of his work.
January 21, 2024
I was going to go with three stars with this second installment at first. As I read, his interactions with Rocky struck me as childish. As I read further, I realized why. Looking forward to the next one.
8.5 splinters of wood out of 10
8.5 splinters of wood out of 10
August 20, 2017
Truly great novella. Immersive, voice full of character, curious setting, kept me engaged all through a story that was reminiscent of Starship Trooper.
October 21, 2018
Interesting series that makes you think. Not everything is what it seems.
June 18, 2020
I did not expect this section to be hilariously funny but also heartbreakingly sad.
March 4, 2022
Went from gripping to emotional is just a few short paragraphs... Loved it
December 21, 2023
#️⃣2️⃣ Little Noises 🙉
#️⃣1️⃣ Pet Rocks 🪨
#️⃣4️⃣ Bounty 🕴🏻
#️⃣3️⃣ Company 🐆
#️⃣5️⃣ Visitor 🤯
#️⃣1️⃣ Pet Rocks 🪨
#️⃣4️⃣ Bounty 🕴🏻
#️⃣3️⃣ Company 🐆
#️⃣5️⃣ Visitor 🤯
January 5, 2024
Really odd
This is developing into a full blown case of post traumatic stress syndrome, shellshock at its worst. Glad I don't get the assignment this guy has, for sure!
This is developing into a full blown case of post traumatic stress syndrome, shellshock at its worst. Glad I don't get the assignment this guy has, for sure!
March 16, 2024
Quite amusing! I am keen to carry on with the story.
February 27, 2017
some bad puns take a star off.
August 25, 2015
Check out my Booklikes Blog, Dang Rover: Cover to Cover
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
Hugh Howey knows how to tell all story, that's for sure.
So, I don't do serials well. I read the first installment, thought it was great, then waited until they were all published. I read them all as one book, so I'm going to review them all as one book.
The blurbs on the 5 installments say this book is about a guy manning a Beacon in a remote sector of space. Think a space light house, warning ships traveling through hyperspace of an asteroid field they need to avoid if they don't want to crash and die. He's all alone. Like really, really alone. Is something bad going to happen? Uh...duh.
That's what you learn about by reading the outside of the book. But it's not what you read on the inside of the book...
Well, okay--not true. That stuff does happen. But that is NOT what Beacon 23 is about.
This is a very strong, character-driven story about a guy and his demons--with a strong dose of war-sucks-but-violence-is-sometimes-necessary-for-peace message. It gets pretty deep and pretty dark. Certainly not a popcorn read. I didn't particularly enjoy reading Beacon--there isn't much joy to be found. But there is a strong message here, and I suspect there will be many, many people who find they can relate to the path the hero must follow as he struggles with his demons, learns to deal with them, and finds a measure of peace in the end. He doesn't excise his demons, I think this guy's path is too true to life to give him a Disneyland ending. But that's exactly what makes this story accessible.
You might enjoy Hugh's own thoughts on the series here.
Watch out for the swearing. Hugh Howey isn't shy. These guys swear like soldiers--but that's because they are.
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
Hugh Howey knows how to tell all story, that's for sure.
So, I don't do serials well. I read the first installment, thought it was great, then waited until they were all published. I read them all as one book, so I'm going to review them all as one book.
The blurbs on the 5 installments say this book is about a guy manning a Beacon in a remote sector of space. Think a space light house, warning ships traveling through hyperspace of an asteroid field they need to avoid if they don't want to crash and die. He's all alone. Like really, really alone. Is something bad going to happen? Uh...duh.
That's what you learn about by reading the outside of the book. But it's not what you read on the inside of the book...
Well, okay--not true. That stuff does happen. But that is NOT what Beacon 23 is about.
This is a very strong, character-driven story about a guy and his demons--with a strong dose of war-sucks-but-violence-is-sometimes-necessary-for-peace message. It gets pretty deep and pretty dark. Certainly not a popcorn read. I didn't particularly enjoy reading Beacon--there isn't much joy to be found. But there is a strong message here, and I suspect there will be many, many people who find they can relate to the path the hero must follow as he struggles with his demons, learns to deal with them, and finds a measure of peace in the end. He doesn't excise his demons, I think this guy's path is too true to life to give him a Disneyland ending. But that's exactly what makes this story accessible.
You might enjoy Hugh's own thoughts on the series here.
Watch out for the swearing. Hugh Howey isn't shy. These guys swear like soldiers--but that's because they are.
February 18, 2017
I was a little worried reading this halfway through as I thought it was going off at a tangent that felt wrong for the universe Howey had set up. It felt like he was trying a little too hard to produce his own version of The Martian with added comedy, but I needn't have worried. This part quickly went from comic farce to a really poignant and touching episode.
September 25, 2015
The second installment of Beacon 23 is very short so my comments are equally short.
In a couple words: LOVED IT.
It's shortly after the events in part 1. Life on the beacon continues. Our hero is continuing to lose his mind from loneliness and trauma from the events of a week earlier.
In the ever expanding debris field he finds something.
At first when he finds it I laughed myself silly. The middle of this story is so freaking hysterical that people around me were looking at me like I was nuts as I cackled and snorted..... until I got to the end and suddenly stopped laughing and said 'oh shit'.
