Hugh Howey

Bestselling author of Wool and other books. Currently sailing around the world.

Happy New Year

I’m sitting here in Tasmania, on the other side of the world from the small farming town in which I grew up, reflecting on the wild adventure my life has become. This past year was one of the best of my life, even as it contained some of the most difficult things I’ve ever wrestled with. My father is bravely battling cancer. The country I love is taking what I feel to be massive steps backwards. I’ve spent many a dark hour thinking about what’s slowly slipping away. But I…

The Value of Reading

Five years ago, I made the novelette WOOL available for free. Permanently. This is the short story that launched my career as a writer, and I wanted to make it available to as many readers as possible. When I discount my books, or make them free, I think about conversations I’ve had with authors about how we value our works. What I think is just as important as the value we place on our art is the value we place on its enjoyment. Not everyone can afford to sate their…

Our Silos Leak

The term “silo” is often used in the business world as a warning against limited pools of knowledge and experience. These limited networks blind us to the rest of an organization or community, and this blindness impedes growth and understanding. When you create a silo, you stake out a very small patch of land and surround it with terribly high walls. We all live in silos of our own making, not just in business. Who we choose to associate with, who we ignore, where we get our news, the cities…

Let’s Kickstart a WOOL Film

I know a ton of you are dying to see the world of WOOL come to life on the big or small screen. So I’m here to tell you how we can help make this happen: There has been some stirrings on the film side of things, and even the pessimist in me is sitting up and taking note of what’s going on. You may have seen the news that Nicole Perlman was hired to write a script for Ridley Scott. Now I’m going to tell you how we can really…

Wool Gets a Fancy New Jacket

Ladies and gentlemen, the new face of WOOL: