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First Shift: Legacy (Wool #6)

by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 5,182 ratings · 563 reviews

In 2007, the Center for Automation in Nanobiotech (CAN) outlined the hardware and software platform that would one day allow robots smaller than human cells to make medical diagnoses, conduct repairs, and even self-propagate.

In the same year, the CBS network re-aired a program about the effects of propranolol on sufferers of extreme trauma. A simple pill, it had been disco...more

Kindle Edition, 238 pages

Published April 14th 2012 by Broad Reach Publishing (first published April 5th 2012)

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May 18, 2012 Ted rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read a review that states that this book is better than "Wool - Omnibus Edition" but I don't agree. I do however believe that the book is fantastic. It's twice now that Hugh Howey was able to delight me to the point that I just didn't want to stop reading. It's possible that I found the Omnibus better as that story while connected to this one seems complete while "First Shift" will be followed by "Second Shift" and "Third Shift"? The only thing to do now, is to start on the Molly Fyde books...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Book rated it 2 of 5 stars

It has come to my attention that perhaps I was a bit hard on Hugh "I'm not a misogynist, some of my best friends have ovaries!" Howey. Thus, a friend lent me First Shift so I could review the book, not the author. After all, don't I know that Hugh Howey is one of the preeminent science fiction authors of our time, if not ALL TIME?!?!?

So let's review. In the year 2049, a neophyte Congressman from Georgia, Donald Keene (whose intellect is anything but), comes to Washington and does absolutely noth...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Slickery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although it's interesting to get the background of how the Silos came to be and why the history is lost, a lot of this just feels like the Exposition Fairy went on a bender. But as usual Howey's characters are fully realized people and the writing is engaging. The end pulled this from a 3 to 4 to me because of how it ties to the original 5 stories.

Now for the nitpicks.

(view spoiler)...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Ellen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Once again, here I am in the minority. Apparently, Howey is a self-publishing god of sorts, with Ridley Scott optioning film rights and Random House giving him an incredible traditional publishing deal. Howey has made huge amounts of money from ebooks and has many, many fans.

You know, I could be one of those fans. There's something about his writing that attracts me -- that wanting to know more. However, what I've read just hasn't attracted me enough to want to spend more money.

After hearing abo...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm halfway through this installment to the silo series and I'm hooked! I'm trying to make it last but cant wait to get through it either.

update:

Just finished "first shift"! loved it and it's a great addition to the series and just makes me want more. I loved the political aspect and how plausible it seems. I'll admit, I love a good conspiracy so I'm biased, but the realism of this story kindly hits u.

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Feb 11, 2013 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, kindle-books, sf-dystopian-post-apocalyptic

This is sort of a sequel/prequel to Wool, and lives up to the awesomeness of that story. It took me a little bit of time to work out the time frame, as this story is split between the near future (2049 as I recall without putting out my copy) and the slightly-less-near-but-still-fairly-near future (2110), and it wasn't clear to me until well into Second Shift where the timing lined up with Wool. This is a feature, not a bug from my perspective, though, as the perception of time is something that...more This is sort of a sequel/prequel to Wool, and lives up to the awesomeness of that story. It took me a little bit of time to work out the time frame, as this story is split between the near future (2049 as I recall without putting out my copy) and the slightly-less-near-but-still-fairly-near future (2110), and it wasn't clear to me until well into Second Shift where the timing lined up with Wool. This is a feature, not a bug from my perspective, though, as the perception of time is something that is played with here much more so than in Wool.

It would be possible to read the Shift trilogy before reading Wool, but I think that would probably detract some of the tension. First Shift in particular is about good intentions gone bad, and knowing where things end up even though the characters don't is half the fun.

One comment here that I was reminded of reading other reviews: the bit about gender segregation in Silo 1 did strike me as clashing with Howey's otherwise good depictions of women. Maybe there's an in-universe explanation that I haven't gotten to or interpreted, but the idea that women would be a distraction is presented without much criticism for me to feel entirely comfortable. Given the rest of the story, why not use some kind of sexual-tension blocking drug instead? The throw-away line about the democratic party nominating a woman for president for the second time implies that the rich-white-male-politician class has continued to be integrated, so what gives? Did the women in charge just agree to be completely removed from power "for the good of the species" or something? I get we're talking special circumstances, but I just don't buy it.

