Beachworld

"Beachworld" is a short science fiction story by Stephen King, first published in Weird Tales in 1984, and collected in King's 1985 collection Skeleton Crew.^[1]

Plot summary

"Beachworld" is set at an unspecified time in the distant future. Among the few clues to the date is the passing reference that the last of the Beach Boys had died eight thousand years previously.

After the catastrophic crash landing of a Federation spacecraft on an uncharted planet made up entirely of sand, only crew members Rand and Shapiro survive. The men stare out over the sand dunes and remark on how the planet is similar to a beach. Rand, who is slowly becoming insane, refuses to move from the dune on which he is sitting or to drink water. When help arrives in the form of another spacecraft, Shapiro tries to take Rand on board with him. However, Rand resists leaving the planet, and the sand reveals itself to be sentient. It prevents Rand's rescue by both wrecking the android sent from the ship and sending a hand of sand up to stop a tranquilizer dart. The rescue ship escapes just in time, with Shapiro narrowly avoiding a giant hand of sand. Rand, left alone, stares up at the ship as it disappears, and then begins to pile handfuls of sand into his mouth.

Adaptations

Short animated film by Maria Ivanova. Official site http://www.marieiv.com/1737728141

In February 2012 Filmmaker Christian Skibinski acquired the rights to adapt "Beachworld" into an animated short film, which is scheduled to be released later that year.

See also

• Stephen King short fiction bibliography

References