Day 26: Wool

I said a few posts back that I'd like to do more reviews, but I realized that even then I was limiting myself to new books that are fresh reads, like last week's review of Frankenstein. I find reviewing a book, a movie, or anything else while it's still fresh in my mind is the best way to do it. That being said, there must be some merit in calling up older memories of a book that has been marinating for a while, right? So that's what I'm going to do today. I want to review one of my favorite books, Wool, by Hugh Howie. More specifically, I'm going to review the Wool omnibus, which is a collection of all five Wool books. It's the whole story in other words. Since this is one of my favorite series of all time, I'm going to do this in two parts, one on Monday and the next on Tuesday.

I haven't read wool since 2021, but that was my third read, and I rarely give a book even a second go. Why does this book keep me coming back when most simply can't? It comes down to a four points: the unique and compelling setting, the powerful secrets that keep the story going, the characters that inhabit the world, and finally, the ending. As always, I'll mark out spoilers for those who haven't read Wool (go read it, it's amazing). That being said, even just talking about the setting may spoil some parts of the novel, though not in a disastrous way like talking about the ending would. If you just want to know my opinion now (if its not obvious already) I give this book a 10/10. Let's get into it!

The setting is what first drew me into the world. It takes place in an underground structure called the Silo, a huge cylindrical construction beneath the ground, designed as a habitat for all of humanity. All that remains after a great cataclysm anyway. The air on the surface above is toxic and corrosive, eating through even the hardiest materials the Silo denizens can invent. No plants can grow, no water can sit on the surface, and so humans had to retreat underground. Thousands of people live in the 144 levels of Silo, organized into different classes based on where each person lives. How can thousands live in one giant building without going completely stir crazy you might ask? That's exactly the question that Hugh Howey wants you to ask, and its the question that sucked me right into the story. I've never seen such effective use of setting to pull a reader in before, or since.

As you might imagine, the governing structure of the Silo is a total autocracy. It has to be to prevent the kind of stir craziness that comes with forcing humans to live underground. In fact, even mentioning that you'd like to go outside is punishable by the very thing you asked for: being put out of the Silo to quickly rot in the toxic air above. It's no wonder why some people would want out. Living conditions aren't exactly perfect when you can't even shower on a regular basis and have to eat whatever has been produced for you on any given day. But there's one big mystery that sits on everybody's mind when some poor soul inevitably can't contain themselves and expresses a desire to go outside. After the IT department suits them up (for what little good it will do), and shoves them into the airlock, everybody sent out does something remarkable without fail. They take the time to clean the sensors on top of the Silo that give people inside their only view of the world beyond. It's a hellscape of course, but without these semi-regular cleanings, the last vestige of Earth would be totally lost to the rest of the Silo. The importance of a good view, even if only visible from the very top level, can't be overstated. So why would someone excommunicated take the time to help the rest of society see more clearly? This is the big secret, a question as compelling as the first that Howey gets you to ask. It takes the rest of the novel to answer this question, but let's start at the beginning.

*Spoilers!*

There's a big stir when Sheriff Holston, a man who has staunchly upheld the laws of the Silo for years, expresses a desire to go outside. While the Silo is an autocratic society, Holston (and Sheriffs in general) are well loved by the public. Order is highly valued in a place where even a single criminal could destroy the delicate balance, and so the ruling classes live in relative harmony with the rest. I hesitate to call it a dystopia because a dystopia implies that it would be utopian in some way, but that is what it feels like. In some ways, living like this is a bit more utopian than you would expect. People are generally happy with their station, and even if they aren't, moving from one level of the Silo to another is a common occurrence. Besides the Sheriff and the IT department, the classes are generally equal to one another in living standard and social mobility. Even the two ruling classes experience nearly equal living standards, if slightly elevated to allow them to function as intended. They are living as utopic as possible given the scenario, making this the only post apocalyptic dystopian novel I've ever read. In my opinion, it's a stroke of absolute genius.

So when Sheriff Holston, the man who protects relatively high living standards in a toxic world, is sent outside, the whole Silo watches with baited breath to see if he'll clean the sensors like all the rest have. And he does. Not only that, but Howey shows you why. At the end of part 1, the huge secret is revealed. Wait, what? The big, compelling secret is ruined by the author in part 1? That's like, writing mistakes 101, right? But oh, it gets better. When Holston heads outside, he sees a miracle. The world is lush, and green. The hellscape you see from within is all a lie, the wool pulled over the eyes of the Silo to keep them inside and obedient. This is what all those sent outside have realized. Cleaning the sensors then, is a triumphant joke. "I'll improve your view of the lies," is what everybody has said. Holston is no exception. After cleaning the sensors, he goes on to mount the hill in the distance to get a better view of the lush, green world he's never gotten to see. But halfway up he stumbles. A crack appears in the suit, and the outside air rushes in. Its toxic. He falls, and in his last panicked moments, realizes that the surface really was a hellish place, unfit for mankind. For a few minutes, he got to live a beautiful lie. They tricked him into cleaning, into doing something for the benefit of society when he thought he was spiting it. An analogy for the larger principles of the society he lived in.

This is a sort of anti-twist that hits even harder than a normal twist would. "Ah ha! They are lying to keep us inside! I knew it!" Until the air rushes in. It's so perfect because it answers the question on your mind "why do people clean" but immediately brings up bigger, badder questions. Who controls these lies? Why bother with this trick in the first place? What bigger secret they trying to protect with all of these smoke screens? This captures the reader so thoroughly that I challenge anybody of sane mind to put the book down after part one. The initial twist catapulted Wool into my top five immediately, and it only climbed higher as the story went on.

This is the end of the first part of my review. Tomorrow I'm going to talk about the characters and what makes them so compelling, and then I'll discuss the ending. Let me know if a two part review is something you'd like to see more of, or if it's too much.

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley