Beacon 23

[Kelderek]

I just finished Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey and I thought I'd share it here.

For centuries, men and women have manned lighthouses to ensure the safe passage of ships. It is a lonely job, and a thankless one for the most part. Until something goes wrong. Until a ship is in distress. In the 23rd century, this job has moved into outer space. A network of beacons allows ships to travel across the Milky Way at many times the speed of light. These beacons are built to be robust. They never break down. They never fail. At least, they aren't supposed to.

I absoluetly love Hugh Howey's writing style. He has a knack for creating deep and fascinating characters. After reading his Silo Series ("Wool", "Shift", and "Dust") I've decided to read pretty much anything he ever decides to write and with Beacon 23 I was not disappointed. It's a nice quick read (only about 250 pages) but he still manages to fill it with a believable environment. While I don't think it's possible for him to ever top "Wool", this is still a fun read and I like the perspective of a man all alone in a tiny beacon (23rd century version of a lighthouse) with the huge void of space all around him. The main character is a war veteran dealing with PTSD and also extreme self-inflicted loneliness.

Also, even though it has nothing to do with space, Hugh Howey's Silo Series is a must-read in my opinion -- currently my personal all-time favorite books.

[Kinglet]

Yay. I put down wool eventually, but might read it again. I am really turned off by anything set in times after an apocalypse of some sort. (Many authors nowadays only use it for marketing, because hunger games clones sell well.) But I love books set in spess.

[Kelderek]

Ha, I'm the opposite. I love post-apocalyptic stories because I like stories that involve survival and trying to understand and salvage a distant and unknown past. Don't worry, Beacon 23 isn't like that. I think the main reason why I immediately loved the Wool series is because of how much I liked the Fallout games and the two stories have similar elements.

[Kinglet]

Ha, I'm the opposite. I love post-apocalyptic stories because I like stories that involve survival and trying to understand and salvage a distant and unknown past. Don't worry, Beacon 23 isn't like that. I think the main reason why I immediately loved the Wool series is because of how much I liked the Fallout games and the two stories have similar elements.

Started Reading beacon. Read 30% of it in one session. Best book I ever read.

[Kelderek]

Started Reading beacon. Read 30% of it in one session. Best book I ever read.

I'm glad you like it then, assuming you aren't being sarcastic

[Tweeker]

I want my money back. Part 1 had such promise. After that it was a slow slide into the toilet.