Review – Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

Wow. Just finished Hugh Howey’s magnum opus, the Wool Omnibus. It’s quite the ride.

Wool is a mind-blowing, page-turning adventure that’ll have you scratching at your head and thinking, how the hell did Hugh come up with this awesomeness?

The inhabitants of Wool live in a dystopian future. The world outside is a brutal place, swept by toxic sandstorms and full of unbreathable air.

The people of the world are forced to live in “silos,” long canister-like living quarters drilled miles into the ground. Many silo inhabitants suffer from “out” sickness–they feel that the “Wool” has been pulled over their eyes by the silo owners, and that the world outside is perfectly breathable and livable, that all the images on the outside viewscreens are computer-generated illusions. Anyone who says they want “out” is granted their wish. Though it’s not a wish that anyone should want…

Twists and turns abound in Howey’s omnibus. The Wool #1 will have you on the edge of your seat routing for the sheriff. By the time Wool #5 comes around, you’ll still be on edge, this time routing for a completely different character, and wondering how she’s going to get out of the tight situations that Hugh places her in.

This is wonderful, engaging stuff. I can easily understand why Ridley Scott would auction this puppy… the writing is cinematic, and invokes all five senses.

I’m glad Hugh was able to snag a spot in the top 10 on Amazon’s Science-Fiction ‘anthologies’ section… because it will only bring him more readers, and in turn fund more Wool stories. I can see this as being a seminal, defining work in the genre.

Pick Wool Omnibus up any day of the week when you’re ready to read up a windstorm!