Review: Wool 2: Proper Gauge

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 March 2012 10:09 Written by Kadomi Wednesday, 28 March 2012 10:01

Wool 2: Proper Gauge by Hugh Howey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book continues the story of the first book, nearly seamlessly. In the very short first novelette you learn about the fate of Sheriff Holston, the sheriff of the silo that reminded me a lot of the start of Fallout 3. Wool 2 starts right after the end of the first story, and features the Mayor of the silo and the deputy sheriff who now have the task of choosing a successor for the sheriff. They chose a rather unorthodox person, a mechanic called Jules who lives in the so-called deeps, on the 158th floor below ground where the machinery runs that powers the silo. To give you a scope of the scale, it takes them two days to travel down, visiting other departments, and four days to travel back up. It’s somehow a classic tale of worldbuilding, because you learn some of the structure of the silo. The nursery level, the farms, the bazaars. I thought it was quite fascinating.

Jules turns out to be interesting, an unwilling candidate who hints at what seems to be the antagonist of the series, the mighty IT department. The short story ends with another surprising twist that’s almost as heart-wrenching as the end of Wool 1.

Considering how short the two novelettes are, they pack a punch of story, characters and world. Greatly looking forward to read the next 3 novelettes now. If you enjoy dystopian fiction at all, you should treat yourself to the Omnibus edition on the Kindle. It’s only $4.09 in the US and €3.06 in Germany. UK price should be similar.



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