I have a new favorite author. Hugh Howey has taken up residence in my imagination with two series so far, Sand and Wool
. I'll wax poetic over Wool
another time. For now, let me tell you why you should read Sand
.
First of all, I'm a sucker for good sci-fi. Sand takes place in a post-apocolyptic world where the landscape has become a barren, sand-infested desert. There isn't much in the way of natural resources, so people have developed technology that allows them to dive through sand, sort of like scuba.
Divers make perilous journeys to the ruins of the old world, buried deep beneath the modern landscape. The ramshacle towns and outposts where most of the story is set are constructed from reclaimed treasures brought up by divers, who are always on the lookout for the next big score.
The main characters in Sand are a group of siblings, the children of a famous but long-gone diver. Two of the kids, a brother and sister, have followed in the absent Dad's footsteps, making name for themselves as divers too. The story heats up when the diving brother finds himself mixed up in a twisted conspiracy that eventually reveals startling truths about the desert and beyond.
Sand is a really great read, especially for anyone with nostalgia for diving, deserts, or family dysfunction. I loved it.