Which leads in the criticism that there are apparently no homosexual men in Silo 1 for some reason. Giving Howey the benefit of the doubt on this one, again, there might be some in-universe issue, but given the state of gay rights in 2012, it's strange to think that even the rich-white-male-politician class of 2050 would have this kind of blind spot. Giving Howey a bit less benefit of the doubt, this lack of logic makes me think that the blind spot is his.(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Eric Hammel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have very mixed feelings about First Shift.

I was immensely surprised to find out how much I liked the first five Wool volumes. I bought into the mystery; I felt it and the exposition were handled just right by an amazing talent. I was completely satisfied by where it began and where it ended. I did not require answers to questions I considered superfluous.

When I noticed First Shift, I circled for a time. I was loath to find out whatever secrets it might yield. But curiosity won out.

I do not qu...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm still reading in the Kindle wake of my fella, who never reads fiction yet is wolfing these down like a man who after being lost in the woods for 3 days finds himself at a fabulous Las Vegas buffet. This one is a sort of prequel to the Wool Omnibus. It is set in two times, our own near future and 50 years or so after the silos went into use. No spoilers, promise. Well, we get an explanation of WHY. We even get some info about HOW. Neither the old man or myself bought it though. But the more...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Anand rated it 2 of 5 stars

Wool was wonderful. Since Wool is a post-apocalyptic set in far in the future, the unknown or the unexplained is taken for granted, and believing what the author narrates is easier since non one has seen the future so it all fantasy and make believe. But when the setting is just 30 years in the future in a setting supposed to be very similar to the current times, it is very difficult to believe things as is- the author needs to explain how things have come to the way they are. This is where Firs...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Cass rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, books-i-own-ebook, dystopian-utopian, shorter-stories

I was a fan of the Wool series, even before I was privileged to enjoy a bit of ongoing banter with the author and some other readers. This book is a good addition to the series. It is worthy of 5-stars for its originality, 4-stars for writing, but only 3-stars for length.

As a standalone it is almost amazing. Like a five star book that just needs to be a bit longer, a bit fuller, pack a bit more of a punch. There was a love triangle, but it didn't hook me. There was a great ending, that didn't q...more I was a fan of the Wool series, even before I was privileged to enjoy a bit of ongoing banter with the author and some other readers. This book is a good addition to the series. It is worthy of 5-stars for its originality, 4-stars for writing, but only 3-stars for length.

As a standalone it is almost amazing. Like a five star book that just needs to be a bit longer, a bit fuller, pack a bit more of a punch. There was a love triangle, but it didn't hook me. There was a great ending, that didn't quite make me say "wow".

As a continuation of the Wool series it really is revealing. It really sheds a lot of understanding into the why and how, although it is far less intense (perhaps on the calibre of book 2 - Proper Gauge). It has quite a few links to the old books which I found a bit distracting, mostly because I couldn't remember the details, so I spent time trying to remember who or what the relationship was, which interrupted the flow of reading. I should have read this as soon as I finished the omnibus, or at least begged the author for a primer!

The series now has two very separated time periods to be written about, and I can't wait to read about them both. In this regard it reminds me of my all-time favourite book series, Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. The great difference between her books and this author is the length of the books. The originality is there, but until the books get longer they just won't cross into the 5-star zone.

I have to add a little quote from the book, this really has nothing to do with my review.
"The front-end loader let out a throaty blat as it struggled up the hill. When it reached the top, a charcoal geyser of relief steamed from its exhaust pipe, a load of dirt avalanched out of its toothy bucket...".
A charcoal geyser of relief has to rank high in my list of 'way too descriptive moments of writing'. It is up there with Mary perfunctorily, pouring milk into the bottom of her mother's cup. But that line aside, the book was good. If you liked Ender's Game then you will like this. (less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Knitography rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-other

I wanted to like this book more than I did; Wool is a great series and I was excited to jump back into that world. Much as I wanted to love this prequel, it just doesn't stand up to the other stories.

First Shift switches back and forth between two separate timelines. In the immediate future, a junior Congressman and former architecture student named Donald is (largely unwittingly) roped into designing parts of what will become Silo 1. In the more distant future, Troy is the leader of Silo 1, wor...more I wanted to like this book more than I did; Wool is a great series and I was excited to jump back into that world. Much as I wanted to love this prequel, it just doesn't stand up to the other stories.

First Shift switches back and forth between two separate timelines. In the immediate future, a junior Congressman and former architecture student named Donald is (largely unwittingly) roped into designing parts of what will become Silo 1. In the more distant future, Troy is the leader of Silo 1, working his first 6 month shift (workers in Silo 1 alternate between 6 month work shifts and longer periods of cryogenic sleep).

