Sand audiobook

Four and a half rusted and sand-blasted stars. Mr. Howey is a talent, I absolutely loved Wool and part of the challenge is the expectations it created. The setting for Wool and now Sand is brutal and post-apocalyptic. Something happened . . . we don’t know what, nuclear war, extreme climate change . . . something happened. And what’s left is sand, lots of grit, gravel, and sand. So much that there is an entire lexicon around it, which Howey reveals throughout the novel. But, somehow, people are surviving. Sand focuses on a family that persists. They are broken and shattered. They toil all day to keep the wells open. They scavenge the dunes for treasures from the past. And they sand dive . . . I’ll stop there, you’ll have to read the novel if you’re intrigued. Howey’s prose is wonderful. His characters are believable and interesting. He tells a great story, but also skillfully weaves in theme on a regular basis. For instant, “Conner wondered if dredging up the past was even a good idea. It was like being a sand diver in many ways. There were all these rusty hurts buried deep. . . “.I largely enjoyed the story, but it’s so gritty and dark, just like Wool. I would like to see Howey, with all his talents, take on a brighter, more hopeful story. Yes, conflict and struggle make rich literary ground, but so little hope leaves the ground a bit too dry, a bit too grimy in my view. Maybe I need to read Beacon 23, not sure if that explores a bright future or not. In addition, I did think the ending was a bit abrupt. Anyways, still a wonderful book. I could taste the grit in my mouth, feel the matte in my hair, and see the sift in the air. I’m a fan, and will keep picking up Howie’s future works. Strongly recommended, maybe just not if you need some positivity or if you’re the type that’s really annoyed by the beach . . .

Sand has a very different feel to Wool. It's a much grittier (sorry!) affair in many ways reversing the dynamic. We now have an open environment and a totally disorganised and essentially lawless society where characters fend for themselves, one dusty day at a time. It has a much more adult feel dealing with sexual themes and gory comeuppances and is littered with more swear words than you may be used to from this author but this fits perfectly with the world Howey has once again expertly built and while it may not be as intricate and detailed a world as that of the Silos it certainly feels much more grounded in reality for some reason. Not too much is explained about the technology, giving it an almost steampunk feel, we just know it looks cool and it works but we don't really need to know how.The beauty of Sand however is in the writing. There is a true emotion throughout as we see a disengaged family struggle to reunite only to risk being torn apart again by the forces working against them. The characters are subtly introduced and expertly enhanced at key points, not only building on their personalities and history but also keeping the plot flowing steadily. The vivid, contrasting imagery can shift from beauty to ugliness in an instant and back again seamlessly and there are some moments of - and I do not say this lightly- sheer brilliance in Howey's prose and for all it's rough and tumble, Sand has some well-placed and genuinely tender moments which at times can cleverly disarm the reader temporarily, leaving them totally unprepared for the next fiendish plot twist.But fear not, this ain't no sandy Seventh Heaven. Sand is a highly-charged, action-filled, thrill-a-minute, ass-kicking, jawbreaking blockbuster and makes no apologies for it. The panic and claustrophobia of the dives is portrayed perfectly and the tension is retained every single time a character dives into the unforgiving sand even if just for a moment, knowing the slightest error of judgement means instant death. This savage world leaves no prisoners and Danger brashly loiters around every dune and street corner. It's a world where it's much easier to look away than help and sadly this is already starting to mirror today's society, but as our characters prove, the most exceptional of circumstances can yield the most unexpected response from some people.If there was ever any doubt about Hugh Howey's longevity as a writer, Sand is proof that there can be none. Consistency is hard enough for a writer to achieve, constant and sustained improvement is another thing entirely.Now I know it's only January, but I think I've already found my Book of 2014.

About three months ago, my Science Fiction Lit. class and I had the opportunity to interview Hugh Howey. During the interview, naturally, we started talking about his upcoming projects and publications, and he offered some really good advice about his then, as of yet, unpublished novel Sand: don’t read it. It was, according to him, too dark, too vulgar, and too different from Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1). So, don’t waste your time - don't bother, don’t read it.. he said. Naturally, his telling a class of high schoolers not to read his book made every person in the room move Sand to the top of his or her To Read list. I’m sorry Mr. Howey. You give fantastic advice on your website, and you gave fantastic advice and insight during our interview. But I have failed you. I read Sand.And I loved it. It’s been said before in other reviews, but it bears repeating that this is not Wool. Wool was amazing because it had good characters and an amazing twist-filled mystery plot. Sand is amazing because it has a good plot and amazing downtrodden, sympathetic, gut wrenching characters. Sand is a book filled with hopelessness and a sense of never being able to rise above because life doesn’t actually offer that opportunity. Howey writes several times in his book that the world of Sand is one on which the gods have turned their collective backs. He was right; Sand is that kind of world. Also, not to dump on Wool - it was well written - but Howey's writing in Sand is filled with page after page of beautifully scripted passages. The amount of growth between the writing of Wool and Sand is remarkable. Equally remarkable is the dialogue. For some reason, many authors have a very difficult time writing dialogue that sounds like it’s being spoken by a human being and not a monologuing cartoon character. Even authors who can write otherwise fantastic stories, plots, action scenes and such, trip, stumble and fall either into the pit of "My Character Speaks with an Exposition Stick Up His Ass," or "My Character Speaks Like He’s Fourteen." The characters in Sand, on the the other hand, are all rather quiet, reserved individuals who never let their dialogue get in the way, so when a character does speak, his/her dialogue is filled with weight and value. I loved it. It’s really hard to think of novels similar to Sand. Perhaps The Road for its extraordinarily bleak look at humanity, or perhaps The Running Man for it’s You Cannot Beat the World plot. Actually, a general comparison to Stephen King is rather appropriate: hopeless characters, gritty dialogue, a quiet plot punctuated with severe claustrophobia, moments of grotesque violence, and (my particular favorite) the Life as a Desert metaphor. These elements are all hallmarks that are found in great Stephen King novels. I guess now I’ll have to say they’re hallmarks found in a Hugh Howey novel. I hope every novel he writes in the future is as good as this one. If they are, it will do nothing but continue to cement his place as one of the best science fiction writers we have.

4 Stars for Sand: The Sand Chronicles, Book 1 (ebook) by Hugh Howey. This was a great start to another post apocalyptic world. The author has found a whole new level of claustrophobia in this story. I thought the silos in Wool were confining but the sand in this world will squeeze the breath out of you.

I am going to review this hard, because I can feel the sand in my shorts. Four stars because its Hugh and its good, and despite my grit filled thoughts, it was a fine read.First off I am going to stand by what I said at the 50% mark; Sand was written as a vehicle to put the reader into as many scenes of claustrophobic asphyxiation as possible. If you can come up for air long enough to realize you are being played, it's only mildly distracting.I think there were too many characters, too many points of view that were fairly interchangeable and some of them were surprisingly flat for Hugh who has written zombies with more depth than Rose or Rob.I found myself geographically lost for much of the story. Despite all the location and direction cues given--and there are many--they jumbled up on me and I could not keep straight where the sand was blowing from, where the booms were coming from, or where Shantytown, Low-Pub, Springston, and Danvar where in relation to one another. This just kicked me out of the story almost every time he referenced a location I could not keep straight.It seemed like Conner and Rob had not seen Vic in years, turns out she's only minutes away by sand boat, or so it seemed to me.Where was all the food coming from? If water is such an sought after resource, why are suitcases of dirty undies worth so much money? Seems to me that divers would make a lot more cashola doing what Vic did at one point--diving for water. But really, where is all the food coming from? Not much can live without naturally occurring water sources and soil--I'll give you that deserts are full of life, but it's not much for the dense communities described in Sand to survive on. AND, if there is soil in the mountains, and mountains are AWAY from the booms of bombs, why are people sitting on top of a mile high pile of sand?I know, nag nag nag, Tom, you're being too picky! Hey, I gave it four stars---its a damn good read, but that doesn't mean I can't see where the sand is oozing through the cracks in the scenery. Hugh can deliver more. My suggestion to him is to slow down and take his time fleshing out the details of his next story. He writes very fast, and I feel that this time haste made waste.

I enjoyed SAND quite a bit, but wasn't quite as blown away as I was with WOOL. I never felt as invested in the characters, partly because Howey jumped around quite a bit. He stayed within the same family, but there never seemed to be enough time spent in one POV. I was also a bit surprised at the direction he took in the later sections. I was really interested in this whole diving for lost treasure thing, and he really built that up, but then kind of threw the concept under the bus later. I won't go into more detail lest I spoil it for readers. Overall the ending was a bit flat for me as well, being an Omnibus edition, BUT, I realize this is an OMNIBUS of short stories, not novels. I'm excited to see what happens next, because he has built a very interesting world. I suspect that after he writes his next series (or two) and I look at it as a whole, I will be much more excited about it than I am now.

Have you ever thought of what will define the world hundreds of years from now? What it might look or sound like? What life would be like? Personally, I have never given it much thought, until I read "Sand". "Sand", written by Hugh Howey, answers all of these questions in his science fiction thriller. Told through the perspective of a family that lives on the dune filled Earth, we are able to experience the daily turmoil that occupies their lives. The world is war torn and crippled. It lacks the efficiency that we have today, even though this book is set in the future. You can either have a job diving under the sand, which takes incredible physical and mental strength, or, you can be a “sissyfoot”, which requires you to fill up sand and dump it over a dune multiple times in order to receive food or water. The people living in this time period are stuck in this routine every day. Bombs and destruction become the norm in their society, and the sound of beating drums across the dunes acts as a constant reminder of another life. The only reason some people don’t leave their towns is because, those who followed the sound of the drums never return. By the end of the book, the theme becomes evident. There is more to our lives than constantly living in fear of the inevitable and, life is easier to bear together than it is alone. One idea that I found extremely intriguing is Hugh Howey’s idea of the future. Normally, when asked about the future, it is easy to picture flying cars and bright neon colors however, Hugh Howey took the future to the next level. His vision of the future in "Sand" is designed to be grotesque and barren. It evokes the essence of loneliness. Having never read one of Hugh Howey’s books before, I wanted to compare the writing from his "Silo" series (Wool, Shift, and Dust) to that of "Sand". I found a quote from the first book in the "Silo" series, "Wool". It reads, “We are born, we are shadows, we cast shadows of own, and then we are gone. All anyone can hope for is to be remembered two shadows deep.” I found a quote from "Sand" that says, “When the desert wraps its great arms around your chest and decides you won’t breathe anymore, that’s when you feel how small you are, just a grain of sand crushed among infinite grains of sand.” By comparing both of these quotes, it is evident that Hugh Howey uses symbols to convey a deeper meaning. This is something that I liked about his book. At times it was very beautifully written, and would make me stop and think about what messages he is trying to communicate to his readers. "Sand", is a creative book in and of itself. I could of never imagined a life such as this if it weren’t for the imaginative writing on the pages of this book. Although sometimes gory and tragic, "Sand" will transport you to another time, somewhere in the future.

Hugh Howey has heart.His talent is a given at this point--not to mention his imagination and work ethic, judging by the rate at which he puts out quality work--but it is his heart that truly elevates his writing and, I think, defines his style. He doesn't simply tell the story. He bleeds it. There are passages in Sand where--pardon the unintentional pun--the sentence structure erodes. Descriptions become fragmented, chaotic. Clipped and fragmented thoughts flow into paragraphs with hardly a period in them. The result is something that's messy and beautiful, unpredictable and yet never jarring. Howey handcuffs the reader to each moment. We breathe with the characters. And suffocate with them.But I'm getting ahead of myself. Sand follows an estranged family across--and sometimes, quite literally, deep into--a land that is very much the antithesis of the claustrophobic, totalitarian world of Wool. Pirate-esque figures sail vessels across expansive dunes that hide buried cities. Worn villagers chew on grit and dig endlessly to keep their homes from turning into graves. And divers--well, you'll see. I went into the story knowing next to nothing about it, and that experience is something I wouldn't want to take away from anyone. So, I won't say anything more, except this: Sand is the kind of book that stays with you, the kind of book that leaves you completely satisfied, and yet starving for more. I can't recommend it, or Howey, highly enough.

I made a mistake I shouldn’t repeat. Silo Trilogy by Hugh Howey impressed me so much that I compared Sand to it when I started reading it. Which was a big no-no. Once I freed myself from the fantastic Wool-Shift-Dust series’ influence, I enjoyed Sand to the fullest. I realize I wasn’t fair because Sand is an excellent book, and it deserved its chance. And I’m glad I gave it that chance because it absorbed me like the living sand that swallows everything. Hugh Howey delighted me again! This was another amazing reading experience.

Update - I just read on Twitter that HH is working on a sequel. Finally!!Original review:I find myself torn on the rating I want to give this book. The problem I have is that I don't know if this is the first in a series of omnibuses like in the Wool/Silo series. If it's done, totally finished, then I would give it a three. If it's just the beginning, then it is a five. I just have so many questions at this point. Entirely too many for a complete story. As for the story itself, it was written by Hugh Howey so you just know you won't be able to put the book down. He's introduced the science of being able to dive in sand via an electric suit. Perhaps this is based on current science. Seems plausible. There are a few things that I don't understand...like where they get their food. Since they live in dunes, I don't know how they could produce anything or care for livestock. Also, I don't know how cities could be buried under hundreds and hundreds of feet of sand. Where did this incredible amount of sand come from? If it hadn't have been made certain that this story was on Earth, I would have thought it was Arakis (sorry Dune lovers, no worm in this story). See, too many questions.I have read a few of his other stories and I know he likes to leave those endings that don't really end the story. The ones where you imagine it for yourself. I have my fingers crossed that this isn't one of them.

Video Review: https://youtu.be/72uJN_UDsgE

Sand is one of those high concept thought experiment stories so beloved in Science Fiction, a modern-day "what if?" story that dares to ask a very difficult question but then succeeds or fails on the answer it provides. In this respect, the book quite possibly fails because in the end the sum of its parts didn't add up to a whole. (view spoiler)[ I found it impossible to believe that any mining operation, no matter how large, could bury the whole of Colorado (and possibly more) under 1000 metres of waste sand. The motivations of the rulers of this operation is suspect - why would they destroy a free source of labour by detonating a nuclear bomb over the area? Finally, why would a single bomb delivered to those rulers succeed in shutting down the mining operation, and allow it to rain over Colorado for the first time in hundreds or thousands of years. (hide spoiler)]Where this story succeeds though is in the characterisation and world building evident in every page. I make no secret that for me these are two of the most important parts of a story and without them I would not enjoy the plot nearly as much. In both cases the author succeeds admirably - you get a real feel for how difficult the lives are for these people, and you can almost feel the sand rubbing it's implacable way under your skin. The family whose various stories form the bulk of the plot are very well written - if these stories seem to intersect in rather unbelievable ways at times does not make them any less interesting to read. You get a real sense that these people have suffered, something that is especially true of the female members of the family, who have had an incredibly raw deal. The male members, being younger, have had more time to adapt to their changing circumstances and have the flexibility of youth to cope with it, but even they are not exempt from this suffering. I mentioned in the spoiler above that there is an explanation for all the sand, but in a way it might have made a better story to have left this unexplained, though this would have left the book without it's climactic (or is that climatic?) finale. This would have left the well-written scenes of diving through sand to the buried skyscrapers of the old world far beneath them to pull up treasures - Samsonite cases full of clothes, coffee makers, plate glass and thousands of tons of metal, but without an ending it would have just petered out. This is a quest story, and every quest needs to have it's Mount Doom to make it worthwhile, and this book is no exception.One last thought I had was that this was in some respects an anti-government story, which at times left me feeling slightly uneasy (British people tend to have more faith in government than our American cousins). The independent and plucky sand people are being beaten down and oppressed by an unseeing and uncaring distant government whose selfishness and short-sightedness ruins the lives of small people far away. This may be a projection on my part though as we know nothing about these distant rulers, who may just as well be a asset-stripping major corporation as a federal government. Leaving this part ambiguous leaves people to assign their own villains here though.This is an intriguing and inventive world that the author has created and while I would like to read more stories set in this world, the book also stands on its own and complete.4 stars