Wool by Hugh Howey
My rating: 4.5 / 5
Wool was originally published as a standalone short story, but fans insisted on more. It was then kept up as a serial novel, with short installments over time. Parts 1-5 comprise the Silo Saga, and 6-8 make up the Shift Trilogy. The final installment, Dust, is currently being written.
I’ve had Wool #1 on my Kindle for awhile, I downloaded it because it was free and never really got around to reading it. Once I read it (it’s only 56 pages), I immediately purchased the omnibus edition that contains parts 1-5. I read through all of the Silo Saga and the Shift Trilogy in 12 days, and loved all of it.
Wool tells the story of a civilization living underground, in a silo, 150 levels beneath the Earth’s surface. On a view screen at the top level, people dining in the cafeteria can see the ruins of the planet. Desolate, dusty, and toxic, the surface is uninhabitable. Inside the silo, generations have lived, obeying the laws and regulations designed to keep them safe. Designed to keep them inside.
I can’t really say much more without giving away a lot of the plot twists that happen starting at the end of part 1. Let it suffice to say that this has been a very interesting serial novel / series, and I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion.