What seems at first to be a fairly typical 'war-traumatised loner who hasn't left his past behind' piece, enlivened by its premise of the unnamed protagonist manning a lighthouse in space - a beacon by which faster than light space vessels navigate to avoid shearing into a nearby asteroid belt - develops into a surprising examination of anti-war dissent and the some-time necessity of violence; the theme is more nuanced than its treatment (which is a bit on the simple/direct side) but nonetheless, a good way to pass an hour or two.
