Released: 2013 (Full Omnibus)
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Number of Pages: 566
The second of Hugh Howey’s Silo Trilogy, Shift, is perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch, acting as both a prequel and lore expansion that successfully bridges the gap between past and present.
The plot of Shift is all about different timelines and multiple perspectives. Taking place across three locations (Silo 1, 17, and 18) the book runs three corresponding plot threads side-by-side. Silo 1 serves as the central command centre for every facility, making use of cryogenic suspension to preserve America’s political elite. An aging politician named Donald is present at the onset of disaster in 2052 as plans are made to construct the vast underground bunkers. After narrowly avoiding a quick death, he is pressed into an overseer role after coming out of stasis. In silo 18, we have Mission and other young characters in 2212. What caused the uprising and the hefty crackdown seen in Howey’s original novel? We explore that missing puzzle piece in the second thread. The final storyline follows Jimmy, a boy who witnesses the total collapse of silo 17 in 2312, barely surviving in the process.
Each timeline is split into a titular “shift” with each character traversing a specific timescale before moving forward. The dates are clearly marked for every chapter and the deeper the reader gets, the more intense the struggles become. Donald uncovers many personal revelations, his sense of guilt growing exponentially over time. Mission and his circle feel a greater sense of unease as Silo 18 grows restless. Jimmy is forced to grow up quickly after sealing himself inside silo 17’s server room. Each of the three timelines is quite long-winded, often slowing down the pace at several points; a degree of patience is required from readers before the greater revelations emerge.
What makes Shift so interesting is the changing tones across the chapters; the sense of normality experienced by Donald in the first act is quickly shattered as the political class is herded into silo 1. Later on we witness utter desolation as Jimmy survives in the ruins of Silo 17 years after the death of its population. One side of the narrative shows a journey of discovery and gradual reveals while the other emphasises the disastrous consequences of collective anarchy and panic. Eventually, we loop back round to the events of the first book as Donald starts to interact with characters from silo 18. This plants the seed effortlessly for the third book in the series.
Recommended?
YES: Shift takes on a great approach to prequel storytelling; by making use of several perspectives and gradually converging the timelines, we learn so much about the silos, how they were built and the weight of the apocalypse unfolding. It expands the setting, showing the greater powers that lord over the remaining humans before connecting with the events of Wool. If you enjoyed the first omnibus, this second chapter is very important to the wider setting and shouldn’t be missed.
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