Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collections
Publication
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: Watch Silo, the Apple TV+ series based on the bestselling Silo Saga, starting May, 2023! Wool introduced the world of the silo. Shift told the story of its creation. Dust will describe its downfall. Juliette, now mayor of Silo 18, doesn't trust Silo 1, especially its leader, Donald. But in the world of the Silos, there is no black and white�??everything is shades of gray. Donald may not be the monster Juliette thinks he is, and may in fact be key to humanity's continued survival. But can they work together long enough to succeed?
User reviews
LibraryThing member sj2b
Spoiler warning: I have made an effort not to reveal plots although I may have unknowingly done so. If you haven’t read 'Wool' or 'Shift' yet you may want to read them before my review and especially before reading 'Dust'.
Initial rating 3.5 but once it got going rose to a steady 4.0
I loved
'Dust' is released in one volume unlike its predecessors 'Wool & Shift' which were in episode format initially. Not sure if it was because of this that I found the pace slower. I wondered if Howey had lost his 'magic touch', but then it picked up pace and pretty much kept going.
We still find the majority of people in the silo living in ignorance of a terrible truth which is being discovered by the inquisitive few. They are comfortable remaining in the dark, living routine lives. What will happen when they are confronted by the truth after their world is sabotaged?
Howey creates some unforgettable, believable characters and uses several strong assertive women, as well as male protagonists, with a sense of vulnerability without feeling patronising or going 'over the top'. There are some intense moments throughout and in one scene I felt absolute angst and sorrow after finding out that maybe one of the villains wasn't so bad after all... Who could they have trusted without being betrayed or misunderstood. It was an highly emotive discovery.
Dust is an exciting, thought-provoking, action-packed read which kept me guessing right through to the very end. An absolute 'must read' for those who have already invested in Wool & Shift wanting to find closure, and those of you wanting an extremely well written, easy to read Dystopic, sci-fi tale.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.
Initial rating 3.5 but once it got going rose to a steady 4.0
I loved
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'Wool', it was hauntingly atmospheric and beautifully written. 'Shift', as a prequel of sorts had an interesting backstory, and 'Dust' picks up from where 'Wool' left off. We rejoin some familiar and much missed characters and follow them to the climactic finale.'Dust' is released in one volume unlike its predecessors 'Wool & Shift' which were in episode format initially. Not sure if it was because of this that I found the pace slower. I wondered if Howey had lost his 'magic touch', but then it picked up pace and pretty much kept going.
We still find the majority of people in the silo living in ignorance of a terrible truth which is being discovered by the inquisitive few. They are comfortable remaining in the dark, living routine lives. What will happen when they are confronted by the truth after their world is sabotaged?
Howey creates some unforgettable, believable characters and uses several strong assertive women, as well as male protagonists, with a sense of vulnerability without feeling patronising or going 'over the top'. There are some intense moments throughout and in one scene I felt absolute angst and sorrow after finding out that maybe one of the villains wasn't so bad after all... Who could they have trusted without being betrayed or misunderstood. It was an highly emotive discovery.
Dust is an exciting, thought-provoking, action-packed read which kept me guessing right through to the very end. An absolute 'must read' for those who have already invested in Wool & Shift wanting to find closure, and those of you wanting an extremely well written, easy to read Dystopic, sci-fi tale.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.
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LibraryThing member santhony
This novel is a sequel to the very popular Wool collection of post-apocalyptic novellas which focused on life in an underground “silo” following some kind of apocalyptic event that made life on the Earth’s surface impossible. It follows up on a prequel, Shift, which sets out the method by
I’ve read numerous post-apocalyptic stories and am fascinated by them. The best are the most realistic works, whose premise and landscape are utterly believable and therefore the most impactful. Cormack McCarthy’s The Road comes immediately to mind. This entire collection of stories, however, contains so many nonsensical elements and absurd scenarios, that it detracts from the reader’s ability to enjoy and experience the underlying story.
MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW:
If you are thinking of reading this novel, then you have undoubtedly read the first two, so there is no reason to go through the underlying plot and character development. Read in isolation, this novel is an improvement over Shift, though there are certainly some ridiculous plot holes that require a reader to suspend belief in order to proceed. At the time, the silos were created (circa 2050), apparently humans have perfected the ability to place themselves into cryogenic animation, a huge biological and technological leap forward as I’m sure you will agree. Nevertheless, there are practically no other technological improvements from that of the present day.
