23 COMMENTS

An Unbelievable Flurry of Media Mentions

What a crazy way to wrap up what has been an utterly surreal and unbelievable year.

First, I heard that Huffington Post listed WOOL on their list of books to look out for in 2013.

Then, BoingBoing mentioned the SHIFT books in a follow-up to their review of WOOL earlier in the year (BoingBoing, along with Wired, were among the first to review and mention Wool. They rock).

Finally, my socks were blown clear off when iO9 added me to their Science Fiction and Fantasy Power List. It’s simply not possible to convey how strange it is to be listed alongside my icons. Flabbergasting. What a crazy year.

23 responses to “An Unbelievable Flurry of Media Mentions”

  1. SteveP Avatar
    SteveP

    You earned it. You’re like a version of Stephen King that can write a good ending.

    I’m half-kidding… but seriously, you’re a shockingly fresh voice in the nerd-fi genre (I think I just made that genre up), and the success you’re enjoying right now is because you work hard, lace your works with passion, and you write damn good fiction.

    Congratulations!

    Reply
  2. Tomi B. Avatar
    Tomi B.

    Day-um. You’re among some heavy-hitters there on the io9 list. No pressure ;)

    Well deserved!

    //TB

    Reply
    1. Hugh C. Howey Avatar
      Hugh C. Howey

      The pressure . . . it is crushing!

      Reply
  3. sonate10 Avatar
    sonate10

    Why are you so surprised? When I read your first WOOL I said: this one will be the new Bradbury. No kidding.

    Reply
  4. RD Meyer Avatar
    RD Meyer

    Congrats! Nice to know that good things do come to the talented on occasion. ;-)

    Reply
  5. Michael Flanagan Avatar
    Michael Flanagan

    It is about time you face the facts young man. They being you are a extremely talented author that bring great joy to all that read your books, and you are getting your just desserts. So sit back and take it all in because I think it is fair to say you have arrived :)

    Reply
  6. Jmob Avatar
    Jmob

    Well, I think it’s really cool that two of my favorite books this year are being made into movies: wool and the dog stars.

    Reply
  7. Andrew Kuns Avatar
    Andrew Kuns

    Congrats HH! Your books have been fantastic and a source of more and more conversations in my life. I recommended the Wool series to my girlfriend who just told her niece that Wool is a must read. This is but one example of how you inspire people to read and provide an opportunity to find joy in literature! Case in point, my friend and his son read the wool series as their first book in a now flourishing family book club. Like I said before, you inspire! :-). Thank you for your work and for sharing your gift!!

    Reply
  8. Tam Linsey Avatar
    Tam Linsey

    Congratulations! You have earned the accolades, but I love seeing you retain your wonder and gratitude. Enjoy your holidays!!

    Reply
  9. Bailey Avatar
    Bailey

    I recently found you and devoured your omnibus… now I’m on 6 and will shortly go to 7.

    Why isn’t this a movie yet? Get your agents on it.

    It’s about time hollywood produced some original material not based on a sequel or a trilogy of trite, old stories… while tired xmen and spiderman may be ‘fun’, they aren’t original and any studio that picks this up will be lucky because this is the next Hunger Games or Harry potter… just a bit… ‘darker’.

    As long as the quality keeps up… and I have no reason to believe it wont as your writing has improved measurably from wool 1 to wool 6 (haven’t gotten to wool 7 yet), I’ll be a loyal buyer of this. You are awesome.

    You didn’t get to the top of the charts by being a sucky writer. You’ve written an epic saga, no less than star wars or the hobbit or harry potter.

    Please continue to provide more story for us ravenous fans (and I see you are by your counter at the top).

    I usually don’t comment on books even if they are good, because it’s not my style, but this series blew me away and I can’t wait for more.

    (it did confuse me that the original series is ‘wool’ and the 6 and 7 reference the ‘silo’ series. Much prefer you go back to wool series as that is what people will search for. I suppose you were going for a new ‘direction’ with the prequels and wanted them set apart… but it’s very confusing to a new buyer… is this the same series? If you want to call it the ‘silo series’, then make it consistent across all your books.

    That’s my only nitpick… because I really didn’t understand that 6 and 7 were sequels until in read the reviews (and please add decent synopsis to your existing books…. it’s almost only a bio of you and tells little of your book… i wouldn’t have bought it except for reading the comments and reviews).

    Reply
    1. Hugh C. Howey Avatar
      Hugh C. Howey

      Thanks, Bailey! I really appreciate the kind words. A movie might be a ways off, but people are working on it. Ridley Scott and Steve Zaillian are onboard to produce, and they have an exciting screenwriter/director attached. I hope we’ll see this on the silver screen one day. :)

      Good points on the synopses and the name of the series. Most authors put links at the ends of their e-books taking people to the next one. I’m horrible at all the business end of things, so it’s something I hope to improve upon.

      Best,
      Hugh

      Reply
  10. Montgomery Kosma Avatar
    Montgomery Kosma

    Here’s another VERY high profile endorsement — congrats!

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323277504578191753563279138.html

    Reply
  11. Reader Avatar
    Reader

    Hugh Howey you are a ridiculous man! Did you know that you are so much better than those people you compare yourself with??!!!! Your books have been the most interesting stuff that I have read in a VERY EXTREMELY LONG TIME alright. Suffice to say, I enjoy your writing very much and definitely consider you as one of my all-time favourite writers.

    Reply
  12. Vanessa Grant Avatar
    Vanessa Grant

    A friend who knew my love for Science Fiction recommended WOOL to me a few weeks ago. I haven’t been excited about a new SciFi writer in a long time, but I loved this book. Your Q&A at the end invited me to review the book, and I did – both on Amazon.com and on my own website vanessagrant.com.

    A question: when Judith first appeared in your imagination, did you have any idea of her ultimate destiny, or was she one of those gifts of the muse – the magic character whose fate unfolded as you discovered the rest of the story?

    Keep writing, so that we can keep reading!
    Vanessa

    Reply
  13. Michael Coorlim Avatar
    Michael Coorlim

    Hugh,
    We met briefly at WorldCon in Chicago, sitting on the new author’s panel together. At the time I resolved to check out your work, but I’ve been so busy the past year that I haven’t really had the time to read much of anything.

    Not reading? That’s a deplorable state for a writer. I’ve started a book blog to get myself into the habit of reading regularly, and Wool is the first title I’ve covered. You can read it here: http://www.booknouveau.com/2012/12/wool-by-hugh-howey/ and I’ve also posted it to Amazon.

    I’ve got your zombie book, too, and look forward to reading that next.

    Reply
    1. Hugh C. Howey Avatar
      Hugh C. Howey

      Hey Michael, great to hear from you. Thanks for taking the time to check out Wool. I enjoyed the review on your blog. Very kind of you.

      And yeah, I need to keep up with my reading. I was going through several books a week before I started writing. I’d like to get back to at least several books a month!

      Reply
      1. Michael Coorlim Avatar
        Michael Coorlim

        I’ve basically incorporated reading-time into my workflow. Scheduling it into my day makes me feel like I’m cheating if I skip out on it. Fortunately I’m a fast reader.

        Reply
  14. Rebecca Turner Avatar
    Rebecca Turner

    HI,
    I just finished wool 5 and just bought the story after that about how it all came to be, and I just wanted to tell you wow! what a great story(s) I enjoyed them so much! . I just wanted to say thank you for writing it and putting it up on amazon. I got the 1st one for free from a newsletter I get for free ebooks on amazon and the 1st book had such rave reviews I had to read it and see what all the hubbub was about and I am so glad I did. I see here on your blog your writing more about the silos, woohoo! I’m so glad. I can see more good stories coming thank you so much! keep up the good work. I have never written to a author before to tell them how much I enjoyed their book so that should tell you just how much I liked them. I had to tell you and ask for more and I see there will be more! yeah!!! Happy new year!

    Reply
  15. EJM Avatar
    EJM

    I’d rank you above Robert Downey Jr., too. (My fiancée would disagree, but hey, I’m the one posting.)

    Reply
  16. Christian Toumie Avatar
    Christian Toumie

    Hey Hugh!
    Here’s another fan of yours! I stumbled onto your Omnibus by chance when i was looking for something to read. I can honestly say that i was blown away by the way your writing keeps the reader on the edge and at the same time move the story forward in a pace that makes the reading addictive! I had serious problems putting down the book!

    If you keep it up you have a life long fan here! I’m putting your work right beside my other favorite authors A.Reynolds and P.Hamilton!

    Cheers and a Happy New Year!
    /Christian

    Reply
  17. UberCraig Avatar
    UberCraig

    I just finished reading Second Shift. Loved it! You provide much more than mere “back-story” here; like all great stories, the Shift series is full of great characters, developed slowly in the fullness of time. The incredible anguish felt by those who destroyed the world (Donald in particular), and the way it slowly dawns on them and the reader at the same time….awesome.

    When I finished it, I felt myself thinking about the characters and how they must feel, not so much about the story and how it may end…I can empathize with them because you’ve made them real. It’s what I loved about Asimov’s Foundation series.

    For what it’s worth, I’d prefer to wait for Third Shift to be released in completed form. Just have it ready by, oh, early spring? No pressure…..

    Reply
  18. Aaron Avatar
    Aaron

    Nominated WOOL for 2012 Puddly award on Powells.com. Spread the word through your twitter etc.. sir.

    Reply
  19. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    I too stumbled across the Wool omnibus (I’m not even sure how) while browsing the Kindle library. I saw the full 5-star rating and number of reviews – never do so many people agree so strongly on anything! – so I decided to give it a try. I was hooked within the first few pages, and have devoured the whole series in the space of maybe a week. Mr. Howey, you have kept me up until the wee hours every single night; I have recommended these books to everyone I know. What an incredible story! You brought me somewhere I don’t think I have ever been before, and I cannot wait for the next books to come out. Now, since I will be forced to wait for Third Shift, ;) I’m planning on reading some of your other books. A good short story can be a fluke, but an amazing work like the Silo Series can only be preceded by other wonderful things, so I’m looking forward to many late nights. Thank you!

    Reply

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