Beachworld

Infobox short story |
name = Beachworld
author = Stephen King
country = United States
language = English
genre = Science fiction short story
published_in = "Weird Tales" (1st release),
"Skeleton Crew"
publication_type = Magazine
publisher =
media_type = Print (Periodical)
pub_date = 1985
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Beachworld" is a short science fiction story by Stephen King, first published in "Weird Tales" in 1985, and collected in the 1986 "Skeleton Crew" anthology. "Beachworld" concerns the marooned survivors of a starship crash struggling to maintain sanity and survive on a planet composed entirely of living sand.

Plot summary

"Beachworld" is set in an undefined distant future. Among the few clues to the date is the passing reference that the last of the Beach Boys died 9,000 years ago.
After the catastrophic crash landing of a Federal spacecraft, only crew members Rand and Shapiro survive. The men stare out over the sand dunes and remark on how it is similar to a beach. Rand refuses to move from the dune he is sitting on or drink water. When help arrives they try to take Rand with them. However the sand itself prevents them from rescuing him by both wrecking the android they send and sending a hand of sand up to stop a tranquilizer dart. The 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.