THE SILO SAGA, by Hugh Howey

I’m looking at some of the more interesting books I’ve read this year, and chief among them would be the SHIFT and DUST, the final two books of the SILO SAGA by Hugh Howey. Mr. Howey’s story is pretty well-known among SF/F writers and readers – the first book of the SILO SAGA, WOOL, started out as a self-published serial on Amazon, and eventually exploded from there. But in this post we’ll focus on the books themselves.

Put simply, the SILO SAGA is a uniquely American science fiction epic, touching on some of the themes that have defined American history – the common good vs. freedom, government corruption vs. one individual taking a stand, and the potential and dangers of technology transforming society and perhaps the world.

The premise is simple enough – some unknown disaster has ravaged the world, and the survivors of humanity huddle within a concrete “silo” (essentially a subterranean skyscraper), using advanced technology to survive. A webcam provides a view of the outside world, but eventually grime builds up on lens, and a criminal has to be sent to clean the lenses. Unfortunately, the criminal dies in the act of cleaning due to the corrosive atmosphere, which means the cleaning serves as sort of a ritual for the silo community, like a public execution in medieval times.

And then, one day, a cleaning goes wrong…and all hell breaks loose.

What follows is a well-crafted tale, populated by compelling characters, with well-hidden secrets layered throughout. Nothing is as it seems in the world of the silo, and those mysteries threaten to destroy everyone living within.

Definitely recommended – if you need something long to read over the holidays, the SILO SAGA is the way to go.

-JM