Shift – Book 2 of 3: Silo Series – Hugh Howey – 02.07.23
Dust – Book 3 of 3: Silo Series – Hugh Howey – 05.07.23
I first read Wool ages ago, and found it a bit of a slog, so didn’t bother, at that time, to buy and read the remaining two books in the trilogy. But, then I watched the Apple TV adaptation and was completely gripped by it, so re-read the first book, then bought and read books two and three in quick succession!
Usually, tv or film adaptations are way worse than the book, but in this case, I guess I needed to get to know the characters in the tv show before I cared enough about them to want to read more of the books. I guess the books are a little slow moving, but the vision in my head of the show’s characters had me desperate to know what happened to them so I raced through the books and on the whole really enjoyed them.
This series is set in a dystopian future (not that distant!) where the last remnants of humanity live in huge underground silos which are self contained biosphere ecosystems (whatever – something like that!) because the air outside is extremely toxic. There are 50 silos, but the inhabitants of most of them think that they are the only one. What people know and talk about is very much controlled by a few people in positions of power, and anyone who becomes too inquisitive, or who starts to guess at the secrets that are being kept from them is executed by being sent outside to ‘clean’ which is to clean the camera lens which shows the silo’s inhabitants how dead the outside world is and how toxic, as they see the cleaner die even though they are given protective suits to wear.
The books raise interesting questions about people in power feeling that they have a duty to control the fate of the masses and how even fairly noble intentions can have terrible outcomes. Also how a small number (or even only one) person in a powerful position, can cause terrible misery to countless innocent people. The obvious example from history is Hitler, but I’m thinking of many politicians who play dice with the economy and social infrastructure like its a game of risk seemingly caring little for the horrible effects their actions have on the day to day lives of so many real people.
Sarah Wray Writer 