The Walk Up Nameless Ridge (Kindle Single) [Kindle Edition]

Hugh Howey (Author)

Book Description

On planet Eno, there stands a mountain that has never been summited. Many have tried. All have failed.

This climbing season finds three teams making their bid up this murderous peak. And one man among them will discover these ugly truths: There are fates worse than death. There are fates worse than obscurity. To be remembered forever can be its own curse.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jon Krakauer meets Ursula K. LeGuin in this slim psychological profile about sky-scraping ambition set on a 60,000-foot mountain on an alien planet somewhere in an unnamed galaxy. Hugh Howey (Wool; I, Zombie) pits his posterity-obsessed narrator against the alpine challenge of Mt. Mallory, named for the famous British explorer who--before dying on it--may or may not have summited Everest, which Howey's mountain dwarfs by a factor of two. A thinly developed cast of challengers--including a deceptively frail-looking woman named Ziba and her android partner--help to motivate Howey's narrator, though not as much as the burning desire for what he terms "the awful truth of my most hollow glory." Fans of polar expedition tales and science fiction alike should delight in this small, cold tale of the inner motivation that can drive the human spirit to (quite literally) dizzying heights. --Jason Kirk

From the Author

This is my first Kindle Single, which features short stories chosen in their respective genres and featured at the lowest price possible. This work is 6,000 words in length, which generally means half an hour to read. I hope you enjoy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 175 KB
• Print Length: 18 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0095WWGN8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,600 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #31 in Kindle Store > Kindle Singles > Fiction
  • #40 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Anthologies & Short Stories
  • #43 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Anthologies

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting the Puzzle Together September 7, 2012

By Dannette

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a sucker for man vs mountain stories, and Hugh's story rang true in that regard. There was a bit of Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" to the tale. The elements of technology needed to make the universal ascent of a lifetime were related quickly and concisely, not overdone (thank goodness!)

The story is a quickly and tightly told tale that checks all the boxes...however, at the end, I felt as though I missed something vital. That there was something I was meant to understand. I reread the last few pages, hoping I'd catch that nebulous tidbit that would give me the a-ha! moment, but I didn't.

I hope that, somewhere in my dreams tonight, the missing piece of the story will fall into place for me and I'll wake up satisfied that I completely understand what Hugh wanted me to take away from this story. (Keep reading!....)

*~*~*~*~*

Edited to add: Hugh shared with me/us what I clearly missed in my first reading of his story and, given that, I amended my review to five stars, as the fault really lies with me, the reader, rather than the author. Now that I understand the story I'm gobsmacked at how good it really is.

If you want to read Hugh's thoughtful explanation, it's in the comments section. Be warned, though, it might be considered a spoiler! I definitely would recommend reading it after you've experienced the story yourself, though.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Because it is there... September 12, 2012

By M. Kirk

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The tallest mountain in the universe. Who could resist?

Hugh Howey squeezed a lot of story into very few pages. All told, this release took me about 20 minutes to read. The upside, it was fun to read it again the next day.

You might ask, "Is a book this spare worth $.99?". I can only say I would damn near pay a dollar to read Hugh Howey's grocery list. He is that good.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Short Story Perfection September 7, 2012

By Jeffrey A. Bristow

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I absolutely loved this story. How I was drawn into this tale in so few pages I have no idea. But, this is an excellent short story. I should be so bold to say that this is short story perfection.

A well developed story that truly wraps the reader into this new world while telling a story that tugs at your emotions. All of this done while vividly describing an environment that is foreign and how someone who undertakes such an endevour is processing what he is doing and going through.

This is the Hugh Howey that I love from Wool. Excellent job!

More About the Author

Hugh Howey is the author of the award-winning Molly Fyde Saga and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling WOOL series. The WOOL OMNIBUS won Kindle Book Review's 2012 Indie Book of the Year Award -- it has been as high as #1 in the Kindle store -- and 17 countries have picked up the work for translation. Look for WOOL in hardback in 2013 from Random House UK and keep your fingers crossed that Ridley Scott and Steve Zaillian will do something exciting with the film rights!

Hugh lives in Jupiter, FL with his wife Amber and their dog Bella. When he isn't writing, he's reading or taking a photograph.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#11 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#1 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#2 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#5 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#1 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#2 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#5 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#5 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure