32 COMMENTS

The Next WOOL Book!

So . . . you just finished WOOL 5 or the OMNIBUS EDITION, you’re still out of breath and a little dizzy from the wild ride, but you want the next WOOL book. Where is it and how much and please give it to me now, right?

Have no fear, I’m working on it. On the weekends and while on vacation, no less. I am just as dedicated to you, dear reader, as you have been to these books. And look, I was a reader for many, many years before backing my way into this writing nonsense. I remember what it was like finishing a good story and being at the whim of the publishing cycle for the next round. Which is why I do not let you twiddle your thumbs for an entire year between books. It’s why I like releasing smaller stories as I finish them rather than wait to compile them into a massive tome and space them well apart.

It’s also why I have those word count widgets off to the left. You can see how far along I am, what I’m working on, you may even find sample chapters thrown up on my site now and then.

Here’s my rough schedule: I’d like to get LEGACY, the first in the next Silo Trilogy, out around the end of March. ORDER will come next, and I’m shooting for May on that one. Finally, we’ll get THE PACT, which we should see in June or July. These three books look great in outline. Less outright “action” and more suspense and revelation. I’m shooting for 20,000 – 30,000 words each on these, which puts them right at the length of WOOL 3.

I’ll also be working on some other projects on the side. At the insistence of a few fans, I’m moving ahead with the unpublishable mess that is I, ZOMBIE. I’m also working on SAND LAND, the next end-of-world series you’ll see from me. This has been delayed a little because of the WOOL hysteria. It’ll all get written, though, and likely sooner than I expect.

While you wait, I suggest checking out HALF WAY HOME. It’s getting a lot of love in the wake of WOOL’s success. Think LORD OF THE FLIES meets ALIEN. Also, THE PLAGIARIST is a cheap, quick read. And if you can suspend disbelief, enjoy some social satire, and have a youthful spirit, the MOLLY FYDE series will rock your socks off.

Also, if you’re really bored, check out Lisa’s post below for some suggestions. Reviews are the fuel for my writing soul. I love them all (some more than others). Keep them coming.

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32 responses to “The Next WOOL Book!”

  1. umagooma Avatar
    umagooma

    This sounds great Hugh! Reading the “Molly Fyde” series now, and should be able to finish this by the end of March for the new Silo books. Haven’t been reading like I used to until I discovered your Wool series and now it is every evening! Thanks so much!

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

      That’s an amazing compliment. Thanks!

      Reply
  2. zygote Avatar
    zygote

    “At the insistence of a few fans, I’m moving ahead with the unpublishable mess that is I, ZOMBIE.”

    Music to my ears! Keep up the messy work!!!

    Reply
  3. jillconn Avatar
    jillconn

    So happy to be seeing the blue progress bar under Legacy moving up!
    PS- Just finished the first book in the Molly Fyde series and I loved it! I can’t wait to start the next one!

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

      Thanks, Jill!

      Reply
  4. Solipsikat Avatar
    Solipsikat

    Wool has left me breathless and captivated. I just finished Wool 5 last night (and grumpy/sleepy today). A question how many feet down in total do you envision a silo to be? Wouldnt it get hotter and hotter the further down one went? Its about one and a half to two empire state buildings, they never devised a easy lever system to port things up and down the shaft? How are the trees and plants pollinated, do they have bees? How is it the pigs and people and rabbits haven’t genetically drifted into a disabled mess? These are the things I think about, which is a good sign because that means for me (as an Anthropologist) I start thinking in terms of systems of things and that’s when it gets fun. :) Wool 5 left me with so many questions, really brilliant at the end these silos of human and indeed, all life, love the biological comparisons. As an Anthropologist especially loved how well you captured Juliette’s inability to read a topographical map… or the size of a butterfly…its these little touches that make it feel so real to me. Cant wait for the next! Thanks for your stories.

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

      It’s a little more than three Empire State Buildings. 4,320 ft. vs. 1,250 ft.

      They’ve devised lots of ways to lift things up and down, elevators even. But IT won’t allow them to be built. They pretend it’s the Porter’s Union, but really it’s about keeping people apart so they can’t collude, can’t talk, simply survive and propagate the species.

      They have bees, but mostly for the honey. The pollination is done by hand. Probably more to keep the farmers busy than real necessity.

      There’s more genetic variety in one silo than most any of the small tribes that existed for hundreds of thousands of years with their domesticated livestock. As long as you aren’t going crazy with the brother-on-sister action, the recessive alleles won’t overlap and give you trouble. Biologists calculate minimum viable populations (MVPs) to avoid inbreeding to be as low as 50! To retain evolutionary potential, the range is traditionally given as 50-5,000 (which is why, when pressed, I give 5,000 as the maximum population of a silo).

      It actually gets colder the deeper you go in a silo. They don’t penetrate the crust, so you aren’t dealing with geothermals. What you get is a lot less surface warming from the sun and all that insulative rock.

      Reply
  5. rurugby Avatar
    rurugby

    I just read “The Hurricane” this week and loved it too… Really identified with the main character.

    Reply
  6. Willem Avatar
    Willem

    Just finished the Wool Omnibus, what a gripping read it was!
    You are a most talented writer and story teller.

    Please keep ’em coming :)

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

      Wow, thanks Willem! I’m sitting here working on the next story right now. Really do appreciate the feedback.

      Reply
  7. Mr.Ection Avatar
    Mr.Ection

    Well I wish I had heard about this Omnibus thing a week ago! haha Nevertheless, I loved the WOOL series. I’m shocked (and so much more than happy) that you have such an aggressive production schedule laid out! This really seems like the future of the industry…. I just hope that you have enough followers to keep working so hard very worth your while! :)

    Thanks again for the great read in WOOL! Off now to check out your other crack, er, I mean writings.

    Reply
  8. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    I downloaded the Omnibus Wool Series last week and am getting ready to start Wool 5. Wow, what an amazing series. I love your writing style and am totally obsessed right now. What a great read! So excited to check out some of your other work after I finish Wool.

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

      Thanks, Kate! And some reviewer today accused all my fans of being family members. :( I wish they knew how many strangers are digging this series!

      Reply
  9. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    Wow, thanks for the quick reply. I usually borrow books from the library or Amazon Prime for my Kindle, but this is the first time that I actually want to buy a book to support an author…just ordered my signed copy of Wool!

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

      Sweet! I’ll get it in the mail to you tomorrow!

      Reply
  10. Kelli Avatar
    Kelli

    Hi Hugh. Just wanted to drop by and tell you how impressed I am with your writing. I was exploring the Kindle store on Amazon and performed a sort by star rating. The Wool Omnibus rated at the top of the list. I had never heard of it, but thought I’d give it a whirl. I love it! I’m in the middle of book 5 right now. Glad to recommend it to my friends. Great work!

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

      Thanks, Kelli! I’m glad you’re digging it. And thanks for spreading the word! :D

      Reply
  11. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    I just found out about this book because it appeared on my Amazon home page. Long story short, I have a friend who LOVES knitting so I clicked the link, read the description (okay…sci fi, not knitting), and then did a little research. I am excited to buy it and read it. I am purchasing right now! Good luck with your writing career!

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

      Thanks, Jessica! :D

      Reply
  12. Marilyn Avatar
    Marilyn

    My daughter got me hooked on this series – I am in the middle of Wool 4 right now so I am trying not to read too much about W5 – would love to be suprised! Thank you for taking us to this world you created in your mind!

    Reply
  13. Cody Avatar
    Cody

    Very impressed with the series so far. Really enjoyed the ominbus, and am halfway through Legacy. You have a knack for creating characters that the reader can care about without too much back-story. I am very hopefully that someone decides to run with your ideas in the future in the visual world, either cinema, TV, or graphic novel:) Please keep up the great work.

    Reply
  14. Blake Avatar
    Blake

    Omg I LOVED the wool series and just squealed because I see there is a new installment! I want to buy it now but I will probably pull an all nighter like I did with the other books. Question: have you ever considered making them a movie? And if so they really remind me of the steampunk movement, would that be your type of vision? Keep writing because you are AWESOME!!!!!

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

      Thanks, Blake!! And yeah, I’m dying to make this into a film. Ridley Scott and Steve Zaillian just picked up the rights. :D

      Reply
  15. Blake Avatar
    Blake

    OMG IM SO EXCITED!!!! Ps. I did purchase the book last night, and stayed up waaaaay too late reading it! Well worth it though, it’s already AWESOME!!!!

    Reply
  16. Meg Avatar
    Meg

    Thanks for great reading (and to the DD for the rec.) Fantastic, I don’t want to go to sleep, just keep reading. I’m not finished 5 yet, ordered 6 so I’ll be able to keep going. Recommended to my 13 yo niece as well. A film would be great, though I could see a long running series; people glued to the TV every week ;)

    (watching the I Zombie bar intensely…)

    Reply
  17. Zach Avatar
    Zach

    Wool 6 ebook is showing unavailable on amazon.co.uk despite reviews attached. PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY

    Reply
  18. Linda Cahan Avatar
    Linda Cahan

    I’ve read every “Wool” I can find and am totally hooked (pun intended.)
    I’ve been reading Science Fiction for most of my life and this is among the best I’ve ever read! I also think this would be better fleshed out as a long-running tv series rather than a movie. There is so much to work with!
    Thank you for writing these books and I’m looking forward to reading more – including your non-Wool books!

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

      Thanks, Linda!

      Reply
  19. Christina Avatar
    Christina

    I work night shift so I always take my nook with me to work. I have spent the last 2 nights finishing Wool Omnibus and bought #6 this morning. I have to say it was awesome! Keep up the great work! I look forward to reading more of your work!

    Reply
  20. Turlough Avatar
    Turlough

    Dear Hugh, I have a thesis to finish and a lot of letters to complete at work so I really did not appreciate becoming completely hooked by your Wool Omnibus and having to read it through right until the end at the expense of evreything else. I am very proud of not skipping to the end though despite some moments of almost unbearable tension. Can’t wait to read some more of your excellent stuff!

    Reply
  21. Lewis Avatar
    Lewis

    I absolutely love your “Wool” series. I never really read for fun until a good friend of mine suggested this read. I have to say, it is remarkable how you grab my attention and pull me into the story. I love every moment of it. I am about 1/3 of the way through “Wool 5” right now and am looking forward to the “Shift” series! I see that “Sand” is next on the wool books to come, and was wondering how many more books there are to come and what they might possibly be called? I already love the series and I know the ending will be bittersweet… haha. But amazing work, really. I love it, and the entire plot is incredible.

    Reply
  22. Debbie Avatar
    Debbie

    I got my copy of “Dust” on Tuesday and just finished it. Wow! It makes me hunger for more-to know what happens next. Do they make it to the sea?

    Whether you write more stories about Juliette or not, I greatly enjoy your writing. I read all of the Molly Fyde tales, and “Hurricane” as well. I’ll keep an eye out for anything new from you!

    Reply

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