Wool

"Wool Omnibus Edition" by Hugh Howey

I had never heard of "Wool" or its author until I read this article/review in Slate magazine. It's not that I dislike science fiction --- I've read "Dune," "Brave New World," several Ray Bradbury stories, and more --- but I don't read sci-fi often.

Something about "Wool," however,  grabbed me and refused to let go. Maybe it was the entirely plausible world Howey creates in a far distant future --- distant, but not very different from the world of 2013. Or maybe it was the characters --- men and women who are very much like the living, breathing people we know.

 The world of "Wool" is populated by survivors of some unnamed global disaster, who live in a vast underground silo --- more than 130 levels connected only by a single spiral stairway. The silo's structure not only limits physical mobility, but also social mobility. Classes and occupations are divided by level, with the blue-collar workers living in the "down deep" and governing officials "up top." Near the upper levels, but far from any authority figures is IT. If you've ever struggled to get anything out of Information Tech in your workplace, you will not be surprised that IT is the real power in the silo.

You might say that such a confined universe could drive a person crazy --- or drive them to question whether things might be better outside, whether there is hope for a better life outside the silo. But such rebellion is a capital offense in the silo, punishable by being put out to "cleaning" --- scrubbing the grime off the sensors that give the silo residents their only view of the outside. Cleaning is a death sentence because the outside atmosphere is so toxic it eats through the cleaners' protective suits and kills them in a short time.

Howey gradually unfolds the web of lies and truth as the main characters discover them, timing the revelations perfectly to keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. The well-paced suspense scenes build to a satisfying conclusion --- and leave the door open to a sequel.

In the world of "Wool," like our own, ideas are dangerous. So is hope. So is love. "Wool" is so relatable because it speaks to our timeless human longing for freedom and a better future.