For a while now I am really enjoying TV series "Silo" based on the Silo trilogy of novels (Wool, Shift, and Dust) by author Hugh Howey. Since I was not familiar with the novels, this was all new for me and must admit the series are very gripping. At least the first season - the second season started to feel stretched and not really necessary, as the episodes unfortunately felt bloated. But OK, at least the start was sensational and fresh, so I recommend it even though producers later obviously wanted to extend the story forever and ever and beyond. What is interesting is that the series are based on the book but uses the literary plot only as a frame - many more characters are added to TV show and script writers really went out of their way to make it a little bit different. In a way, it reminds me on "Game of Thrones" that was also based on the best selling novels, hopefully it won't end up the same way - at least this books are finished and there is an end to it. (I enjoyed "Game of Thrones" but not enthusiastic anymore about the unfinished volume, whenever it comes).
So far TV show has two seasons. Which cover first part of the "Silo" novels, titled "Wool". A peace of wool is what you get, if you ever dare to say it loud that you want to get out of Silo, where thousands of people live underground in fear of some kind of apocalypse outside - with this peace of wool you have to clean the security camera showing the empty world above, destroyed by radiation and supposedly nuclear wars. The premise is that thousands who live in Silo don't even remember what actually happened hundreds of years ago and any memory of the previous world is strictly forbidden - so called "relics" are collected and destroyed. Everybody lives separated on 144 floors and a spiralling staircase runs down the center - almost as in a hierarchy, professions are divided by their importance and while headquarters are on top, lower levels are reserved for mechanics and such. The equilibrium is destroyed once the inhabitants start questioning what is truth, what is reality and is it actually really so dangerous outside. The series are genuinely exciting and since the second season is ending this weekend, I could not resist to check out the book.
Now I must mention that youtube is full of video clips where people comment and guess what will happen in the next episode - its a bit strange, as there are actual novels on which the show is based, so basically all you have to do is to read the damn book, but there is a difference between the TV show and the books so I guess people simply enjoy not knowing. Or they hate reading so much and rather sit for hours on youtube and elaborate on their theories, instead of taking a book and finding it all out.
I don't hate reading, in fact I love it. So I took the first novel titled "Wool" and just like "Game of Thrones" it felt at the same time familiar and different - in both cases novels and TV series compliment each other, while much more characterisation was given in the books. One thing I can immediately say is that reading the novel feels exciting but I am not constantly creeped out and scared like while watching the series - there is something about the foreboding atmosphere and darkness on TV that freaks me out, while reading don't feel as disturbing. There is much, much more in the novels of course and I intend to finish the novel before the last episode comes on this weekend. Two more volumes to go, might give it a try.
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