Since Wool, I’ve struggled with the concept that a 150 story “building” would take 3 days to traverse by stairs. Obviously, each level of the silo is far greater than a standard 10 foot ceiling. In this novel, we discover that between each floor is a 30 foot block of concrete. The purpose? To allow the “handlers” to destroy the silo by means of a controlled detonation. Okay, do you know how much a thirty foot block of concrete weighs? How about 150 thirty foot blocks of concrete? That is one sturdy silo whose lower floors could support that kind of weight. In fact, one single thirty foot block of concrete on the top floor would probably be sufficient to “pancake” all the floors beneath it.
So, first the handlers have at their disposal poisonous gas, and then controlled detonation. Finally, they have drones with bunker buster bombs, just in case. Talk about redundancy. These 150 story silos have the equivalent depth of a 600 story building, yet they excavated, constructed and outfitted fifty of them in two years, without anyone catching on. Boy, our government will certainly become more efficient in the next thirty years.
To summarize, much of the book is interesting and captivating, however the background is so absurd, that unless you can completely suspend belief and all common sense, you will find yourself shaking your head numerous times throughout the book. It is a shame, because the scenario could have been crafted in such a way as to eliminate most of the absurdities without negatively impacting the story line.
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which the silos were constructed and the master plan for their development. I had some real problems with the believability of the Shift scenario and it hampered my enjoyment of the novel.I’ve read numerous post-apocalyptic stories and am fascinated by them. The best are the most realistic works, whose premise and landscape are utterly believable and therefore the most impactful. Cormack McCarthy’s The Road comes immediately to mind. This entire collection of stories, however, contains so many nonsensical elements and absurd scenarios, that it detracts from the reader’s ability to enjoy and experience the underlying story.
MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW:
If you are thinking of reading this novel, then you have undoubtedly read the first two, so there is no reason to go through the underlying plot and character development. Read in isolation, this novel is an improvement over Shift, though there are certainly some ridiculous plot holes that require a reader to suspend belief in order to proceed. At the time, the silos were created (circa 2050), apparently humans have perfected the ability to place themselves into cryogenic animation, a huge biological and technological leap forward as I’m sure you will agree. Nevertheless, there are practically no other technological improvements from that of the present day.
Since Wool, I’ve struggled with the concept that a 150 story “building” would take 3 days to traverse by stairs. Obviously, each level of the silo is far greater than a standard 10 foot ceiling. In this novel, we discover that between each floor is a 30 foot block of concrete. The purpose? To allow the “handlers” to destroy the silo by means of a controlled detonation. Okay, do you know how much a thirty foot block of concrete weighs? How about 150 thirty foot blocks of concrete? That is one sturdy silo whose lower floors could support that kind of weight. In fact, one single thirty foot block of concrete on the top floor would probably be sufficient to “pancake” all the floors beneath it.
So, first the handlers have at their disposal poisonous gas, and then controlled detonation. Finally, they have drones with bunker buster bombs, just in case. Talk about redundancy. These 150 story silos have the equivalent depth of a 600 story building, yet they excavated, constructed and outfitted fifty of them in two years, without anyone catching on. Boy, our government will certainly become more efficient in the next thirty years.
To summarize, much of the book is interesting and captivating, however the background is so absurd, that unless you can completely suspend belief and all common sense, you will find yourself shaking your head numerous times throughout the book. It is a shame, because the scenario could have been crafted in such a way as to eliminate most of the absurdities without negatively impacting the story line.
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LibraryThing member infjsarah
The conclusion to the Wool trilogy was very enjoyable.
It's actually hard to review without spoilers. A lot of people die.Some of the reviews say that Juliette acts out of character from the previous books. I don't feel that - I think she was on a rollercoaster and couldn't stop. She had found out
This is one of the best new series I have read in the past few years.
It's actually hard to review without spoilers. A lot of people die.Some of the reviews say that Juliette acts out of character from the previous books. I don't feel that - I think she was on a rollercoaster and couldn't stop. She had found out
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so much, she couldn't turn around and say stop - I don't want to know more or escape. Only death would have stopped her determination to control her own life.This is one of the best new series I have read in the past few years.
