Review: When the pioneers of Wool fan fiction gather together, readers get a winning anthology!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2014
When Hugh Howey, author of the awesome Silo Saga trilogy, gave his blessing for authors to write fan fiction set in his world, he told them they should charge something for their stories. A movement was born and many great stories came out of it. Collectively known as the League of Original Woolwrights (LOOW), all of these authors have written stories in the Silos, pioneering the fan fiction movement and garnering acclaim and sales. In the process, it has launched or enhanced their writing careers as well! Here is an anthology of original Wool fan fiction that celebrate all of these achievements and showcase their skills, with an introduction written by Hugh Howey himself.We get nine great Wool stories here, check them out:1.) Ann Christy's 'The Last Republican" - We meet two brothers, Theo and his brother Sam, and Sam's fiancée Pam. Set just before the events forcing others into the Silo, we see how Theo's choice to go to this event in place of his brother turns out to be both a blessing and a curse. The author establishes vibrant characterization quickly with these three through their easygoing banter and Pam's devotion to their two beagles. This characterization makes it all the more heartbreaking as you watch how they were swept into the Silo and what happens after. You also see how the author skillfully puts you into the characters shoes, demonstrating how the claustrophobic Silo transforms their moods before and after the event. Also, I loved the humor in this story, giving grace notes of lightness amid the encroaching darkness of the Silo that you know will envelop them.2.) Thomas Robins's "Eight" - What happens when someone who doesn't drink alcohol wakes up from a drunken stupor and finds a mysterious note he wrote to himself telling him to drink in order to remember? That question sets up the intrigue in a fast-moving tale as our protagonist, Chad, tries to investigate what happened and why. We are briskly taken through the enthralling story, with surprising revelations as all the pieces of the story fit completely together, featuring an ending that left my jaw on the floor with its inventiveness & awesomeness.3.) WJ Davies's "Lost Water" - When people start getting sick and losing their memories, the inhabitants of Silo 36 lose their ability to function in their jobs properly. With most everyone falling ill and dying, the task of solving this conundrum falls to Meredith, who is unaffected. With the lives of everyone in the Silo at stake, will she be able to surmount the obstacles she faces? Creating an ominous mood and featuring a twist that I didn't see coming, Davies deftly and impressively raises the stakes while forcing Meredith to deal with far more than she bargained for. This story features the origin of the problems plaguing Silo 36 (as featured in "The Watcher", the final part of the authors Silo Submerged trilogy) but it can be read completely on its own as a stand-alone tale.4.) Lyn Perry's "The Last Prayer" - When Elias, a priest, takes a last confession from someone sent to clean, she is not who he expected. With this revelation, the disillusionment he's felt for a long time as a member of the clergy (and its waning power in the silo) comes to the forefront, embodied in the dilemma he now faces. In the background, a story of class warfare between the have's and the have-not's simmers, agitated into a boil by this dilemma. Deliciously twisty with power struggles and behind-the-scenes machinations, tensions rise as this story intelligently explores the concept of belief and the role it plays in a Silo for the young, the old and the disenfranchised.5.) Logan Thomas Snyder's "Turning the Earth" - When Frankie was born, she was lucky to be alive. As an adult, she developed a desire to give back to others as a means of returning the favor for getting to live the life she's been given. Working as a miner down in Mechanical, she can do that. Paired with her partner Julia, with whom she has a strong bond of friendship, they explore a mine excavated deep down in the Silo.  When the unexpected happens, we get a nuanced portrait of two strongly connected people who embraced their purpose in life serving others and finding something more for themselves in the process. In this absorbing & engrossing story, we feel for these characters and invest deeply in their fates.6.) Carol Davis's "Climb" - As Violet realizes that at her advanced age, she's achieved all she wanted to achieve in this life, except for one thing. She wants to go to the top of the Silo. Having lived her life in the down deep, its something she's been yearning to do, even though her remaining family doesn't want her to go. Poignantly written and emotionally driven, Davis delicately weaves her way through Violet's thoughts, adroitly showcasing how Violet reached her decision while empowering her to embrace her final purpose in life.7.) Fred Shernoff's "Rattle of Bones" - When a madman kidnaps Jim, the head of IT, the reader is thrown disoriented right into the middle of this mysterious scenario along side him. As we learn more about the violent kidnapper and his demented motives, the horror of what is going on becomes readily apparent with each discovery Jim makes. Once Jim takes action in order to survive, we find out that there are still more secrets left to uncover, leading to an exhilarating finale. A taut tale fraught with terrific twists and turns, this one kept me on the edge of my seat in suspense.8.) Will Swardstrom's "The Sheriff's Son" - With an opening sentence that immediately grabs you, we get the full story of long-lasting friendships between three fifteen year-olds, Tom, Jed and Karen, in the Silo and how it appears to have led to one friend murdering the other. As all is revealed, you come to see the full tragedy of how events could spiral so badly out of control.  Compelling and moving, Swardstrom drops tantalizing clues in the narrative that heighten the tension and help you piece together events, demonstrating an emotional depth to his characters that help you truly understand their motivations by the time you reach the end. This impressive story is an emotional powerhouse.9.) David Adams's "Evelyn's Locket" -  This final story starts innocuously enough, with a child searching for her precious locket. Appearances are deceiving though, and as you move through the story, we realize that things are just a little off kilter, making you wonder what the heck is going on here. The story continues to evolve as a series of startling revelations take place, culminating in the most stunning, shocking reveal of all, making me gasp at the audaciousness of it. Once I read that, everything else up to that point now made perfect sense. Haunting, moving and bold all at the same time, this satisfying and engaging story is the perfect one to end the anthology with.As you read through the anthology, I noticed that the stories move in a linear fashion, with stories taking place in the early years of the Silos in front of the book, then move through different generations of its residents and even... well, that would be telling. :)It's also nice to see the authors notes after each story, providing some additional context and explaining how they came to be involved in Silo fan fiction.In conclusion, as if you didn't have enough reasons to buy this book:1.) All proceeds go to the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Young Writers Fund, an organization that encourages writing and challenging them to channel that creativity. Many (if not all) the authors in this anthology have participated in this program over the years and obviously, have done well. Buy this book because it is a great book and because it gives its proceeds to charity - that's a win-win situation for both the charity AND the reader. :)2.) This anthology is a box of chocolates, providing a delicious sampler of the authors stories.  And there's a LOT to enjoy in this anthology, because this is a sampler where you will find that all the chocolates are delectably excellent; there is not a bad one in the bunch.3.) As independent, self-published authors, many work a day job while in their spare time, achieving their dreams of writing stories. If you liked any of the stories in this anthology and want to read more of the individual authors that you like, go forth and enjoy more of their stories, as they are terrific. From these authors, you will find many different stories of all flavors out there to savor from science-fiction to suspense to romance to fantasy to thriller. All of them have published fan fiction in Hugh Howey's world of Wool and many of them have non-Wool stories out there as well. Support talented indie authors like these and their works as they write imaginative and interesting stories that are thrilling, suspenseful, captivating, thoughtful, insightful and well worth your while!Please note that I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.