Andrew Harlan, the insular protagonist in what is arguably one of Isaac Asimov’s best works, is a man who lives outside of time. Harlan is an Eternal, a member of a clandestine organization that exists outside of time, an organization that makes “necessary” changes to reality in order to ensure the very best for mankind. In this realm Harlan is one of the elite, a Technician, skilled in the art of making subtle adjustments that nevertheless send ripples through the stream of time. There is a solitary aspect to being a Technician that Andrew Harlan is ideally suited for, until one fateful assignment brings him in contact with Noys Lambent, a woman whose existence in real time calls into question Andrew Harlan’s vocation and the role of Eternity in the lives of humanity. And once Andrew Harlan falls in love, the very nature of time and Eternity may be irrevocably changed.

With more contemporary examples of stories involving the manipulation of time and matter and/or extreme governmental oversight into our lives (movies like Dark City, Gattaca and Minority Report spring to mind) it can be difficult to recommend a book like The End of Eternity. There is an argument to be made that the older work will have a ‘been there, done that’ feel to it and that a more modern work eliminates the dated elements of decades-old storytelling. When it comes to a work as well executed as The End of Eternity, I don’t buy that argument. One can easily posit that it is important to understand the history of science fiction and the foundational novels upon which more current stories are built. I certainly get that out of much of the classic genre fiction that I read and believe it to be a justifiable reason to read older works. But beyond the historical merits there are stories that simply should not be passed up because they are just too good to miss.

The End of Eternity is one such novel.

Continue reading The End of Eternity ~Isaac Asimov →

“This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden.

But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism.

Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside” ~Hugh Howey

It has been three years since Holston’s wife went outside. As Sheriff of the large underground Silo, Holston had seen his fair share of people sent out into Earth’s toxic atmosphere to clean—punishment for crimes committed. Far fewer choose that path on their own, the result of a mounting discontent with living in the confines of a hundred plus level subterranean city.

Whether voluntarily or as a sanction against wrong-doing, those released into the world outside are asked to clean. Cleaning is a process that involves the removal of the grit and grime that builds up over time on the Silo’s sensors, equipment set up on the surface that broadcasts a view of a distant hill and decaying structures to a few top level locations, the only visual connection humanity has with the outside world.

Holston has always wondered why the condemned choose to follow through with the cleaning. Without fail those released to the surface go through the ritual of the cleaning, though many swear mightily that they won’t do so. This mystery coupled with Holston’s ongoing investigation as to why his wife chose to leave their life together is wearing him down, and thoughts of making his own journey topside will not only change Holston’s life but will reverberate through every level of the Silo, affecting all protected within.

Hugh Howey’s expectation-defying self-published short story, Wool, spawned several reader-demanded follow up novellas–all of which are collected in the Wool Omnibus edition. Having read non-stop into the wee hours of the morning in order to finish this book I went to bed happy that I had yet to post my Best of 2012 list. For not only will Wool be on that list, there is a good chance it may be my favorite read of the year.

Continue reading Wool, Omnibus Edition ~Hugh Howey →