Today, we have the pleasure of talking with N.Y. Times and USA Today best-selling author Hugh Howey. He is the author of the award-winning Molly Fyde Saga and I, Zombie, but is perhaps best known for Wool.
Woolintroduces readers to the Silo Saga and a ruined and toxic landscape, where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside.
His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Uprising.
Woolis available in hard cover, paperback, eBook and audio book. It is on the fast track to be a major motion picture and, at last count, has been picked up by 28 countries for translation. Amidst this whirlwind of success, Hugh was nice enough to answer a few questions about the man behind the books.
Mark Miller: In meeting other authors, I have found that our life story can sometimes be as interesting as the ones we create. Can you tell us a little about your life? What did you do before you were an author? How did that help you become an author?
Hugh Howey: I’ve had numerous jobs and careers. My main gig was as a yacht captain, which allowed me to see quite a bit of the world, meet fascinating people, and get in some wild predicaments. I think each of those helped me be a better writer. Roofing for two years was a great way to daydream and also a great job for wanting one where you worked from home in your pajamas.
MM:Roofing in your pajamas probably doesn’t work too well, but you might be able to get away with it on a yacht. Life experience is key to writing and it sounds like you’ve had some good ones. What about your hobbies, pajama-clad or not, do they add to your writing in any way?
HH:I’m a nut for photography. It definitely adds to my writing. It teaches you to see the details in the world. You also learn to tell a story with a single snapshot.
MM:I believe you share some of your photography on Facebook. You definitely share your life. Being a world traveler and best-selling author, how different is that life now versus about a year ago?
HH:Not so different when it comes to work. But a year ago, I was living in the mountains of North Carolina. Last June, my wife and I moved to south Florida when she took a different job. So that’s changed quite a bit. I now see more sand and far less snow!
MM:Less snow is always good. I will say, at least snow melts. Sand always seems to be hanging around and winds up in some odd places. You traded the beautiful mountains of North Carolina for the beautiful waters of South Florida. Even with the move, it sounds like you are traveling as much as ever. With all the travel and book tours, like Germany and Australia, what do you miss most from your old life? Does your wife have any thoughts on the subject? Does it affect her in any way?
HH:I miss the steadiness of my writing routine. Travel makes writing difficult. I think my wife gets worn out from me being away from home so much. Since I work from home, I normally keep up with the cleaning and food prep. I also watch and entertain the dog. So it’s a lot more work for her when I’m gone. Plus, I think she misses me. A little.
MM:That is a very familiar routine to me, except for the globe-trotting. Maybe you should try adding some children to the mix…but let’s change the subject. Many consider Wool a must read. When you open a book, what do you consider a must read? What elements are you looking for to make it a must read?
HH:For me, I have to learn something. It has to expand my mind. I mostly read non-fiction, but I read a work recently that blew me away with its prose and plot. It’s called Lexicon by Max Barry, and it comes out in June. One of those books you want to read a second time.
MM:Max is an Australian author and is also known for his online political simulation game Nation States. It sounds like he will be making his mark soon. There are so many up and coming authors these days with changes in independent, digital and self-publishing. There are also a growing number of authors and aspiring authors that write fan fiction, Amazon recently made an announcement about it. You have even posted about Wool fan fiction and seem to encourage it. How do you feel about other writers creating stories in your world? Have you written any fan fiction? If so, can you name the franchise?
HH:I fully support it. Of course, I would never ask or expect anyone to write fan fiction in my world, but when people approached me about it, I gave it my full blessing. The idea of charging money for the fan fiction came from me. I just feel like artists should be bold enough to ask for a dollar for their hard work. And a lot of the fan fiction is better than the source material. I haven’t written any fan fiction, but it’s something I’m keen on now that I’ve seen it work the other way. My first foray might be a Dr. Who episode, just for fun. Maybe I’ll shop it to the studio and see what they have to say. :)
MM:I can picture it now – the TARDIS materializes in a cave; the Doctor and his companion walk out and discover they are at the bottom of an enormous spiral staircase. Or maybe Firefly? After all, you are a captain. Also, don’t think I’ll let your “fan fiction is better than the source material” comment go unnoticed. It is something I have seen from you on more than one occasion: you appear to be a modest, genuine person. It is refreshing. You are as much an author as you are a fan. Allowing for a fanboymoment, are there any established authors that you would like to see write a story in your franchise? Any with which you would like to co-write anything?
