I Got A Rock

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Nick does a good deed, and has a First Contact experience in the middle of the street. An alien gives him a rock. He'd better figure out what to do with it fast if he wants to survive. NOTE: Chapters 82-93 are skippable. They form a long side story with a shift in main character, then the story returns to Nick in Chapter 94. Starting around ch 155, there will be some sexual content, but chapters will be labeled and skippable. [Participant in the Royal Road Writathon Challenge, Oct '24, April '25] New chapters on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: Robert Cruikshank

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.7/ 5.0
Followers: 295
Views: 315,973

What readers say about I Got A Rock

“Refreshingly unique! (minor spoilers to follow, though not much that isn't already revealed by the tags) By far the best fictional portrayal of language-learning and navigating a language barrier that I've seen. The most naturally integrated implementation…”
time for a napRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“I got a rock may seem like an underwhelming title, but don’t be fooled. This is excellent science fiction. This is ‘realistic’ survival on an alien planet. When I caught up, I read everything else I could find by the author. He writes convincing dialogue so…”
ClassicjonRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

time for a napRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Refreshingly unique!
(minor spoilers to follow, though not much that isn't already revealed by the tags)
By far the best fictional portrayal of language-learning and navigating a language barrier that I've seen.
The most naturally integrated implementation of a fantasy-style dungeon I've encountered. (And it's in a sci-fi setting!)
One of the most realistic, well-rounded "everyman" MCs I've come across. He's not the sort of character who starts out average and finds within himself the heart of a hero; he's just an ordinary decent person doing the best he can in an alien wasteland with an OP tool that he has no clue how to use.
Some readers have expressed dislike for the extended PoV shift, which I can understand. I usually don't much enjoy PoV changes either, and if not for the author's warning that it was coming (and that it would be temporary), I might have been bothered by it as well. As it is, however, I found it to be a natural way to continue the story, and enjoyed it.
My only criticism, apart from some minor grammatical errors (and, no, I'm not counting the dialogue in non-native languages), is that so far the alien cultures don't feel very alien, except linguistically. But then again we haven't seen much of those cultures due to the post-apocalyptic context and language barrier.
All told, this story gets my firm and enthusiastic recommendation.
ClassicjonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I got a rock may seem like an underwhelming title, but don’t be fooled. This is excellent science fiction. This is ‘realistic’ survival on an alien planet. When I caught up, I read everything else I could find by the author. He writes convincing dialogue so well. Nick, the main character, approaches problems in ways that feel real. Expect trial and error, error, error and sometimes eventual success. I hate to spoil anything, but you need to know that interactions with alien technology and languages are handled so very well. Nick is no scientist or linguist or survivalist, but he won’t give up while his antidepressants last. Truly, this story is better than I am able to describe it.
Cpt ObviousRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So I like this! But then I'm human so I might be a bit partial.
Anyway, this is the story of a human boy from a poor family in a poor village in a poor region that is sent to Hogwar... No, he is sent to the most famous Wizarding school in the Empire where he get to know royals, ridiculously rich, ridiculously secretive and not a single one is human. Oh and all students has to have a familiar. And it so happens that magic animals are few and hard to find. Those who can afford it will buy them from special traders. But being poor, from a poor village that isn't really an option, so he gets a rock from the local mad magician.
This is a story of discovery, love, fear, friendship, enemies, monsters and a rock.
Actually it's very much about a rock. And about reading usage instructions written by a mad magician who just happen to love writing in runes from a language long forgotten. And though it's a rock it's no Rosetta stone.
This story has been partially rewritten at least once, and it was not really changing anything in the story, just improving the spelling and style. It's not moving fast as each chapter tend to take a long time. But they keeps coming and the development is satisfying.
The world is large with a lot of species that attend the school. Major dangers are pretty rare, but him being totally unknown and yet making friend with a jungle troll princess makes ambitious people very envious and paint him as a target for bullies.
And then there is hi rock...
DesertEagleEyeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is a nice survival story. It's not too dark or harsh, and the main character works well as a self-insert. I especially like the fact that the hero isn't know it all scientist or something but also not an idiot. I hope more people notice this story because it has a lot of potential.
JohnathanmummertRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's very good. The ideas are unique, and it's well written 9/10 would read again. I love the idea of having alien technology, recognizing ad figuring out parts of it but still not knowing every use and nuance. Also, the main character is realistic. He's very obviously just a random person, no one special.
PixelReaderRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is really cool! I haven't read that far. But I really enjoy the concept and execution.
The main character feels relatable in the ways that matter. He has flaws that make him seem more real.
And the language barrier with Petra is really funny.
Like, who even thinks to have the mc interact with an alien rock and goes, "but wait... What if... It's like if I gave my great grandpa an iPad... And no manual!"
RyzaboyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Tl;Dr A unique story that sets up its own world and follows through beautifully. I highly recommend this for the sci-fi fan or someone looking for something different.
The sci-fi elements are concise and understandable, the circumstances of the plot straightforward, and it all blends for an immensely believable and compelling story.
If anything my only criticism is that it may be a bit too "real" and the natural flow of the story will lead to an abrupt end, like the author will write themselves into a corner. The gritty realness of it has so far helped make it interesting but as important characters die off or fail that could reverse
The main character isn't really special and is instead remarkably average. The natural conclusion of one man with something spectacularly valuable is that it is taken from him and he loses. I think the story will need to contort itself to prevent that, and probably become worse for it. Still, I want to see it through.
I'm definitely following this and have high hopes for it's future so keep it up! I do recommend better cover art, as of writing it's just words. Please find something more evocative.
BullerRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
And oh boy does it serves its purpose well. Sure, there are a fair few parts that I would call cliched, a few parts where I had to wonder what was being thought, and a few where I was wondering about why I started reading this. And... then I pressed next chapter and forgot dumb questions like that.
The characters are pretty dang decent. Nothing you haven't seen before yet its still not close to the lower qualities normally found on this website. More than enough to make somebody read alone. But it's also more than that. While I haven't personally gotten too invested in the story yet, people would be lying if they weren't a slight bit interested in just what was going to happen. Sure, you can kinda guess it but who has that ever stopped.
Read now or get out. 5/5
RougeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I was surprised at first. The summary made me expect that the whole "pet rock" thingie was going to be the focus. The first chapter went quite quickly if you have these expectations. The mystery lays not far but not quite there. Sooo, I might have been a bit disappointed at first. But ! The rest of the chapters proved to be a good story, with akward, clusmy, oblivious, foolish, nasty ... well, teenagers. I should have begun with that, it sum it up.
A main character still a bit mysterious, out of his depth and that we discover bit by bit; a cast that follows this trend. I want to know more about them and snippets are shared in their interactions.
The author is quite solid in my opinion. It was not hard to read, by style or grammar. Nothing to say may not looks like a praise, but it means that I have no criticism regarding it. Good job !
The pet rock character evolves too. More quietly than the others, but being the main mystery it still stand out. Automaton at first, it might be something more ? I feel like it acts and talks more naturaly as time passes.
TL;DR : Still a wait and see, but for a start it quite the good one. A bit of mystery mixed with teens interactions at school. I expect to have to raise my rating later on to match the author's progress.
afganitiaRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
It's a decent read. A bit of a YA novel, with all the necessary clichés. The rock not being a rock is discovered right away in chapter 1. Not a lot of tension, and characters are predictably 2D.
Useful to kill time.
7/10
Nothing particularly wrong, doesn't stand out either.