The Troy timeline is well done; the author does an excellent job of conveying the confusion, despair, and sense of detachment one could easily imagine a person in Troy's situation would feel. As with the original Wool books (particularly the early ones), Howey adheres to the 'show, don't tell' rule, leaving the reader to slot various puzzle pieces together along the way. If you read the Wool books (and you really should read those before First Shift, or I don't imagine you'll get much out of this one), some nagging questions will be answered in the Troy sections, in a mostly satisfying way.

Unfortunately the Donald sections aren't nearly as well done, and in fact I could have done without them altogether. Without revealing any spoilers, the Donald sections are just less compelling to read, especially when contrasted against the much better Troy sections. The main thrust of the Donald timeline in the book is to explain the apocalypse that lead people to the silos in the first place, but the explanation Howey came up with is weak and unsatisfying. It raises a host of questions, and not the yummy ambiguous kind either - the annoyed 'but that doesn't make any darn sense' kind. The book would be so much better if it had taken place entirely in Troy's timeline and the apocalypse hinted at more aggressively than in the Wool series, but still left to the imagination. The workings of Silo 1 and the effects on it's residents would have provided plenty of material, and been more enjoyable without the dead weight of the Donald sections.

I still recommend that Wool fans read this one, but be prepared to skim through the Donald timeline like I did.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jeremy by: Amazon.com

I simply cannot get enough Wool. The one complaint that I have with post-apocalyptic fiction, generally, is that it tends to be very depressing. That's understandable, given the nature of the genre (something really bad happened, a bunch of people died off in really horrible ways, and now let's begin our story!). The Wool series is no different, and all of these books can be really depressing, but for some reason, I just don't care. The stories are just that good. That was true for Wool 1-5, and...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Augie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved Howey's first Wool stories, collected into the Omnibus edition. I gave that book a five-star rating, but this one left me less delighted. The other stories happen in a world of Howey's creation, and it's a leaving and breathing world that (mostly) makes sense. This book, by contrast, happens in our world (or the world of 2049, anyway) and it is full of nonsensical situations. Where the rest of the Wool series seems anchored in reality, this one required several leaps of faith that I was...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading this series is like working on a very detailed and intricate jigsaw puzzle. You start reading and a few of the puzzle pieces fit together and you can see a small section of the puzzle. But it is enough to have yearnings to understand this place and people. Then additional puzzle pieces come and you are delighted to see bigger sections of the whole, yet you are always left with curiosity for more. This most recent work of our friend Hugh brings more clarity to this world by answering one...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who are in the Wool series for the long haul

Shelves: sci-fi

This book is a good addition to the Wool universe, providing insight into how it all came to be. It does not, however, stand on its own. Part of this is because it's style is somewhat disorienting. The progressive revelation, and alternating paragraphs of shifting perspectives can be artistic - this was done pretty well in the earlier books, as the different plot lines amplified each other as you swung back and forth between them. While it eventually picks up, the first 2/3rds of the book, the a...more

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May 21, 2012 Chris Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: end-of-the-world, science-fiction

This was a good read and stuck to the style of the previous books by flipping between different points in time and characters. Great story, compelling characters and enough suspense to keep the pages turning at a frantic pace.

It was really engrossing in the beginning and really made you hunger to get more answers. But toward the last half/third it has become pretty obvious how the book was going to play out, unlike the suspense of the first Wool book that literally had me on the edge of my seat...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Mitzi rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 27, 2012 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: shtf, post-apocalytpic

I'm struggling with the number of stars for this one ... 3.5 stars would be my choice. I finished a couple of days ago and I've been struggling with how I feel about First Shift.

I devoured Wool Omnibus, loved it. The characters were real, they felt real. Wool-O is one of the best science fiction stories I have ever read (and I've been reading science fiction since 1966 -- I'm OLD!) I believed the sociology and psychology of life in the Silo. And I love all the other Howey stories I've read. I wa...more I'm struggling with the number of stars for this one ... 3.5 stars would be my choice. I finished a couple of days ago and I've been struggling with how I feel about First Shift.

I devoured Wool Omnibus, loved it. The characters were real, they felt real. Wool-O is one of the best science fiction stories I have ever read (and I've been reading science fiction since 1966 -- I'm OLD!) I believed the sociology and psychology of life in the Silo. And I love all the other Howey stories I've read. I wanted so much to give this five stars.