HH:Oh, I would hate to suggest that anyone write stories in my franchise. That would have to be up to them. If I co-wrote something with another author, it would ideally be my wife. I’m trying to convince her to publish some self-help shorts. She’s a psychologist with a gift for helping people, and books could reach a much wider audience.
MM:There’s that modesty again. You wear it well and you seem to have a great relationship with your wife. Isn’t that every husbands’ dream to write with his wife? Or at least every husband that is an author? I even have a concept when I can convince mine to join me. We have covered quite a bit already, but I wanted to rewind a little and ask have you always wanted to be an author? And looking forward, where do you see yourself in five years? Still writing or pursuing another goal?
HH:Yeah, this has always been a dream of mine. In five years, I see myself on a sailboat, sailing around the world. Writing as I go, of course.
MM:With Shiftclimbing the charts, it looks like your long term goals are coming sooner rather than later. As you try to hold your laptop steady, bobbing on the Caribbean waves, can readers expect more stories from the silo? What others stories are you looking forward to sharing with the world?
HH: There’s one more book coming out in the series entitled Dust. It will be out August 17th of this year. And then it’s on to other stories.
MM:Every good story deserves to be a trilogy, at least. Whatever those other stories might be (hopefully one Dr. Who episode), this is only the beginning for you. Congratulations on everything so far and thank you for taking the time to be here today. I would like to end with a fun question: If you could be any fictional character, who and why?
HH:I’d be Han Solo. It’s everything I knew from being a yacht captain, but in outer space. That’s the job for me. With a Wookie for a best friend, which is like a dog, but better. A dog you can talk to and play chess with. Sign me up!
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Shift
Jennifer Bradbury
May 2008
Atheneum
ISBN: 978-1-4169-4732-5
Retail: $16.99
Jen and I spoke together on a panel at NCTE, and I got her book then. I've been meaning to read it ever since. I'm so glad I finally did.
Shift is the story of two 18 year-old high school graduates, Win and Chris, who bicycle across America the summer before college starts. It's a journey of self discovery, a YA coming of age story about how the journey is the goal, where you end up may not be where you were headed.
The story is told in retrospective. Chapters alternate deftly between reflection and present
day events. Win disappears on the trip shortly before the two reach the West Coast. When he doesn't show up to start college at Dartmouth, his wealthy and influential father begins a search for him. He sends his FBI buddy to Chris at Georgia Tech to start the search, ultimately forcing Chris to find his friend before Win's father ruins Chris' life.
Author, Jen Bradbury, took a similar trip with her husband after they were married, a two month trek across America on a bike. Her experiences give this story an organic, I've-been-there feel. It makes me want to pull my mountain bike out of the garage and give it a go. It also reminds me a little of Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance and the idea that nature, landscape, the world around us can only truly be experienced if you put yourself in the middle of it,not watch it pass by through a window.
This is a great summer read. It'll have you longing for open spaces, the taste of a hearty meal after a day of grueling exercise, the welcome softness of the cool earth against your back and the glory of the wide open spaces, creeks, rivers and plains that beckon us to experience them firsthand. If ever there was a road trip book, this is it! Sign me up.
For more great reviews and must reads, head over to Book Review Club central, Barrie Summy's site. There are some real temptations waiting there that even the most reluctant reader won't be able to pass up.
Chris and Win have been best friends for years, less because of anything they had in common than for the simple reason that neither one had any other friends. And while Win’s antics sometimes aggravate Chris, their friendship lasts through their senior year of high school, when they set off on a post-graduation bike trip across the country.
Chris’ mother was afraid of what might happen to Chris on the trip; Win’s parent’s frankly didn’t care. None of them expected that when Chris returned home at the end of the summer, it would be without Win, who ditched Chris with no explanation just short of Seattle, their final destination.
As Chris starts his freshman year at Georgia Tech, he learns that Win didn’t just ditch him, he’s disappeared. Win’s wealthy and powerful father, who never seemed to approve of anything Win did, is now desperate to find him. And since Chris, as far as anyone knows, was the last person to have seen Win, Chris is the one under pressure—or is that suspicion?—in the form of questioning by an FBI agent and not-so-subtle threats from Win’s father, to discover what exactly happened to Win.
After a bumpy first couple of pages, I really enjoyed Shift, Jennifer Bradbury’s debut novel. Bradbury’s author bio notes that “she and her husband took a two-month long bicycling trek from Charleston, South Carolina, to Los Angeles, California,” and you definitely get a sense of this in the book, from the people and small towns Chris and Win encounter, to the technical details of planning and actually completing such a trip. The story is told by Chris, but the time frame alternates with each chapter, switching back and forth from Chris’ current perspective, as he learns that Win never returned home and attempts to find out what happened, and flashbacks covering the events of the bike trip. And it’s all told in such a way that unfolds smoothly, that never left me feeling cheated or upset that certain information was (or was not) withheld. Instead, I was drawn into the story and invested in the characters.
Plus, I’ll admit that it was very refreshing to read a book about the friendship between two teenaged boys and growing up, with no wars, no trying to hook up with a love interest, and no spying involved.
Shift is a Cybils YA Fiction nominee.
Next up for the hot seat, Reader Rabbit! Erm, or should that be hot seats--I see there are actually two of you! Okay, well this should be interesting... But just in case, let's also give away a book--just leave a comment to be entered to win Shift by Jennifer Bradbury! (Deadline to enter is June 29th, winner announced June 30th).
What's your handle? Reader Rabbit 1 & 2
What kind of books do you review? We primarily review YA but we'll review anything if it sounds good.
Approx # of books reviewed? About 40 and counting!
Where can we find your reviews? Readerrabbit.blogspot.com/ or on Chapters.ca
Reading turn-ons: Strong, well-developed characters, and descriptive writing. Any genre's good, though.
Reading turn-offs:
RR2: Annoying, and unrealistic characters, who get on my nerves. And then I want to shoot them. *waves gun, enthusiastically*
RR1: Ummm, RR2?
RR2: Uh, sorry *hastily puts gun away* Maybe not to that extent.
RR1: Agreed and slow moving plots can really put me off.
RR2: Slow beginnings are okay, though. Some of the best books I've read have slow beginnings.
Class of 2K8 books reviewed:
RR2: May I take this opportunity to gush enthusiastically about Shift? *gushes*
RR1: Ooh, yes, we loved Shift. One of the best books I've read this year.
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Read my Lips
And expect reviews of A Difficult Boy, Bewitching Season and The Lucky Place are coming up soon!
Yay, we can't wait! We love the crazy handles book reviewers come up with—tell us how you came up with yours! A little bit about how you got into book reviewing would be cool too.
RR1: Do any of you remember those old Reader Rabbit Children's games...we were avid players. (LALAA WE'RE TOTALLY ORIGINAL)
RR2: *hums Reader Rabbit theme song*
Describe your grading system and how that translates to the reader?
RR1: Basically we average the score that we think the book deserves in rereadability, originality, characterization and it all adds up to how much we like it, out of 10. We're planning on changing the system soon so that all the categories are separately scored per review so look out of that coming soon...
That should be interesting! How do you pick the books you review? Or are they picked for you? Do you ever read books that wouldn't normally interest you—and if so have you ever been surprised by what you've read?
RR2: If we're sent a book by an author or publisher, then we'll review it for sure. Other books we might review because we have something to say about it, or we just want to recommend it, because we think it's great.
What are the best ways to find new books? Any advice for authors about getting their book noticed by reviewers?
RR1: The best way to find good books are to read our blog, of course.;) Ha, just kidding. But that is one way.
RR2: Another way is to read authors blogs. They often have recommendations. Or I suppose you could ask your librarian. Or, if you're anything like me then you may just stare at the bookshelf and choose whichever book pops out at you the most.
RR1: Advice? Hmm..well, sending us a review copy works…or really, just write a really good book. Good books speak for themselves.
RR2: Or if you want to be sure that we'll read it, then, you could just wave it in our face. That is a sure way to get it noticed.
RR1: That too, I suppose.
And don't forget to send carrots, right? Sorry, bad interviewer. Moving along, if you really aren't feeling a book—will you make the ultimate sacrifice and finish it for the sake of the review?
