Hugh Howey’s Wool: A Series Recommendation

Yeah, yeah I know, you’re all saying, “What? Another post-Apocalyptic society series”? Yes, but this thought provoking science fiction series gradually unravels an amazing world.

Firstly, this is not a YA romance novel being marketed as a survivor story. Secondly, the series unravels to reveal a deeper story. Thirdly, well, it is addictive. I read through books 1-5 in a week. It helps that the first two parts of the series are novellas.

Here is a spoiler free taste to get you to pick up this amazing series…

Part 1 introduces us to the ugliest part of this futuristic society, the cleaning. The world has been wiped out and the surface is an uninhabitable wasteland. What remains of the human race is left to live underground in a massive silo that is over 100 stories deep. When a citizen expresses curiosity about what lies outside of the silo they are sent outside to clean sensors with steel wool pads. The problem is that the outside is so corrosive that as soon as the cleaning is complete the cleaner’s suit has been eaten through and the human being inside dies. This job serves two purposes, it keeps people from disrupting the status quo by instilling a healthy level of fear and it helps with population control. One out leaves room to bring another person in, each cleaning results in a lottery ticket which is given to a lucky couple to have a child.

The series poses and answers many “what if” questions about how life will survive in the event of a major catastrophe. Politically, physically, technologically, mentally etc. I recommend this series for Sci-Fi fans.

I have currently moved on to the next series which acts as a prequel. I am learning how the silos came to be and who is responsible.

After that I am onto Dust which reconciles the two series and hopefully answers all the questions they have stirred up in my mind.