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LibraryThing member nosborm
A pretty good ending to a really good series. I feel like the author finishes on a strong note and ties everything together in a mostly believable way. I'd definitely be interested in reading more of his work.
LibraryThing member AuntieClio
This was fun to read. I literally stayed up all night to read it. What a great reminder of what reading should be all about. At 5AM, I went to bed exhilarated for having read it.
If Wool is about the citizens of Silo 17 and how society functions in an enclosed world. And is about how some of the
If Shift is about the maniacal male politicians who created the world of the Silos and maintained control over the people until someone figured out that all is not what it seems.
Then Dust is about those people who have figured out that all is not as it seems and battle those who don't want them to know. The dystopian future ends with a touch of utopia, hopeful and happier.
I know I will be reading more Hugh Howey and applaud his support of writers who use his universe for their own work. The Silos are just the beginning :-)
If Wool is about the citizens of Silo 17 and how society functions in an enclosed world. And is about how some of the
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smartest start figuring out that all is not what it seems. If Shift is about the maniacal male politicians who created the world of the Silos and maintained control over the people until someone figured out that all is not what it seems.
Then Dust is about those people who have figured out that all is not as it seems and battle those who don't want them to know. The dystopian future ends with a touch of utopia, hopeful and happier.
I know I will be reading more Hugh Howey and applaud his support of writers who use his universe for their own work. The Silos are just the beginning :-)
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LibraryThing member scottf2020
A fantastic series that somehow saved the best for last. I found the original Wool series to be a quiet revelation with a brilliant scifi premise revealed on an oh so humanistic level. Shift left me a little bit cold, especially with the very unnecessary (imo) segment of the porter's tale, but it
And finally comes Dust, which left me exhilarated with one more reveal after another as we follow our favorite characters (still surviving) of the series to their conclusion. Without revealing anything, the end was immensely satisfying and Mr. Howey tells it in such vivid simplicity that you really place yourself with the characters at that moment. I want to keep thinking about their lives to come and the possibilities because they encapsulate the possibilities of the human spirit. Bravo.
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did begin the huge payoff of filling in the blanks to this imaginative world.And finally comes Dust, which left me exhilarated with one more reveal after another as we follow our favorite characters (still surviving) of the series to their conclusion. Without revealing anything, the end was immensely satisfying and Mr. Howey tells it in such vivid simplicity that you really place yourself with the characters at that moment. I want to keep thinking about their lives to come and the possibilities because they encapsulate the possibilities of the human spirit. Bravo.
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LibraryThing member MillieHennessy
Dust brought back the familiar characters of Silo 17 and 18, as well as continued with Donald's story in Silo 1. This book definitely had more action than Shift and it kept me turning pages faster - I was desperate to find out how everyone would fare. But I have to say, I was less invested in the
Overall though, it was a great end to a really great series - still one of the most original series I've read. Loved all three books and would highly recommend them. I also really enjoyed the ending of this book - though some might argue it was too perfect or convenient. I was very happy with it.
SPOILERS AHOY!
Juliette's character seemed to shift (no pun intended!) in this book - she became wildly intense, almost bordering on insane, with her efforts to dig to Silo 17. I know she promised Solo and the kids she'd come for them, but no one else in Silo 18 supported digging to Silo 17 and many believed 17 didn't exist. Juliette was very distant even from Lukas and they had very little action, despite my hopes of a little romance after all they survived in Wool. I just found her intense to the point of being annoying. She's still my favorite character (with Solo being a close second) but she just felt really different in this book - too different.
The differing opinions on the existence of other silos and what exploration would do to the population of Silo 18 was interesting. The introduction of some heavy religion made the debate more interesting, though I feel like it was half-assed. But the overall unrest and at some points, panic, in the silo due to exploration was very realistic. There was definitely a sense of pressure building as Juliette and her crew were digging and finally cracked into Silo 17.
Elise - for some reason, she really annoyed me. I found nothing likeable about her as a child character. Everything she did seemed to cause problems and I didn't feel any attachment to her. I didn't care if she lost her puppy or was abducted by the wayward cult that formed in Silo 17 once people were trapped over there. In fact, she was married to some older guy and I still didn't even feel bad for her. I also felt that issue was brushed under the rug. Solo came in with his gun, took Elise away, and that was it. I could care less what happened to her.
My last peeve was the death of Lukas - and everyone else in Silo 18 for that matter. I felt like it was a really quick way to wipe out everyone. I know that's the point of Silo 1 having so much power, yet this felt really quick. The gas filling the silo and killing off nearly everyone was really lacking emotional impact. Especially when Lukas died! Yes, I was able to picture Juliette screaming uselessly into her walkie while Lukas mumbled his goodbyes - but honestly, I couldn't picture him dying. I kept thinking later he'd make his way to Silo 17 somehow, having just passed out or something. The book ended and I was left thinking "Wait, he's actually dead?"
I'm not sure if it was because he was given a very minor role in this book and because his relationship with Juliette amounted to almost nothing. But I really liked Lukas in Wool and I felt almost nothing when he died in Dust - and I really felt I should have.
That about sums up my major issues. As I said before, awesome, original series. Glad I read it!
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characters in this book - even Juliette.Overall though, it was a great end to a really great series - still one of the most original series I've read. Loved all three books and would highly recommend them. I also really enjoyed the ending of this book - though some might argue it was too perfect or convenient. I was very happy with it.
SPOILERS AHOY!
Juliette's character seemed to shift (no pun intended!) in this book - she became wildly intense, almost bordering on insane, with her efforts to dig to Silo 17. I know she promised Solo and the kids she'd come for them, but no one else in Silo 18 supported digging to Silo 17 and many believed 17 didn't exist. Juliette was very distant even from Lukas and they had very little action, despite my hopes of a little romance after all they survived in Wool. I just found her intense to the point of being annoying. She's still my favorite character (with Solo being a close second) but she just felt really different in this book - too different.
The differing opinions on the existence of other silos and what exploration would do to the population of Silo 18 was interesting. The introduction of some heavy religion made the debate more interesting, though I feel like it was half-assed. But the overall unrest and at some points, panic, in the silo due to exploration was very realistic. There was definitely a sense of pressure building as Juliette and her crew were digging and finally cracked into Silo 17.
Elise - for some reason, she really annoyed me. I found nothing likeable about her as a child character. Everything she did seemed to cause problems and I didn't feel any attachment to her. I didn't care if she lost her puppy or was abducted by the wayward cult that formed in Silo 17 once people were trapped over there. In fact, she was married to some older guy and I still didn't even feel bad for her. I also felt that issue was brushed under the rug. Solo came in with his gun, took Elise away, and that was it. I could care less what happened to her.
My last peeve was the death of Lukas - and everyone else in Silo 18 for that matter. I felt like it was a really quick way to wipe out everyone. I know that's the point of Silo 1 having so much power, yet this felt really quick. The gas filling the silo and killing off nearly everyone was really lacking emotional impact. Especially when Lukas died! Yes, I was able to picture Juliette screaming uselessly into her walkie while Lukas mumbled his goodbyes - but honestly, I couldn't picture him dying. I kept thinking later he'd make his way to Silo 17 somehow, having just passed out or something. The book ended and I was left thinking "Wait, he's actually dead?"
I'm not sure if it was because he was given a very minor role in this book and because his relationship with Juliette amounted to almost nothing. But I really liked Lukas in Wool and I felt almost nothing when he died in Dust - and I really felt I should have.
That about sums up my major issues. As I said before, awesome, original series. Glad I read it!
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LibraryThing member eLPy
WOW! I read all the installments before this and Dust finished the story perfectly, I absolutely was not disappointed. Really I don't know who could be! Hugh Howey is a great writer and a great storyteller. He didn't just "get lucky" as some have described his self-publishing success; Wool, Shift
I'm not a regular reader of sci-fi and dystopia but this book (series) makes you hope for more like this. The best thing I can say in this review:
Read It For Yourself
Cheers!
eLPy
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and Dust are awesome stories. You can see the characters and imagine this world that he created. I'll be waiting for the movie.I'm not a regular reader of sci-fi and dystopia but this book (series) makes you hope for more like this. The best thing I can say in this review:
Read It For Yourself
Cheers!
eLPy
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LibraryThing member pixiestyx77
I cannot express how much I loved these books! I thought this was a fitting end to the trilogy. It went super fast, but I didn't feel like they skipped over much. Some things happened faster than anticipated, but it was alright and in the end still worked.
LibraryThing member clark.hallman
Dust by Hugh Howey is the third Silo Saga volume. It focuses on Jules (now the mayor of Silo 18), Solo and the children in Silo 17, and Donald and his sister (Charlotte) in Silo 1. Jules has surmised some of the disturbing elements of the Silo society and, through talks with Donald via radio, has
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come to realize that Silo 1 exerts a sinister influence on the other silos. Jules attempts to rescue Solo and the children of Silo 17, but unexpected catastrophic events threaten the survival of Silo 18 and what is left of Silo 17. Donald and Charlotte know very well the repressive and destructive power that is exercised by those in control of Silo 1, and they attempt to alter the power structure and destiny of the Silo civilization. Dust is a harrowingly exciting and unnerving immersion in the highly structured and subjugated Silo society. It is a look at desperate people trying to cope with the seemingly arbitrary, but instead intentional and controlled catastrophic events. It is the story of a few good people who don’t quite know what is happening, but realize that their assumptions about almost all aspects of life are not accurate and something is very wrong. It is a about shocking and heroic actions taken and sacrifices endured by people who have decided that they can’t go on living without trying to make right what has gone terribly wrong. Dust is a fantastic addition to this excellent science fiction series. I highly recommend it to any science fiction reader. It is certainly a must read for those who have read the previous two books in the series, i.e., Wool and Shift. I highly recommend reading those first two books in the series before reading Dust. Show Less
LibraryThing member spbooks
Not as good as the first two books in the series but still readable. Felt a bit like the author was trying to get this one out of the way - a lot of characters are not developed well and a lot of strands of the story are left hanging. The series definitely feels as though it is unfinished. I would
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say, however, that the series is worth reading for its fresh approach to apocalyptic dystopian worlds. Show Less
LibraryThing member silentq
The final book in the trilogy, the first two read for book club and I couldn't resist getting this one. We're back to Juliette in Silo 18 and Solo from Silo 17 but also get to hear from Donald in Silo 1 as all their stories converge. The epilogue was unnecessary I felt, the story wrapped up well in
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the main novel. The addition of the POV of a young girl didn't really work for me - she had the self centered ness and unawareness of a Show Less
LibraryThing member okjlsaz
This was such a great conclusion to the Silo Saga! I couldn't wait to read it each day. It's hard to imagine how generations of families could exist underground and always believe that the outside was still poisonous. It certainly makes you hate the politicians that could do such a horrible thing
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to their own country simply because they were afraid of the rest of the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member gregandlarry
Great conclusion to an excellent series.
LibraryThing member elizabeth.b.bevins
I have loved all of Howey's SILO stories...even many of the SILO books by other authors. Hugh did a wonderful job wrapping the entire series up in Dust. I was not disappointed. I'm excited about Hugh's future books. I am a fan!
LibraryThing member levasssp
Awesome conclusion to a riveting story. As with the other two omnibus editions (Wool and Shift), the writing is not the greatest. However, the story keeps you turning the pages.
One of the best things about this conclusion to the saga is how connected it is back to the beginning (Wool). Howey does
One of the best things about this conclusion to the saga is how connected it is back to the beginning (Wool). Howey does
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an amazing job of keeping information concealed and then revealing it in an organic way. Much like the movie "A Sixth Sense"...when you think back to what you have read you know that you have been told a meticulous story with a definite conclusion. Well executed and very enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
I wasn't going to bother, after reading Shift, but I'm so glad I did: Dust has restored my faith in Hugh Howey's trilogy. Really, in my opinion, books one and three do the job; Shift is an interesting prequel, but sort of interrupts the pacing. Charlotte and Donald in silo one connect the past and
Anyway, I raced through the final instalment, abandoning another sluggish novel to lose myself in Howey's incredible world building. Picking up the threads from Wool and Shift took a couple of chapters - who? what? when? - but the characters from all three novels are so strong that I could still follow the plot while getting reacquainted. Charlotte and Donald in the central silo, Juliette and Lukas in eighteen, and Solo and the children in seventeen are all drawn together to outsmart the warped wisdom of those who drove civilisation underground, sacrificing lives and taking charge of their own future. I was completely engrossed, even after the patchy pacing of the second novel. The analogy is heavy-handed in places - basically, believe half of what you see and none of what religion tells you - but nothing like the sledgehammer morality of Stephen King.
I would definitely recommend the trilogy, but Wool and Dust are the best parts, padded out with Shift.
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the present, but I'm sure their story could have been worked into the other two novels.Anyway, I raced through the final instalment, abandoning another sluggish novel to lose myself in Howey's incredible world building. Picking up the threads from Wool and Shift took a couple of chapters - who? what? when? - but the characters from all three novels are so strong that I could still follow the plot while getting reacquainted. Charlotte and Donald in the central silo, Juliette and Lukas in eighteen, and Solo and the children in seventeen are all drawn together to outsmart the warped wisdom of those who drove civilisation underground, sacrificing lives and taking charge of their own future. I was completely engrossed, even after the patchy pacing of the second novel. The analogy is heavy-handed in places - basically, believe half of what you see and none of what religion tells you - but nothing like the sledgehammer morality of Stephen King.
I would definitely recommend the trilogy, but Wool and Dust are the best parts, padded out with Shift.
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LibraryThing member ElizabethBevins
I have loved all of Howey's SILO stories...even many of the SILO books by other authors. Hugh did a wonderful job wrapping the entire series up in Dust. I was not disappointed. I'm excited about Hugh's future books. I am a fan!
LibraryThing member Perrywilson
Hugh Howey delivers on the promise of Wool. This ties first shift to the overall story and gives us back our Wool characters. Not a fairytale ending by any means, no spoilers here, but a satisfying conclusion.
LibraryThing member chaghi
And the amazing story started with Wool comes to an end. I liked Dust a lot more than Shift, but somehow it's not at the same level as Wool was. Hence I'm giving it four stars instead of five. I'm glad Hugh Howey managed to bring back most of the elements that made Wool such a nice story. Some
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things got rushed near the end, some other things were a bit too predictable. But all in all, Dust is a good ending for a saga I enjoyed a lot. Show Less
LibraryThing member sffstorm
A very fitting finale to a wonderful series. I am sad to see it end though. Dust was really a great read. I felt that Shift did not get 100% to the same level as Wool, but Dust brought it all together and added an overall enhancement when joining the other two collections. The end was very
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appropriate and there were certainly times where I thought, or felt I knew, that it was going in a different direction. I feel that calling it a "happy ending" is a bit cynical looking at all the loss in not only this book, but the whole series. There is still so much left open ended, with only some level of closure given to the characters we have come to know. I ended with many questions, though satisfied with the idea that this was intended. I completely recommend this series to anyone and everyone(in order obviously). Show Less
LibraryThing member jpporter
Dust is the third book in the Silo Saga, Hugh Howey's post-apocalyptic, distopian trilogy about an attempt to "restart" civilization. The book is, unfortunately, the lesser of the three books - it loses its edge towards the end, not quite of the same caliber of the other two books.
Nevertheless, it
Nevertheless, it
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is a worthy read, and the trilogy as a whole is extremely entertaining. Show Less
LibraryThing member ssimon2000
Wow. Just, wow. Excellent ending to a fantastic series! Sorry to see this one end, but the entire world is there for the taking.
The story ties everything into a nice package with a perfect bow, bring the story of Jules, Solo, Donald and Charlotte all together even after starting hundreds of years
Highly recommended book from this highly recommended series.
The story ties everything into a nice package with a perfect bow, bring the story of Jules, Solo, Donald and Charlotte all together even after starting hundreds of years
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apart. Highly recommended book from this highly recommended series.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Note: There will be some spoilers for Wool, Book One of this saga; some spoilers which are marked and have warnings for Shift, Book Two; but none for Dust, the conclusion of The Silo Series. Avoid all spoilers by skipping down to Discussion and Evaluation.
Shift and Dust continue the excellent story
Most of Wool takes place in Silo 18. At the end of Wool, Juliette (“Jules”) Nichols, age 34, had been "banished" from the silo, and managed, improbably, not only to survive the outside, but to make her way to a neighboring silo, #17. There, she gets to know the very small group of inhabitants, and is eager to help them share the resources of Silo 18, to whence she returns. Her boyfriend, Lukas, is now the head of IT at 18, and convinces Jules to become the new mayor. She begins her tenure determined to pull the “wool” from over everyone’s eyes and tell them about the other silos. She also wants to bring her new friends over to Silo 18, if she can figure out a safe way to do so.
In Shift, we go back in time to 2049 to learn what happened before the silos were built, and how and why they were constructed. We also learn the way in which the silos were run following the devastation of the planet. Much of the story is told from the point of view of Donald Keene, a young Congressman from Georgia who, under the thumb of the elder Senator from Georgia, Paul Thurman, gets pulled into the silo project without fully understanding what it is. But Keene has known Thurman all his life and trusts him; he even used to date Thurman’s daughter Anna. Maybe soon, Donald and his wife Helen keep saying, things will improve. But as Anna, now working with Donald, presciently observes:
"Everyone thinks they’ve got all the time left in the world. … But they never stop to ask just how much time that is.”
Centuries later, in the control silo - Silo 1, Donald is among those who work in six-month “shifts” helping to run the other silos, alternating these periods with long intervals of cryogenic preservation.
Specific Spoilers for Shift:
None of the females who are frozen are supposed to serve on shifts, but Thurman secretly brings his daughter Anna out to use her computer skills to help with a problem. She serves on two consecutive shifts, joined on the second one by Donald. When it is time for them to be put under once again, Donald tries to kill himself by going to the outside, but Thurman brings him back.
In the last part of Shift, it is now 2345, and Donald gets awakened for another shift. But this time, his identity has apparently been switched, and he is taken for Mr. Thurman, the ultimate authority. Donald has no idea how or why this happened, but he takes the opportunity to find out the rest of the secrets about the Silo project. His discoveries all go back to one underlying premise:
"…evil men arose from evil systems, and… any man had the potential to be perverted. Which was why some systems needed to come to an end.”
As Shift concludes, Donald confronts Anna over what he has found out; wakens his sister Charlotte and hides her where Anna had been hiding on the previous shift; and makes contact with Juliette and Lukas in Silo 18.
End of Specific Spoilers for Shift
In Dust, we return to the world of Silo 18. Jules is still serving as mayor, but spends most of her time trying to reach her friends in Silo 17. There is a lot of grumbling about her iconoclastic activities, and a conservative and cult-like religious movement is gaining adherents.
The action alternates with what is taking place in Silo 1, from whence control of the other silos emanates. Donald is still masquerading as Thurman, and is also now in regular surreptitious contact with Juliette and Lukas over at Silo 18.
The situation at both silos is deteriorating. Donald is apparently dying, but he doesn’t understand why. Thurman is awakened and is very, very angry. There have been three mysterious murders in Silo 1. The denizens of Silo 18 finally dig through to Silo 17 just before Silo 18 gets terminated by Thurman. Chaos, anarchy, and violence ensue. Donald surmises that
"Heroes didn’t win. The heroes were whoever happened to win. History told their story - the dead didn’t say a word.”
Discussion: The story told in these books is all the more frightening and depressing for seeming so realistic. The ending is not as bleak as my review might imply, but rather, it is probably better than one might have hoped. But it’s not irrationally better; it respects the history of human nature, with both its good and bad points.
Evaluation: In many ways this is very intelligent writing. The stories have a solid premise, stick to realism, and focus on character building and both the limitations and promise of humanity rather than on any “futuristic” gadgetry. I loved it (even while walking hunched over at times from despair). I know it is not a story I will soon forget.
