First Shift - Legacy (Part 6 of the Silo Series) (Wool) [Kindle Edition]

Hugh Howey (Author)

Book Description

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 discovered, could wipe out the memory of any traumatic event.

At almost the same moment in humanity’s broad history, mankind had discovered the means for bringing about its utter downfall. And the ability to forget it ever happened.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hugh Howey spent 8 years working as a yacht captain. When he was pulled away from the sea by the love of his life, he turned to his childhood dream of becoming an author. His Molly Fyde series has won praise from reviewers, and now his Wool series has become a #1 bestseller, with Random House publishing in the UK and Ridley Scott and Steve Zaillian securing the film rights. He lives in Jupiter, Florida with his wife Amber and their dog Bella.

Product Details

• File Size: 353 KB
• Print Length: 238 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1475154771
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Broad Reach Publishing (April 14, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007UAUPZS
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,926 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #15 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Post-Apocalyptic
  • #17 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Hard Science Fiction
  • #19 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > High Tech

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

199 of 219 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than WOOL (spoiler-free review) April 15, 2012

By Gromit

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

What you need to know:

If you haven't read Wool Omnibus Edition (Wool 1 - 5), read that first. It's true that this is a prequel to that story, involving completely different characters, so you might think you could read this as a stand-alone novel. But don't. Knowing where things are headed is critical to understanding and appreciating the events in this novel. Go buy the WOOL Omnibus, and read that first! You won't regret it.

If you HAVE read the WOOL Omnibus, then what are you waiting for? You know you're going to buy this book: so get on with it already!

* * *

First Shift: Legacy is better than the WOOL Omnibus.

This is the rare prequel that doesn't just add to the original story, but actually elevates the entire preceding series to a whole new level. It's rich in characterization, packs a real emotional wallop, and it paints a frighteningly believable story of how our real-world could get from here to... well, there. And like all great sci-fi, it makes you think. In describing how things came to be, First Shift: Legacy delves much more deeply into the Orwellian themes raised in WOOL; and it doesn't present any easy, pat answers. This is the kind of book that you won't be able to put down -- and when you're finished, you won't be able to put it out of your mind. This is a fantastic story; WOOL fans will not be disappointed.

52 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hugh Howey's latest work is also his BEST! April 15, 2012

By Tu

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased First Shift Legacy as soon as it came out and ended up read it from start to finish in one sitting. From the very first page, I simply couldn't put it down. Fans of the Wool series will not be disappointed, this is Hugh Howey at his best. The story is gripping, fast-paced, incredibly shocking and the characters are once again fleshed out and "real".

Also, references to current events (such as the CDC's recently published Zombie Apocalypse Survival guide) and emerging technology (such as nanotechnology) really brings the story to life. Because of Hugh's use of realistic technology, this book could soon be disregarded as science fiction and instead be viewed as science reality. After reading this book, my views on nanotechnology have actually changed taken a u-turn. I won't spoil the story for you by telling you which way they turned! Also, by the end of the book I was definitely left pondering our future and wondering if living in a silo is in fact that far-fetched.

First Shift Legacy is also full of memorable passages that you will find yourself reading over and over due to Hugh Howey's uncanny ability to exquisitely portray ideas and emotions. The two that resonated with me the most are:

"It was the pain of a chronic boredom mixed with the discomfort of time wasted."

and

"Here was Washington encapsulated as far as Donald was concerned. It was as though he had the same two choices: he could spin in circles, completely lost and doing little, or he could dive down one avenue and forsake the others, always fearing he'd picked poorly."

In conclusion, First Shift Legacy is an incredible start to the prequel chapter of the Silo Series.... I knew the book was going to be good after reading the Wool Omnibus, but I didn't that it would be THIS good. First Shift Legacy is hands down my favorite book in the Silo Series and Hugh Howey only seems to be getting better and better with every single release. I can't wait for the next part! Read more ›

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A mild letdown April 19, 2012

By Saldana

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Wool Omnibus was excellent.

This prequel started off great. It immediately answered my nagging question as to why there was no elevator in silo 18. The writing was excellent, style was good, pace was right, character development good.

But I agree with a few other reviewers. This story is not ready yet. I am unable to suspend disbelief and accept that the whole scheme succeeded the way it did. It is just not possible in that setting, on the scale as described, presumably with all dissenters silenced by psychiatrists and pills.

Still, rest assured Hugh, it wont stop me from buying Wool 7.

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not at the same level as Wool Omnibus April 20, 2012

By Boris

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been a fan of Hugh Howey's work since I picked up the first book of the Wool series. I've gone on to read everything he has on Amazon.

While I enjoyed Wool 6, I can't in all fairness give it a 5 star rating like I did for the Wool Omnibus.

When an apocalypse is set in the near future, most of us have a harder time "suspending disbelief". We are aware of the facts on the world stage. We've grown up with various end-game scenarios since we were kids. We've seen all the movies. And most of us know how congressmen operate (at least in broad strokes).

This book poses two wars with Iran without any background on such wars; an architect grad cum congressman who is able to design a 70 story silo on his own in prefabricated sections with credentials equivalent to a "baby engineer" (and has the leadership skills to keep the silos going); a nanobotted military leader who is able to accomplish a world-wide cataclysm in his spare time and decides that democratic party members are the 'best and brightest' to save in 50 silos. All by 2050. C'mon......

It just didn't hang together.

Sorry Hugh. I had high expectations.

30 of 37 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Skip and wait for Wool 7 August 30, 2012

By U. Rubner

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

You're here because you read Wool 1-5 and couldn't wait to put your hands on number 6. Then before you clicked "buy it now" you decided to scan the reviews to see if it's the genuine article. Impressive number of 5 stars, and they're all saying it's good old Hugh and you're not going to be disappointed. A few 4s and 3s, probably those cynics who always have something to say. The 1s are generally rubbish - those who don't really read the book and just want the general score to go down, or those with serious attitude issues.

But the 2s are different. The 2s belong to people who were utterly disappointed, and you wonder why.

The only other reason someone would read these lines is if they were Hugh Howey himself - if it's you, Hugh, I'm terribly sorry to dampen your mood and hope you're busy with writing Wool 7, which I promise to buy because I have no doubt it will be as great as Wool 1-5.

And for those of you who are not Hugh, I'll start by saying I gave a 5 rating to Wool Omnibus. It's an amazing project, and definitely one of the best books I read for a long while. Since you read it yourself you know what I'm talking about.

Wool 6 is everything Wool Omnibus isn't: unimaginative, predictable, and you cannot identify with the heroes even for a single moment.

I kept hoping that at some point Hugh will pull a dirty trick, some kind of clever Ender's Game style twist that will dwarf all of the pain I had to go through reading so far, but it never came. There WAS something at the last quarter of the book, some sort of plot trick that under other circumstances may have pulled a 'wow' out of me, but it was lost in the general gloom of reading a book that just didn't live up to the high standards of its predecessors....

I had that hope for a brilliant plot break even at the last few pages, and kept checking the progress bar on my Kindle: 96%. No groundbreaking truth. 97%. No amazing U-turn. 98%. No gut-twisting revelation. 99%. It's almost over, I can't believe there was nothing at all. 100%. It's really over, and you know what, I'm actually glad it did.

Whereas Wool Omnibus is a real page turner and you can't put it down, I often found myself finding excuses NOT to read a few more pages of Wool 6. To be honest, Hugh attempted something few writers dare do: tell a tale where the end is already well known to the user and make it interesting. It's a daunting challenge and unfortunately Hugh did not succeed.

I could go on explaining why, but here's the bottom line. You either believe the 5 star reviews, buy Wool 6 and then find out for yourself, or you frown, get some serious doubts, and read more of the 2 star reviews and realize: it's a trap. Run away. Skip Wool 6, read a spoiler to find out what you missed from a story-arc side, and just wait anxiously for Wool 7. Check if it continues the Wool 5 story just to make sure (unlike Wool 6 which is a prequel), and buy it without bothering with any reviews. I guarantee that it will rock. Why am I so sure? Because it will be written by Hugh Howey, a magician who had a mental lapse in Wool 6 but will have surly recovered by the time you read Wool 7. Read more ›

More About the Author

Hugh Howey is the author of the award-winning Molly Fyde Saga and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling WOOL series. The WOOL OMNIBUS won Kindle Book Review's 2012 Indie Book of the Year Award -- it has been as high as #1 in the Kindle store -- and 17 countries have picked up the work for translation. Look for WOOL in hardback in 2013 from Random House UK and keep your fingers crossed that Ridley Scott and Steve Zaillian will do something exciting with the film rights!

Hugh lives in Jupiter, FL with his wife Amber and their dog Bella. When he isn't writing, he's reading or taking a photograph.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#71 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#6 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#8 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#9 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#41 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#53 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#6 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#8 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#9 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#41 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#53 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure