Alex reviewed Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey
Dark
2 stars
It was dark and a little depressing, but with a good end.
paperback, 252 pages
Published Aug. 12, 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
4 stars
(41 reviews)
Pentapod reviewed Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey
Review of 'Beacon 23' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
In the 23rd century, as Earth is embroiled in a bitter war with various other alien races, "lighthouses" are now Beacons out in space which warn jump ships away from dangerous asteroid fields and similar. They are manned by a single person, and Beacon 23 is manned by "Digger", a war hero clearly suffering from significant PTSD who requested the posting in order to be alone. He intends to stay in isolation out in space until he dies and his plan starts out okay, but over the course of the book a number of things happen that affect his plans. This is a short book comprised of 5 short stories, each of which is a chapter in the story of Beacon 23. The earlier ones are more setting the scene and groundwork, and the latter ones are increasingly connected. The protagonist is reasonably likeable outside his clear PTSD issues, and …
In the 23rd century, as Earth is embroiled in a bitter war with various other alien races, "lighthouses" are now Beacons out in space which warn jump ships away from dangerous asteroid fields and similar. They are manned by a single person, and Beacon 23 is manned by "Digger", a war hero clearly suffering from significant PTSD who requested the posting in order to be alone. He intends to stay in isolation out in space until he dies and his plan starts out okay, but over the course of the book a number of things happen that affect his plans. This is a short book comprised of 5 short stories, each of which is a chapter in the story of Beacon 23. The earlier ones are more setting the scene and groundwork, and the latter ones are increasingly connected. The protagonist is reasonably likeable outside his clear PTSD issues, and has a decent sense of humour, and meets various interesting characters in the course of the stories. I did find the ending a bit abrupt and a little hard to swallow, but still enjoyed the stories very much.
B. Zelkovich reviewed Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey
Review of 'Beacon 23' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Super fast-paced, with a (somewhat?) unreliable narrator that keeps you guessing. By the end I'm still not 100% what was real and what was delusion. Either way, this book was a fresh look at PTSD, and a interesting twist on Sci-Fi warfare.