But First Shift doesn't live up to Wool-O. It's a very good read, but didn't ring true to me. One quibble: senators don't have secret service protection unless they are candidates for president or are former presidents or vice presidents. So that bothered me. But that was just a minor thing.

What bothered me the most is I didn't get that much of a feeling for Donny, and I sure didn't get enough of a feeling for what was going on in the world, to understand why Donny even ran for representative and why he was so clueless. I can understand not getting that much of a read on "Troy" because he'd been drugged and frozen. Did Donny just not pay attention to what was going on in the world? What WAS going on in the world to drive the shadowy leader(s) to do what they did?

Didn't buy that a sitting Congressman (let alone two, that we know of), were responsible for such key aspects of the project or that it consumed all their time.

Really didn't buy that civilians/government agents were responsible for such a huge project -- would have bought it more if the responsible entities were the military or a corporation like Halliburton (or the usual combination of both). Didn't buy that it was all constructed in three years. Didn't buy that there were no nosy journalists or bloggers or conspiracy theorists snooping around the edges. Didn't buy that nobody involved (below the top, I mean) didn't figure out and leak the Big Picture. All this would require perfect coordination and control, which, even with the nanobots playing a role, would never happen. I didn't buy that this was a construct of Democrats. There isn't nearly enough back story to make me buy all of this.

But mainly, I didn't buy what they did. There was no point to it. They could have set up the pretext to get the people where they wanted them -- this I believed. But not what was ultimately done. There was nothing to gain -- absolutely nothing. If they believed it was inevitable, they could have just done the first thing and faked the rest and let things take their course (it's hard to write this without spoilers).

So the precipitating event doesn't make sense -- maybe it's not supposed to but I find it hard to believe there were enough sociopaths working together to coordinate something like that.

But, life in the Silos -- that part I believed. It will be interesting to follow more about the first generations of Silo life. But I'm more interested in what follows Wool 5. So, for the early generations of Silo life, I give it five stars. For the back story, I give it two stars.

So will I buy the next in the series? You bet -- but I hope it doesn't cost so much, geez!(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Kaila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, dystopia, science-fiction

This review is also available on my blog, Stumptown Books.

Quite the addition to the Wool universe! I was unable to put it down. Once again Mr. Howey draws us in with lifelike characters that emotionally resonate, like this story has already happened and he's just explaining it to us. It's an amazing gift to make the future seem so close. It's gripping and fast paced, but still manages to retain the same poignancy we all loved in the Wool series.

We begin in 2049, following around Congressman Dona...more This review is also available on my blog, Stumptown Books.

Quite the addition to the Wool universe! I was unable to put it down. Once again Mr. Howey draws us in with lifelike characters that emotionally resonate, like this story has already happened and he's just explaining it to us. It's an amazing gift to make the future seem so close. It's gripping and fast paced, but still manages to retain the same poignancy we all loved in the Wool series.

We begin in 2049, following around Congressman Donald Keene as he is given a project to design a skyscraper...underground. How exceedingly strange! If only Congressman Keene had been blessed with the omniscience we now possess. His thoughts about the design made it much easier for me to picture the silo as it was meant to be imagined, like how seeing something through an outsider's eyes allows you to appreciate it all the more. The people who lived in Silo 18 never thought the stairs odd because they've been walking up and down them their entire lives. I cracked a smile when Donald said, "What, no elevator? Are you crazy?" I agree Donald! Had you only known what they were planning...

The second half of the story takes place in the year 2110, in Silo 1, following around a fellow named Troy. As far as I can tell he is like a Mayor from any of the other silos: only nominally in charge. I loved getting to know the inner workings of the, up until now, rather sinister Silo 1. Troy's misadventures just broke my heart, especially as we near the ending and realize what is going on. Once again the last few lines have assured that I will be picking up more of the series.

Mr. Howey, I've decided, is absolutely amazing at the small things. I am now convinced this is why his characters feel so alive, because we all have weird quirks or trains of thought, and unless your character does too, why should we believe in them? He describes a game of Solitaire exactly how I've always thought about it but could never put into words. He explains the brushing of a paper medical gown against the skin, and I can feel it because I've had one on too. It is therefore all the more blissfully agonizing as we lose the characters that have come to mean something to us.

But, but!, something was missing. I had a really hard time putting my finger on it at first, because if I wanted to keep reading, and it kept me up late because I really wanted to finish it, shouldn't it get 5 stars? The little things is what made this story so imminently readable, but the big, overarching story is what made it lacking. The explanation of the apocalypse just didn't hold together for me, and now I'm starting to question whether I just dislike dystopias as a whole. In Wool 5 we learn that we were the ones to do it, to push the big red button, and this is where we learn why. The reasoning was rather baffling to me. A dystopia means, at its base, that somewhere along the line mankind failed. Oh we definitely failed here, but I felt it was unbelievable. The plan must have been far reaching for it to go off without a hitch, and all the higher ups were ok with this? No one wanted to stop it? Zuh?

That bugged me, yes, but you know what? It doesn't matter. I loved this story, I love the Wool universe, I will read anything Hugh Howey publishes.(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Alex Albrinck rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are several marks of a good storyteller. If you finish a work satisfied with the story just ended, yet desperately wanting more - not feeling cheated, yet not feeling as if you've gotten your fill - you've found a good writer. If the plot twists and turns keep you guessing, and thinking, and completely caught off guard without tricking you via deus ex machina or other bizarre machinations, fool you yet leave you realizing the clues were there in plain sight all along - you've found a good...more There are several marks of a good storyteller. If you finish a work satisfied with the story just ended, yet desperately wanting more - not feeling cheated, yet not feeling as if you've gotten your fill - you've found a good writer. If the plot twists and turns keep you guessing, and thinking, and completely caught off guard without tricking you via deus ex machina or other bizarre machinations, fool you yet leave you realizing the clues were there in plain sight all along - you've found a good writer. And thankfully, there are plenty of men and women able to provide quality reading experiences in meeting these criteria.

What Hugh Howey has managed to accomplish with the first installment of his new Wool / Silo trilogy provides yet another attribute that designates a skilled writer - he's managed to create suspense and tension with a story in which devoted readers of the first five Wool stories (the Omnibus) know, in some fashion, the ending. The dystopian future world of underground Silos, the only thing protecting humanity from air and earth poisoned beyond livability, had to come about in some fashion, and the latter volumes in that series give enough clues that we know what must happen at the end.

Yet the exact nature, the why, is still a mystery, and that is what draws us in.

First Shift: Legacy tells us the story of Troy, one of the earliest leaders of Silo 1, as he awakens from cryogenic sleep to live in and lead this core Silo, the one all the others turn to for advice, guidance, and orders. His is a life of routine, of scripted days and more scripted responses, and many pills provided by doctors. Somehow, Troy feels an emptiness, a need to rebel, a need to chase the vague hint of a memory to find a mystery that haunts his waking and sleeping hours.

We are also shown the story of Donald, a twenty-first century member of the US House of Representatives, who is elected to Congress on promises to clean up corruption and conspiracy, and immediately finds himself drawn into the greatest in the nation's history. He becomes part of a team designing a solution to the nation's nuclear waste problem, a means of safely disposing of fuel rods now depleted yet dangerous, a project directed by the powerful Senator Thurman from Georgia, a man undergoing regular nano-bath designed to repair his aging body and extend his lifetime far beyond historical standards. Donald's job: as a former architect, design self-sustaining structures that personnel working at the containment facility can live in for a year or more should the containment system fail. The buildings are massive, 150 stories high, and come with a strange requirement: build them down into the ground, not up into the sky. Fifty are built, one per state. The project brings him into contact with Anna, the Senator's daughter and Donald's one-time love interest, much to the chagrin of his patient wife, Helen. By the time Donald realizes what's going on, what the Senator and Anna (among others) truly have planned, it's too late.

Howey's ability to bring characters to life, have them struggle internally to find answers that lead them to the truth they seek, is truly memorable. You'll leave this book not only with a deeper appreciation of the depth of the Wool / Silo world, but a desire to read more about Donald, Troy, Helen, Anna, and others. You'll want to go read Second Shift: Order, right now, because though First Shift ends as a complete story, you're left wanting more.

And that's the sign of a truly great writer.(less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How come I've never heard of Hugh Howey? He's quickly becoming a favorite author. Three cheers for self-publishing-indie authors! Three cheers for Amazon and the Kindle that make these books available to me!

Here's a disclaimer . . . if I could write code to make these words shine with flashing lights, I would write it here:

Before you pick up First Shift: Legacy, you MUST read the Wool Omnibus first. Not should read first--MUST read first.

Wool is the beginning of an incredible story. It's world i...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a really interesting series, both in terms of actual content and in terms of the way it's been written and released. In some ways it feels more like a TV series than a series of books; it's clear that the author is discovering things about his world and his characters as he writes. The books are self-published on Amazon, but they're not at all amateurish. They're certainly of higher quality than a lot of traditionally-published mass-market SF paperbacks - the writing is solid, and they'r...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

First off, do NOT read this book before you read Wool. End of story.

I discovered this book, a prequel to the Wool Omnibus, was out the day after I finished the former and so of course I downloaded and read it that day. This book follows two men in two different times, one of whom is an American politician involved in the building of the silos, and the other is a manager who is working his first shift managing the silos after being in cryogenic sleep. The story progresses in the "early" timefram...more First off, do NOT read this book before you read Wool. End of story.

I discovered this book, a prequel to the Wool Omnibus, was out the day after I finished the former and so of course I downloaded and read it that day. This book follows two men in two different times, one of whom is an American politician involved in the building of the silos, and the other is a manager who is working his first shift managing the silos after being in cryogenic sleep. The story progresses in the "early" timeframe from the first approval and construction process of the silos (originally presented as nuclear waste storage units) through to the event that precipitated people living in the silos, and in the "late" timeframe throughout a six-month shift that is then ended by a short chapter set approximately during Wool 4.

The writing quality and editing on this book were both excellent and on par with the previous omnibus, and again are just as good as typically published books and better than some. I quite liked the use of two narrators and two time periods that alternated throughout this story, and indeed felt that the author's choice to tell the story this way heightened the experience of both stories as they built to their conclusion. There's not nearly as much technical information in this book as in the omnibus, partly because there isn't as much "silo living" involved, but I think a little more info about the cryogenics and the management work in Silo 1 would have been interesting.

There are really very few characters in this book beyond the two protagonists, and those who are there are sketched out but with enough detail to make them believable. For example, the senator's daughter turns out to be an incredibly spoiled and vindictive bitch who gets whatever she wants because Daddy will make it happen, even if what she wants is a person with their own life. Her actions at the end of the book made me shiver, and I wonder what will happen when it's her turn to thaw out of cryosleep...

The conclusion of how the Fifty Silos came to be populated is chilling, and confirmed my suspicions developed from clues that happened during Wool. Sadly, it's quite plausible that someone could do their best to make this happen, as there are certainly plenty of people who feel that anyone not like them should die. We can only hope that this situation doesn't come to pass.(less)

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Feb 15, 2013 Faye (The Social Potato) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, dystopian, drama, male-pov, politics, post-apocalyptic

Everyone knows that Hugh Howey's Wool Omnibus is one of the best Science-Fiction/Dystopian novels out there. Oh? You didn't know? Well, now you do (and this is your cue to get that book first before reading this one). It's a book that shows a scary world contained in silos buried underground - vertical, metallic vessels that house hundreds to thousands of people. Wool 1, which is the first story you'll read in the whole Wool Omnibus, left me in such an unstable emotional state that it made me po...more Everyone knows that Hugh Howey's Wool Omnibus is one of the best Science-Fiction/Dystopian novels out there. Oh? You didn't know? Well, now you do (and this is your cue to get that book first before reading this one). It's a book that shows a scary world contained in silos buried underground - vertical, metallic vessels that house hundreds to thousands of people. Wool 1, which is the first story you'll read in the whole Wool Omnibus, left me in such an unstable emotional state that it made me ponder, wonder and philosophize for days. No freakin' joke. So when I found out this author wrote THREE more stories right after the first five, I was ecstatic (and got me to buy all three impulsively again on Amazon... sigh). I just finished this one and while it wasn't at the level of the the first five, Wool Omnibus, as a whole, it was still very, very good.

One of the reasons why you need to read this after Wool Omnibus is because it's a prequel. Years and years back before all the shit happened. Years back when everything was still normal and people still lived and thrived outside in the open air. This is the story of Congressman Donald Keene, who, because of his architectural skills, grudgingly found himself and a few others involved in a classified project. Suffice to say, this project is the one that would change the world as we know it forever.

First Shift is set in two different POVs - that of Donald, set in 2049-2050 and that of Troy, set in 2110-2111, in which each chapter alternates between the two. Usually this bothers me, as unless it's in a first person POV, I don't like this kind of set-up, but surprisingly it worked on me. I think it's because both perspectives have different... paces. Donald's POV, for example, has a sense of urgency in it. Out of the blue, he's suddenly given a top-secret project to overlook, and despite having such power, details about the project isn't given to him, so he's pretty much in the dark. But as readers, we all know there's more to this project. As readers, we know there's some sort of conspiracy going on, as having already read the first 5. But despite having this knowledge and sense of knowing, there's still so much suspense and urgency in the events that lead to it, and you can't help but feel for the characters.

The other perspective set in the future after the post-apocalyptic event has a different pacing. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that this takes place after after the apocalyptic event has happened and everyone else are now in the silos. Here, there isn't really any urgency at all. Troy wakes up from a freezing and has no recollection of what happened before whatsoever. All he knows is that he has a job as the "mayor" of Silo #1, and he has to make sure that nothing goes wrong. He feels something isn't right, but he continues doing his job anyway. In this world, the silo constituents are given pills by doctors that make them forget previous events (memory eraser of some sort), but after certain incidents, Troy has decided not to take them, which led to an unfortunate end (which you'll find out soon enough... so READ THE BOOK!)

Apart from that, Hugh Howey's writing prowess is still impressive as ever. He really has this uncanny ability to make his stories seem so real, and I guess that is the reason why I found Wool Omnibus so scary and fascinating at the same time. One thing I like about the whole series is that it's creative. It's not a rehash of overly used ideas and themes. He takes something, gives it something new, and creates a whole new world out of it, complete with excellent narration, tension, transitioning and especially world-building. This author is definitely one of my favorites, and I'll forever support his works!(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Joe Hempel rated it 5 of 5 stars

You can also read this review at the Top of the Heap Book Blog at:

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This book started off in the not too distant future. I’d like to think I would still be alive in the year 2049, it would put me at around 71 years old. It’s far enough in the future that the technologies described could be quite possible. Like nano-bots that can enter the blood stream and repair the human body at a cellular level, and can learn about their host to keep peo...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Ryan Shepherd rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not quite as good as the main series, but I still found it engaging. Frustrating because one of the purposes of a prequel is to answer questions generated from the later storyline, and while this does do that to some extent, it doesn't answer enough and generates more questions as well. There also isn't much in the way of character development, and the "twist" was rather predictable. The characters are established, a possible love triangle, a potential conspiracy, all of which should really draw...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian

In this prequel to the Wool Omnibus, we finally learn about the disaster that caused the creation of the silos. We get two points of view. Donald, a congressman and architect, who gets charged with designing a bunker for a nuclear waste facility in Atlanta. 60 years later, the second point of view is Troy, the leader of silo 1, woken up from cryo-freeze to work his first shift and preserve the legacy. In flashbacks and memories we find out what happened, how the book of order came about, and eve...more

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Apr 04, 2013 César rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, e-book

Really good prequel to the Wool series. If you haven't read that, go do it first (this doesn't really depend on having read the original stories, but it reads better this way and will spoil some major reveals in Wool).

(spoilers for those who haven't read Wool 1-5)
(view spoiler)...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Lisa Hapney rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently read the Wool Omnibus which was so good it just blew me away. So I immediately headed back out to purchase the sixth volume in the story. Mr. Howey is very talented and overall I enjoyed the story; however, it wasn't as gripping as the ones before and some of the plot seemed a little off or perhaps unlikely so I wasn't drawn into the story as completely as with the previous volumes in the story. I'm not at all saying I didn't enjoy the read. It was interesting and I very much enjoyed...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Jack Lowe rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed First Shift - Legacy (Part 6 of the Silo Series) from start
to finish.

If you have been told that you should read First Shift before reading parts 1-5 since part 6 is a prequel to the previous stories, do not do it. Reading these great Silo stories in the prescribed order makes for the best Wool reading experience.

This is the first time that I have read a book that goes back and forth between
two separate time lines with each chapter. First Shift consists of two stories: One...more

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About Hugh Howey

I'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.

A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified...more

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“some things are better off back in the past. Where they belong.” — 3 people liked it

“Denial is the secret sauce in this town,” he said. “It’s the flavor that holds all the other ingredients together. Here’s what I tell the newly elected: the truth is gonna get out—it always does—but it’s gonna blend in with all the lies.” The Senator twirled a hand in the air. “You have to deny each lie and every truth with the same vinegar. Let those websites and blowhards who bitch about cover-ups confuse the public for you.” — 2 people liked it

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First Shift: Legacy (Wool #6)

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