RR1: For sure, especially if someone has taken the trouble to send it to us for reviewing.
If you really love a book—will you read it again? If so—what are some of the books you just had to read more than once?
We adore rereading. I swear I've read every single book on my shelf at least 10 times, so I'll pick the ones I've reread a gazillion times!
RR1: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
RR2: Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Both: All 7 Harry Potters <3>Great choices!
Do you have a basic philosophy on what should be included in a review—or does it depend on the book itself?
RR1: Well, we always include a summary, and some points on why we thought the book was good or bad.
RR2: But, really it depends on the book. Some books we'll have more to say on than others.
Tell us about the last time your jaw dropped open, you laughed, or you cried while reading a book.
RR2: Hey, I never cry.
RR1: Uh, yeah, you do. You totally cried when you read The Book Thief.
RR2: Uh, no I didn-oh, fine, I did. But it was only a little. And, you cried when , when…
RR1: HA, you can't think of anything.
RR2: Well, you laughed when you read The Squad books. You laugh when things aren't even funny.
RR1: But Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Squad books are great, so check them out!
Did you know Book Chic almost cried reading Alive and Well in Prague, New York? Just sayin'. Is there any character in a book that you wish would come to life? Or any place you wish existed?
RR2: Oh, yes, I wish that Eugenides from The Thief would come to life. (I mean, who doesn't?) And Flannery from the Basic Eight so I can figure out how mentally stable she really is.
RR1: *dreamily* I wish for Edward. No explanation necessary of course.
RR2: Uh-huh. Well, for places I was going to say Bayern from Shannon Hale's books, but then I realized that Bayern was real.
RR1: uh…no, it isn't.
RR2: Uh, look over there, I can see Enna Isilee galloping across- oh
RR1: yeah.
Focus rabbits! What books do you find yourself recommending over and over and why?
RR2: The King of Attolia, and The Book Thief because they ROCK.
RR1: Uh, I don't think that's a good enough reason…
RR2: But it's true. Besides, I bet you can't do any better than me.
RR1: Bet you I can. *smugly* I do everything better than you.
RR2: Oh, yeah! Well, what about that time when you-
RR1: *whispers* Be quiet or I'll tell them about that other time-
RR2: I mean, do continue.
RR1: Harry Potter because-
RR2: You don't need to recommend that. Everyone's heard of it.
RR1: *elbows*
RR2: Owwww…
RR1: Anyway, Twilight because Edward's in it.
RR2: Typical. Jacob's better! UNITE, JACOB-FANS, UNITE!
RR1: *ignores RR2* And Fearless by Francine Pascal. They're so entertaining and the story just absorbs you with its quick pace.
RR2: Well, The King of Attolia because I love the way that the author allows you to figure out things on your own and I love the surprises that she throws in (and then you go back and realize that were she was hinting about it all along). It has a little bit of romance, quite of a lot of trickery and believable characters. The Book Thief, on the other hand- hey! Are you listening?
RR1: *snores*
RR2: ahem.
RR1: Wha-? Umm…that was brilliant. Wait, what were you talking about again?
Okay, this should wake RR1 up, our Extra Scandalous Question (note the capital letters! That means wake up!!)—really bad reviews—do you ever fear giving them? Ever had an author get upset with you? (It's okay—you can tell us, just don't name names!) And what advice do you have for authors who get a bad review?
RR2: Yes, I hate the idea of giving a bad review because I can hardly imagine the time and effort spent on such an enormous task. You'll notice that on our blog there are very few negative reviews. This is mainly because our blog was created to recommend books and we don't like to review books we don't like because we know that a book we may hate may be loved by someone else.
So, chances are the negative reviews seen on our site are reviews of books sent to us for review-as per our policy we review every book we receive. And if we dislike a book, we will give an honest review.
Advice? Hmm...just to not take it personally- remember that it's only my opinion. It's nothing personal. And I may hate a book that the rest of the world may love. Besides for all you know, I was grouchy the day I read it or maybe it was just personal taste. Either that or I spent too many hours listening to RR1 worship Edward…
Note: This conversation is (almost) entirely manufactured. In case you're wondering, this blog is not written by one schizophrenic-there are actually two of us. And we are not as crazy as we sound. RR1 is not an Edward-worshiper (well, not that much anyway). RR2 has never touched a gun in her life, and plans to keep it that way, and also, she does not hallucinate. (At least as far as she knows).