READ IT!!!
I' probably just give star ratings to the other sections until I reach the end, well unless they hit me this solidly.
In a couple words: LOVED IT.
It's shortly after the events in part 1. Life on the beacon continues. Our hero is continuing to lose his mind from loneliness and trauma from the events of a week earlier.
In the ever expanding debris field he finds something.
At first when he finds it I laughed myself silly. The middle of this story is so freaking hysterical that people around me were looking at me like I was nuts as I cackled and snorted..... until I got to the end and suddenly stopped laughing and said 'oh shit'.
READ IT!!!
I' probably just give star ratings to the other sections until I reach the end, well unless they hit me this solidly.
July 30, 2015
I had a "Seriously? This is a bit too... silly." moment in the beginning of this episode of Beacon 23, but you know what, I was one who was silly. This episode blew me away, even though I saw what was coming shortly after.
What happens to our unnamed hero here? Though it may not seem so in the beginning, we get very, very intimately acquainted with him. We get to delve into his psyche and walk a mile in his shoes (or rather, float a klick in his sweaty suit). We empathize and weep and laugh. And sigh. And sigh some more. Sigh.
Hugh does a marvelous job of living up to expectations, which keep escalating because he keeps outdoing himself every single time. Beacon 23 #3, here I come!
What happens to our unnamed hero here? Though it may not seem so in the beginning, we get very, very intimately acquainted with him. We get to delve into his psyche and walk a mile in his shoes (or rather, float a klick in his sweaty suit). We empathize and weep and laugh. And sigh. And sigh some more. Sigh.
Hugh does a marvelous job of living up to expectations, which keep escalating because he keeps outdoing himself every single time. Beacon 23 #3, here I come!
February 24, 2016
I'll provide the same review for each of Beacon 23's five parts.
Hugh Howey established himself with Wool. I count Wool as one of my favorite pieces of sci-fi. It was compelling, utterly original and, dare I say, groundbreaking (figuratively and literally). I've followed Howey since but never found his output to be nearly as compelling as Wool. Until now. The Beacon 23 stories - that together form a wonderful novel - are so wonderful, so heartfelt, so funny, and human that it's virtually impossible not to embrace and love them. This is old-school, character driven science fiction that truly revitalized my interest in the genre.
Hugh Howey established himself with Wool. I count Wool as one of my favorite pieces of sci-fi. It was compelling, utterly original and, dare I say, groundbreaking (figuratively and literally). I've followed Howey since but never found his output to be nearly as compelling as Wool. Until now. The Beacon 23 stories - that together form a wonderful novel - are so wonderful, so heartfelt, so funny, and human that it's virtually impossible not to embrace and love them. This is old-school, character driven science fiction that truly revitalized my interest in the genre.
October 23, 2016
In this, our unnamed narrator is sent by ground control to investigate signs of life coming from nearby, where no signs of life should come.
I will say that at one point I did wonder what on earth I was reading, I did laugh out loud, but all will be clear as you read on.
I will say that at one point I did wonder what on earth I was reading, I did laugh out loud, but all will be clear as you read on.
July 23, 2015
These Beacon stories seem to be coming out as fast as I read them! I read the first, then found out on Goodreads there was a second. As I come here to review the second, I see a third was just released! Obviously, I will be reading Part 3 in the near future. These stories are about a man alone at the edge of space, and we learn through slips in his comments that he is dealing with some pretty heavy issues. Each story stands along, but seeing there's a third, I'm interested to know whether any of his issues will be resolved.
September 5, 2015
More introspective and psychological than Little Noises, the second installment of Hugh Howey's Beacon 23 impresses with excellent prose and deeper characterization. The beacon operator deals with the events that end the previous chapter, which forces him to confront his own war-fuelled demons. We get hints of a far bigger story than just the tale of a man running to the edge of the galaxy to escape his past. The core of this book's plot is deeply silly, yet somehow Howey brings Pet Rocks home in style.
July 14, 2015
Second installment of the Beacon 23 short stories. Though our hero is nameless, I call him Buck Rodgers. Reminiscent of old books or TV shows like Firefly or even Star Trek Voyager. Each story stands alone (so far) and deals with a new adventure. With all of Hugh Howey's best work, he gives us an empathetic lead character to root for. The stories bring laughs and tears all bundled in a short and entertaining read. The moment I finish, I can't wait for the next story to come out!
July 18, 2015
Loved this section of the story. The twist with the living creature the narrator finds in the space wreckage caught me by surprise. I love that this one is a straight sic-fi too, not post apocalyptic like Sand or Wool. It's a nice switch in tone from his other works. It feels a little less dreary and series (that being said, the narrator is stranded in a space station in space all alone). Most of this is due to the narrator's personality, which I'm totally digging.
July 19, 2015
Like the first part I enjoyed this one as well. The tone on this one is a bit different though. While part one was a bit of an action/thriller, this is much quieter and develops the main character a bit more who I'm still not sure has gotten a name yet. We also get introduced to another character that I'm hoping hangs around for a little bit as the back and forth between them is quite enjoyable. The third part should be going up soon and I am looking forward to it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews