“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.
I am a book-snob. There, I said it. Perhaps we all are to some degree and it pains me to admit it, but I fall into the category of those who look askance at self-published books. If a book is worth reading, shouldn’t a publisher somewhere agree? Before you inundate me with all the reasons why it is hard to break into the publishing world, please understand that while my rational, mature and intelligent brain has a deep understanding of that. It is my emotions that tend to dictate what I pick up to read. I’m shallow. More often than not I need a good cover to draw me in, and the publishing houses are the ones with the money to hire capable artists. But even a whiz-bang cover is unlikely to inspire me to pick up a self-published book with confidence. So why did I read Wool?
It wasn’t because of all the buzz Howey has created over the last year with all the positive press these books have generated and the fact that he is one of those lightening-strike cases who makes a very good salary by self-publishing his own novels. I had read several of these articles over the last year, was impressed, but had no inclination to give Wool a try. No, I came to Wool because of a friend. Mel, who I’ve known for several years now online, volunteered to pick the weekly short stories for the month of December at the Classic Science Fiction Book Club. Her first choice was the short story that started the phenomenon. I wanted to be supportive and so I downloaded the free version of the short story on my Kindle and fired it up over a lunch period earlier this week. I was hooked immediately.
Wool is a self-contained short story that shows in stunning fashion that not every skilled, imaginative writer is working for a big name publisher. When he published the story in 2011 there was a big response from fans asking for more, and Howey accommodated their requests, penning several other chapters in this post-apocalyptic universe focusing on various characters in different walks of life within the Silo. The short story is fantastic. You should read it. Really. But do so with the knowledge that you will find yourself in the same straights that I was in, desperate to know what other stories of the Silo Howey had to tell. The book is available very inexpensively ($5.99 for the Kindle) and in print format and remains self-published here in the U.S.
But why should you not be just as I was…am…hesitant about spending precious time and money on a self-published science fictional work? Having done very little with my free time over the past two days besides reading the Wool Omnibus I would have to say that if you like good character drama with interesting and accessible ideas of what the future could look like, this is the book for you. Wool is not filled with science fictional mumbo-jumbo nor is it a dark, bleak look at the road humanity is on. Wool is really about hope and about survival the best way humans know how to do it, by working together.
I cannot say a lot about the story itself, to do so would spoil the plot twists and the surprising directions the story takes. Wool is best experienced sans spoilers. I can tell you that the Silo concept created by Hugh Howey is a fully-realized idea explored through the lives of a variety of engaging characters presented in a way that you find yourself suddenly realizing just how tangible a picture Howey paints in your imagination. I can tell you that you will develop some deep emotional connections to Holston, Juliette, Knox, Walker and a number of other characters whose interactions and motivations are as genuine as those we all experience in our day-to-day lives. I can also tell you that you will be reading a book written with such skill that you will wonder why it is that this book isn’t at the top of everyone’s list of books to read and recommend.
Hugh Howey is admittedly the exception to the rule, at least for today. But as the landscape of publishing and book selling continues to evolve it is likely that we may look back on Howey’s experience as one of the cornerstones of a new era. Time will tell.
If you need any more convincing, a glance at Wool’s Amazon page might help. As of this writing Wool has 2,733 reviews and is averaging 5 stars. To put that in perspective, Stephen King’s latest book, 11/23/63, trails it by a thousand reviews. Favorites of mine by Gaiman and Scalzi remain under the thousand review mark. And these are not a series of ‘friends of the author’ reviews. I have seen passionate readers like myself as well as award-winning authors praise this series. Howey has been courted by publisher after publisher to acquire the rights to print this book but his income from self-publishing remains too good to pass up. Hugh Howey has recently sold the rights to print Wool in the UK, Australia and New Zealand to Random House and director Ridley Scott and producer Steve Zaillian teamed up and won the bidding war to secure the film rights, but for now Howey will continue to self-publish in the United States.
The question begs to be asked–has this experience changed your views on self-published books? If I am honest I would have to say “no”. I have piles upon piles of books by established authors waiting to be read in addition to classics I have yet to explore and new books by beloved authors continuing to be published every year. However, I am more likely to sit up and take notice when a self-published work starts getting a Howey-esque buzz. So it is a baby step. A shuffle. A stone thrown in a pond whose ripples may just result in a shift of perspective. We’ll see. In the meantime let me close with this:
Wool is an easily accessible book not only for fans of science fiction but for those who tend to shy away from the genre. Readers of all kinds will relate to the characters that inhabit Howey’s universe and those who sit down with a book longing to have an “experience” will find ample fuel for the imagination within its pages.
Still adjusting to the new direction after Wool 1, but enjoying getting to know the characters and more about the Silo.
I think you’ll enjoy how he brings things around and weaves in parts of the first story with the subsequent ones. Or at least I hope so.
I see that he has recently published some prequels that focus on other characters, I’m going to have to check those out.
I read this a while ago and really enjoyed it. Have bought a few of his other books but haven’t gotten around to reading the yet.
It’ll be very interesting to see if anything comes of the film, I think the first story could make for a very good movie.
I do too. Actually I think there is material in all 5 stories that could make for an interesting film. I have a hard time believing they will work to be really true to the book though. Not sure why, but I could see this as being one that went way off the rails as an adaptation. Let’s hope not. Or at least not too much.
will check this out for sure.
Despite my zine-ish tendencies, I admit to being cautious with “self-published” primarily because I worry after a lack of good editing or the over-inflated flattery of friends. but then there are big house published books that leave one breathless from a lack of editorial input or over-inflated blurbs by friends…
It is a legitimate worry in this age of self-promotion and the ease of using the internet to over inflate things. But this one doesn’t have any editorial rough edges, it is very polished and very good.
You have convinced me. I haven’t started reading yet, but I have purchased and downloaded the Kindle version.
Oh awesome! You’ll have to let me know your thoughts, not just after you are done with the whole thing but also after you finish the first story.
This is the best tale I have read in a long time. I finished it several days ago and have continued to think about the characters and scenario. I have recommended it to others and already purchased the two prequels.
You have recommended a lot of titles which I have not made the time to read. I’m glad this one got my attention and I suspect I need to go back through your reviews and find other gems I missed the first time around,
Thank you.
So glad to hear it Nick. When you decided to start reading it I had hoped you would get swept up in it like I had. You are very welcome, as I said to someone recently, the review for this one really wrote itself because it was that good. I’m looking forward to reading the Shift books soon.
Thanks for dropping my name! I’m really glad you liked it and, once i finish a few that have to go back to the library, I intend to steal my husband’s kindle to read the Omnibus. Ok, now I have to go find an awesome story for week 2.
You are so screwed! How are you going to top this? ;p
Very happy to give you credit, I’m so glad you picked that story. This was a terrific reading experience. Look forward to reading your thoughts on the rest of it.
Sounds GREAT! I will defientlty pick it up down the road. Thanks for the heads up as I had never heard of it.
Hopefully I can loan my Kindle copy to you at some point.
I just purchased and downloaded it! Can’t wait to dive into it in 2013; I think I’m finally heading more towards epic fantasy, horror, and science fiction, for the most part because it’s just so much more fun, so this will be a nice addition to my reading library. I also stray far away from self-published books, but your review and the reviews online show this to be a phenomenal story, so I’m looking forward to it. Thanks for putting it on the radar!
Glad to hear it Natalie. I do hope you enjoy it. Just for fun last night I went to Amazon and read the 1 star reviews for it. Which in and of themselves weren’t very entertaining but the comments for those reviews were a hoot. Some were of people avidly defending the author but most were just entertaining jabs at what were mostly very poorly worded reviews or reviews from people who appeared to not have read the book. Highly entertaining.
I started reading it the other day and cannot stop. I was reading it in the checkout line at the grocery store!
Awesome! Glad to hear it. My wife started reading it on the Kindle while we were waiting for The Hobbit to start the other night and now she’s hooked on it as well.
Thanks to you, this book will be on my best books read in 2012 and will be my favorite this year. My review just posted and I loved this book. LOVED IT. Thanks for putting this on my radar! http://www.coffeeandabookchick.com/2012/12/wool-omnibus-edition-by-hugh-howey.html
Well I am of course THRILLED to know that! You are very welcome, there was no way I was going to pass up reviewing this one as I was desperate for others to read it. Such a satisfying read, unexpectedly so. I’ll be over to check out your review.
Snob
Yes indeed! I didn’t mention it in my review as few would appreciate it, but this one reminded me a lot of Fallout 3. I got a lot of the same visuals as the Vaults in F3. Was a very cool connection.
I don’t think you’re being a book snob, I think you have concerns that are probably shared by many. My main thing with self-published books is that there are so many of them! Did everyone turn into a writer overnight or something? It does make you sort of worried about the quality of the writing and the story and not to mention that it’s like a minefield out there just trying to choose. I confess that I don’t tend to read self published and it does make me think that I could be missing the next Tolkien out there. That’s the beauty of blogs for me. I have a few bloggers that I follow, I trust there opinion and think they’ll guide me well (I never would have read Gaiman without your recommendation and I now totally love his work). We might not read all the same books or always agree but it’s like a sounding board – in this case you’re the guinea pig! (in the nicest possible way), you’ve done the experimenting for me. Ha, I love it when a plan comes together. This does sound really good. I must go away and have a look.
Thanks
Lynn 😀
Well yes, there are so many of them and then on top of that there are so many *published* books that I will never get to in several lifetimes. Hence my reluctance to spend a lot of time taking chances on self-published work.
I like that aspect of blogs as well. And I don’t see eye to eye with everyone either, nor do I expect people to have the same experience with what I read as I do. You could pick this up tomorrow, read the first short story, and decide that it is some of the worst writing you’ve ever read. Doesn’t mean either of us are wrong, we just have different tastes, standards, expectations, etc.
I was one of the people blown away by this book. Prejudiced as I was (and, if I’m honest, probably still am a little), I didn’t expect much. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it all the more.
The books are also being published in German by a rather large publisher – so now all my non-English-speaking friends must read it as well. I wish Hugh Howey all the best and I think he deserves every bit of success. What a thrilling, fun book.
It was hard not to get blown away, in my opinion. I was just mentioning on another blog that I was taken with the setting right from the start because it reminded me of the vaults in Fallout 3 and New Vegas. I liked those games so much that I had a real emotional connection to the silos right from the start.
Wow, possibly your favourite book of the year? That’s high praise! I’m not a huge sf fan and not a big lover of the short story form but your review has me intrigued.
Yes, it is really good. My wife doesn’t read a lot of science fiction either and she is loving this. She’s really close to the end so I suspect her feelings won’t change.
I’m so glad you discovered Wool. I had purchased it almost a year ago but just got around to reading it when I finished up RIP and I couldn’t put it down! I loved it and continued on to inhale First Shift and Second Shift too. I cannot wait for Third Shift to be available in the spring. And I normally stay away from series. I am totally hooked.
I am too. Thanks to great bloggers who inspire me to read things I otherwise wouldn’t have picked up! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it too. I’ll be reading the Shift books at some point too as there is no way I’m going to pass up visiting this world again.
OK. This is going on my personal wishlist for the After-Xmas Splurge on myself for getting everything done for Xmas. Looks like it hits some of my favorite tropes – contained disgruntled humans, contaminated deadly world outside.
It will be a good one to splurge on. Hope you find it as entertaining as I did. I have got a few splurge items lined up for after Christmas myself. 🙂
I finished reading it at 1:25 a.m. It was wonderful just as those of you who have read it have testified above. Thanks, honey, for recommending it. And thanks, Mr. Howey, for the great story and wonderful characters who have become friends.
I’m so glad you read it, and am even happier that you enjoyed it so much. We’ll have to read the Shift books soon.
I agree with you completely about the reasons I still don’t look for self-published books (backlists of favorites, classics, and best sellers I still haven’t read). I found out about Hugh when asking a publisher to interview them and they told me I really needed to check him out. I read The Plagiarist, really enjoyed it, and then bought Wool. A book that can suck me in and entertain me better than a hyped movie at the big screen is a rare find. Hugh has been working on this for a while, having published like six books before this, so he’s hardly a novice like many see self published authors. I, Zombie was also really good, and most people like the Shift series better than Wool. I’m waiting until it is finished before diving in.
I’ve head that about the Shift books and plan on reading them sometime this year. I am reading my second sort of self-published book right now, Alex Scarrow’s Ellie Quin books, but he is already a published author and this one is just being released in e-episodes so it probably isn’t truly ‘self-published’. It is good. Now Wool good, but entertaining.
I feel so glad that I broke down and gave Wool a try as it still is something I haven’t been able to shake, a really good book.