Yeah, right....we believe you (erm...both). We also believe you love Shift by Jennifer Bradbury--so much so we are giving a copy away--all you have to do is comment to be entered to win! (deadline to enter is June 29th--winner will be announced Monday June 30th)
"(Shift) is riveting, from the start to the finish, once I started I was unable to stop until I'd consumed the entire book.So basically, anyone (boy, girl, alien...) should pick Jennifer Bradbury's debut (Class of 2k8 baby!) up." Reader Rabbit
As writers we often learn things about our industry and craft through trial and error. It can be painful at times, but inevitably we survive these experiences being smarter and stronger. We asked Jennifer Bradbury if there was anything that made her think she might never get published.
I never thought I'd get published when I started trying to write YA back in
2002. I learned about the Delacorte press contest for first Young Adult Novel and decided that I would try and write and submit to this contest—having a deadline has always helped me be more productive. That first year, I actually got a really nice, detailed rejection, and ended up speaking with the editor and resubmitting later. I blew it, but felt the next year, when I submitted a story that I thought was way, way better that things would go differently. And they did. But not well. I got the standard, speedy form rejection.
And I was devastated.
Now when I look back at that manuscript, I realize it isn't even close to as wonderful as I thought it was then. But at the time, I was certain it represented the best I could ever pull off. Was certain it was superior to the one I'd submitted the year before. And I sort of folded up and felt sorry for myself for a while.
Eventually, I started revising, bought a copy of The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market, and started querying agents with that same story. And though no one ever bought it, getting through that disappointment was necessary and made me a better writer.
Incidentally, I submitted an early, very rough version of SHIFT to the contest as well (because by then, I'd sort of established a pattern of writing a novel a year and getting rejected). And whether it just wasn't ready, or the people opening the envelopes were put off by the fact that my well-meaning friend (who I had print and submit it for me because we were still out of the country) printed it double sided, I'll never know. But that rejection came back even more quickly than the two before it!
Double-sided? Eek! We're betting that's it. Tomorrow we're going to get to know Jennifer a little better by flipping through her photo album. We'll find out why she was in jail and where she found state-shaped blocks of cheese.
In getting to know Jennifer we've learned her husband has been a strong influence on her writing, but we wondered if there was a teacher or librarian along the way who set her on her path to publication. Here's her heartfelt answer....
I'm pretty sure the expectation for this question was that I'd talk about a teacher or librarian from my own schooling that influenced me. And I had some great ones—Gail Kirkland at Daviess County High School and Linda Tatum from Tamarack Elementary to name two—but the person who really got me started writing in the way I'm writing now is Cathy Belben.
Cathy is the librarian at the school where I taught for eight years, Burlington-Edison High. She was assigned as my mentor my first year, and 
I'm so lucky for it. Cathy is an amazing teacher, a passionate librarian, and absolutely one of the funniest people I know. But she is also a gifted writer. She's published hundreds of articles on all sorts of topics. From incorporating crafts in the library for professional magazines to her piece on donating her own remains to the body farm for Bust Magazine. She's published award winning fiction, spent a season living in Hollywood writing for Veronica Mars, and generally inspires everybody who comes into contact with her. She's the one who really got me hooked on great YA, and who invited me to join her writing group even though I didn't really write much at the time. She's just one of those people who make you want to join the party of words and story and craft, and we're so lucky to have her in our community.
She's also a great friend. Here we are on one of our homecoming dress up days at school. I think it was superhero day, and we came dressed as twin triathletes. Goggles, running pants, towel capes. We took our bike helmets off for the photo so we wouldn't, ahem, look dumb.
Here we come to saaave the day!
Cathy truly is a superhero. (But she might need to hire a new costumer.) Tomorrow we learn why some writing contests left Jennifer wondering if she'd ever get published.
“And it’s all told in such a way that unfolds smoothly, that never left me feeling cheated or upset that certain information was (or was not) withheld”
Ooh, a rare good mystery, then! — Sounds fabulous.
This does sound really good. I don’t read a lot of fiction with younger male protags, but this book sounds great. Thanks!
I agree it sounds good–I will look for it after December….if I remember…..