Shift and Dust continue the excellent story
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that begins with Wool. Wool is a [non-YA] post-apocalyptic dystopia about a world in the future in which the population lives in underground silos following nuclear detonations that destroyed the outside world. Originally there were fifty silos, including one “administrative” silo, Number One. Only the residents of Number One and two designated IT Department workers in each other silo know that there are silos in existence beyond their own. Most of Wool takes place in Silo 18. At the end of Wool, Juliette (“Jules”) Nichols, age 34, had been "banished" from the silo, and managed, improbably, not only to survive the outside, but to make her way to a neighboring silo, #17. There, she gets to know the very small group of inhabitants, and is eager to help them share the resources of Silo 18, to whence she returns. Her boyfriend, Lukas, is now the head of IT at 18, and convinces Jules to become the new mayor. She begins her tenure determined to pull the “wool” from over everyone’s eyes and tell them about the other silos. She also wants to bring her new friends over to Silo 18, if she can figure out a safe way to do so.
In Shift, we go back in time to 2049 to learn what happened before the silos were built, and how and why they were constructed. We also learn the way in which the silos were run following the devastation of the planet. Much of the story is told from the point of view of Donald Keene, a young Congressman from Georgia who, under the thumb of the elder Senator from Georgia, Paul Thurman, gets pulled into the silo project without fully understanding what it is. But Keene has known Thurman all his life and trusts him; he even used to date Thurman’s daughter Anna. Maybe soon, Donald and his wife Helen keep saying, things will improve. But as Anna, now working with Donald, presciently observes:
"Everyone thinks they’ve got all the time left in the world. … But they never stop to ask just how much time that is.”
Centuries later, in the control silo - Silo 1, Donald is among those who work in six-month “shifts” helping to run the other silos, alternating these periods with long intervals of cryogenic preservation.
Specific Spoilers for Shift:
None of the females who are frozen are supposed to serve on shifts, but Thurman secretly brings his daughter Anna out to use her computer skills to help with a problem. She serves on two consecutive shifts, joined on the second one by Donald. When it is time for them to be put under once again, Donald tries to kill himself by going to the outside, but Thurman brings him back.
In the last part of Shift, it is now 2345, and Donald gets awakened for another shift. But this time, his identity has apparently been switched, and he is taken for Mr. Thurman, the ultimate authority. Donald has no idea how or why this happened, but he takes the opportunity to find out the rest of the secrets about the Silo project. His discoveries all go back to one underlying premise:
"…evil men arose from evil systems, and… any man had the potential to be perverted. Which was why some systems needed to come to an end.”
As Shift concludes, Donald confronts Anna over what he has found out; wakens his sister Charlotte and hides her where Anna had been hiding on the previous shift; and makes contact with Juliette and Lukas in Silo 18.
End of Specific Spoilers for Shift
In Dust, we return to the world of Silo 18. Jules is still serving as mayor, but spends most of her time trying to reach her friends in Silo 17. There is a lot of grumbling about her iconoclastic activities, and a conservative and cult-like religious movement is gaining adherents.
The action alternates with what is taking place in Silo 1, from whence control of the other silos emanates. Donald is still masquerading as Thurman, and is also now in regular surreptitious contact with Juliette and Lukas over at Silo 18.
The situation at both silos is deteriorating. Donald is apparently dying, but he doesn’t understand why. Thurman is awakened and is very, very angry. There have been three mysterious murders in Silo 1. The denizens of Silo 18 finally dig through to Silo 17 just before Silo 18 gets terminated by Thurman. Chaos, anarchy, and violence ensue. Donald surmises that
"Heroes didn’t win. The heroes were whoever happened to win. History told their story - the dead didn’t say a word.”
Discussion: The story told in these books is all the more frightening and depressing for seeming so realistic. The ending is not as bleak as my review might imply, but rather, it is probably better than one might have hoped. But it’s not irrationally better; it respects the history of human nature, with both its good and bad points.
Evaluation: In many ways this is very intelligent writing. The stories have a solid premise, stick to realism, and focus on character building and both the limitations and promise of humanity rather than on any “futuristic” gadgetry. I loved it (even while walking hunched over at times from despair). I know it is not a story I will soon forget.
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LibraryThing member Iira
I don't like happy endings, but Dust was a great end to a great trilogy. The story is still gripping and the third part adds something new to the series; it really brings the story together and sheds new light on previous events. Although I'm sad to have reached the end, I'm happy it ended and that
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it ended the way it did. Any more sequels would only water the story down, and ruin one of the few happy endings I liked. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2013-08-17
ISBN
9780544838260