[Review-Book] Descend into the silo with "Wool"

            When Hugh Howey published Wool, a 12,000 word Science Fiction short story, last summer he probably didn’t expect it to become one of the most popular books in the Kindle store. At the time of the writing of this review, the Wool Omnibus, which contains the first five books in the series, is currently the #82 best selling book in the Kindle store. Out of 1,028 customer reviews, it maintains a phenomenal average of 4.9/5 stars. But all the love for Wool isn’t just hype.

            Wool takes place in a massive underground silo (if you don’t like all the stairs at UGA you would hate this place, it has over 100 floors, all connected by a central stairwell), where the residents live out their entire lives, sheltered from the toxic air outside. They’ve been there for so many generations that no one remembers what destroyed the world outside. Their only views of this post-apocalyptic world come from the camera feeds on the top floor. But not everyone believes what they see on the screens, and those who think otherwise, who want to leave the safety of the silo, are given exactly what they wish for.

            The condemned are given the task of cleaning the camera lenses, which are constantly being blurred by the winds, with wool pads (hence the title).

            Howey’s writing is superb, painting a picture of this world that draws the reader in with a healthy amount of descriptive imagery, and just enough technical detail to keep the story interesting but not to weigh it down. The story is deep, interesting, and even emotional. It’s an amazing level of quality considering this is an independently published e-book, and Howey deserves credit for pulling off such a feat.

            Those of you worried about paying for a short story, or those of you with tight budgets need not worry, Howey sells his books cheap. For both Kindle and Nook, the first Wool is only 99 cents, and you can pick up the whole shebang, the Omnibus, for only $6. Unfortunately, a paperback copy is more expensive; sorry technophobes.

            It’s a fantastic read, and definitely worth picking up, anyone who likes a good read, especially fans of science fiction, should get a copy.

            Descend into the silo, Howey gives a great tour.