Turnus

The truth about the origin of the Silo may ultimately be more toxic than the deadly air outside. The year is 2049. Young, idealistic congressman Donald Keene is sucked into a top-secret government project. Under the guise of building a nuclear waste storage facility, a complex of giant underground residential cylinders is being constructed. They are to serve as the ultimate insurance policy in the event of an absolute catastrophe. Decades later, a hibernated man wakes up in the darkened Silo 1. His memory is blurred by powerful chemicals, yet cruel memories of a world that ceased to exist inevitably surface – memories of the arrogance, manipulation and obsession with power that consciously destroyed all living things. Meanwhile, a bloody rebellion is brewing in the overcrowded Silo 18, and the neighbouring Silo 17 has gone forever, terrifyingly silent. What preceded life in the concrete depths of the gigantic silos, the only places on Earth where it is still possible to breathe? The phenomenal post-apocalyptic novel Silo left readers with hundreds of burning questions. The second instalment of Hugh Howey's cult trilogy, Shift, which is actually a prequel to the first book, now brings chilling answers that you might not even want to know. Shift is not just science fiction. It is a fascinating dive into the depths of human morality, exploring the boundary where the sincere effort to save civilisation turns into the most cold-blooded crime in human history. In 2023, the story was adapted into a TV series by Apple TV starring Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Tim Robbins and other stars. "The whole cramped atmosphere, the terrifying technology and the thought that something like this might not be unrealistic if someone at the top lost their mind. By now, the series has completely gripped me and I can't wait for the finale." – reader review from Databazeknih.cz "Whether or not Howey believes the details of his story, the anxiety, claustrophobia and lethargy he evokes are honest and convincing." – The Guardian "It is one of those books that keeps you up all night because you simply can't put it down. The characters are so well-drawn and believable, even in those bizarre situations where they are doing their absolute best to survive." – reader review from Goodreads.com "The clear and understandable depiction of the main characters' motives adds complexity to the story – they are not just moustache-twirling caricatures, but believable human characters with credible motives." – Fantasy Literature The silo leader looked into the camera. This mortal knew damn well where the eyes of the gods hid. "Mechanical is holed up in their section. They fought on their way down, but we pushed them back easily enough. They have built… some kind of barricade, but we should breach it soon." The operator leaned forward and gestured to get Donald's attention. He pointed two fingers at his eyes and then at one of the dark screens in the top row to point out one of the cameras that had stopped working during the uprising. Donald knew what he was getting at. "Do you have any idea how they knew about the cameras?" he asked. "You do know we can't see the floors from 140 down, don't you?" "Yes, sir. We can only… assume they've known about them for some time. They routinely run their own wiring down there. I've been there myself. It's a tangle of cables and pipes. We don't think anyone tipped them off." "You don't think so." "No, sir. But we are working on smuggling someone in. We can send a priest down to bless their dead. Good fellow. Used to shadow for security. I promise it won't take long." "Good. See to it that it really doesn't take long. We will clean up the mess here, and you make sure you keep order back home." "Yes, sir. Will do!" – book extract