Hugh Howey

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

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Okay, here’s the thing…

…I suck at waiting. If I had kids, I’d start a tradition where Christmas presents were opened while the Detroit Lions played on Thanksgiving. And we’d eat Turkey for breakfast.

I made the last series of tweaks this weekend. A few beta readers gave it another pass. And when David Gatewood gave me a damn heart attack with a fake email entitled “127 more things wrong with First Shift-Legacy,” I knew the work was finished. *shakes fist at David*

Last night, while I was live on the air with Jack at Greeneville Media, I hit the publish button. If you’ll notice, the countdown to the right is gone. In its place is a book you can click to head off to Amazon. Or you can pre-order your physical copy using the post right below this one.

The SHIFT trilogy has begun. A handful of readers who share my impatience have already read the damn thing and written reviews on Amazon. That blows me away. Tomorrow morning, it’s a new work week. With a clear head and not a break or pause, I’ll get started first thing on SECOND SHIFT – ORDER, which means you’ll see less of me online before the 10:00 hour.

In fact, there’s one scene I think I’ll sketch out right now…

30 replies to “Okay, here’s the thing…”

I was totally listening to the radio show as I just read this post. Imagine my surprise to be mentioned AND to hear that I could buy the book already. There goes my plan to finish the drawing before the release date!

I’m going to pretend that the release date is still the 19th so that I can give myself complete focus to Jules…

I do feel bad about that prank email, Hugh… I have to learn to filter! Thanks for being a good sport.

And I see that you’ve already posted several glowing reviews of your own book on Amazon. Try to pace yourself — if you put up too many all at once it’ll look too obvious.

Congrats on the new book Hugh! Already 20% in and so far it is every bit a worthy follow up to Wool.

I also noticed it has jumped a literally a 1000 spots on the sales list in the last two hours, exciting times :)

Darwin: You’d be surprised how few sales it takes to move a ton of spaces. As of 7:19 PM, LEGACY has sold 73 copies. Now, I think that’s awesome. Stupendous, even. But it goes to show where books rank on that bestseller list.

Before seeing my own books make the climb, I would have assumed that the top 100 books in the Kindle store were all selling 1,000 copies or more a day. The 100th book on that list might be selling 350 a day. That’s a lot of books, but nothing like I would have guessed.

Of course, I’m still giddy and dancing a jig over here. I expect every one of my books to fall flat. This has been my best release since Wool 5!

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So excited to hear this is out. I am reading Halfway Home and very stoked for this one — keep it up please! Love your writing style.

Hugh, the calculation for position is probably a formula that takes in speed of purchases, as well as quantity. That being said, it should rank #2 behind Omnibus very soon. It’s a damn good book!!!

What a fantastic surprise this was! After a day of pulling weeds, trying to make my yard look 1/100th as nice as all my retired neighbors, I found myself looking for some reading material to close out my Sunday. After an unsuccessful search, I came here and had to read your latest post twice, then had to go to the kindle store to see it for myself.
Hugh, you could’ve charged $15 for this book and I would have clicked BUY just as quickly. I can’t think of a better way to prepare for a Monday than falling back into the WOOL universe. Granted, I will be up past midnight, will only get a few hours of sleep, will struggle through my Monday, but it’s all right ‘cuz I need my fix.
WOOL is my crack

I heard about the early release while listening to the radio broadcast and downloaded it as soon as I woke up. What a great day this has been!

Congratulations!

I will hold off for the moment. I have the first Molly Fyde and The Plagiarist to read as I want to check what else you’ve done outside the Silo. However, First Shift is on my wish list so fear not. ;)

great, and here i was thinking i could get through the last molly fyde just in time before this got published. oh well, i need to make sure the universe is safe before i can start reading this one.

Dang, I already reneged on my promise to myself about the release date. Totally bought it already. I’m trying to be good and savor it as a reward after finishing the drawing first…

Don’t know how long I can hold out!

So Hugh, when will I see a progress meter for the ultimate piece de resistance of your WOOL world? That’s right, I’m thinking an unabridged production of THE ORDER!
That would be epic, and at a few thousand pages or so, would satiate your most rabid Woolites. Heck, it may prove a useful tool to help us poor (and ever so blessed) souls control… uh raise our children.

I’d say the WOOL saga will be wrapped up within a year. Two more SHIFT books and then a final blow-out novel to wrap everything up. That last “novel” might be serialized like the first 5 books were and released in quick succession. It remains to be seen. :)

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I love reading an author who is as impatient as I am! Just purchased my Kindle edition, and will try to get a review up by this weekend, assuming they unchain me from my desk long enough to read it.

No resting on your laurels! Back to work!

Great work by the way. I am inspired by and love your writing. Congrats! I can’t wait to see where the future books lead you. Keep surprising us.

What an amazing…just truly amazing book. Hugh, I’m speechless…this (along with the other chapters in the silo series) is a masterpiece.

I simply can’t believe that I’ve been so blown away by a relative unknown who self published his work. Thank you for all your hard work and sleepless nights.

It’s been a very rough year for me and my family…but the pleasure I’ve had visiting your universe has provided a much needed respite.

Several years from know when I’m reading an article on how self publishing has forever changed the way readers consume fiction, I fully expect to see your name as an example of the most successful of the early pioneers.

Bravo.

Just finished First Shift and added my glowing review to Amazon. Feel like i need a cigarette. That sh*t was goooood! I wish i could add some sort of artistic representation of your fantastic story Hugh, but you’ll just have to settle for my starry-eyed fanboy encouragement and enthusiasm. Keep up the great work!

Mr. Howey, I just want to thank you for a long sleepless night! o.O No, really, I do! :) I work nights anyhow, and stick to the up-all-night-sleep-all-day routine even when off work, so a good story passes those nights better than anything. I started the Wool Omnibus yesterday around 6pm and just finished First Shift Legacy about an hour ago. I gotta say, this is some of the best apocalyptic type material I’ve ever read! Your story is so refreshing after all the usual nuclear war/zombie apocalypse tales I’ve read! I’m especially fond of the way your story unfolds in layers (like an onion but not all smelly >;D), and just when I think I know what’s coming, something totally unpredictable pops up! Anyhow, you’ve done something pretty amazing here, and I just wanted to say I appreciate the jolt to my imagination. I’ll be terribly shocked if you don’t land a tv mini-series with these stories. It’s always my hope that people will pick up the books, but I also love it when those who prefer tv shows and movies can share in some of the great stories that are out there as well. So yeah, time to go climb in my coffin (damn you, sun!), and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the Second Shift. Best wishes!!~

Marie C.~

This is my review and I’m too lazy to take it out of this tense:

A brilliant storyteller. Poetry and imagery painted with the written word and crafted from the mind of a true modern day artisan. Like coming home to the smells and comforts of familiarity, his sixth book draws you into a compelling web of contemplation and conjecture equal to or, dare I say, better than the first five. His masterful writing style builds a unique reality surrounding a new protagonist, one in which the reader is fully immersed and emotionally committed once again. Filled with substance and complex answers an eager audience of the first series is hoping for, minus any arrogance or misguided attempts at steering the reader into unfamiliar territory. Clearly, Howey can turn this prequel into another multi-book series, the only downfall being that the remaining books are not yet written and I am faced with the unfortunate reality of reading other books in the meantime. Drop whatever paltry drivel you have in your hands now and read this book.

Hugh —
You know the mantra: write for YOU, not the skeptics.

I’ve read all of your published works and can easily say that you are one of today’s most talented authors. Your legacy is that our children, and their children, will be reading these books with the same spine chills and wide-eyed, slack-jawed faces as everyone today. Even if you stop writing now you must know that these books are destined to become classics in the must-read categories alongside all the great masters for generations. You’ve done it, you have actually succeeded in self-publishing great works of science fiction that will stand out forever.

Your keen ability to expose the human element as a raw component, as material to build upon, as the glue that holds a tragedy together is unmatched. Half Way Home, The Hurricane, Wool, Molly Fyde, these stories are more about being human than the tragedy surrounding the characters themselves; each a vivid tale easy to relate with, easy to empathize with, and easy to contemplate for weeks afterward (especially over beers with Howey-loving friends). Simply a joy to read.

Your writing is every bit as enchanting as Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, and Orson Scott Card. Congratulations! Now go write more, I’m dyin’ here!

p.s. Each time a negative review is posted, God kills a puppy.

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