-Robert
Or on Facebook
To support your interest, as well as to share your excitement with friends, I have put this page together as an introductory resource for information on the series and the author as well as how to connect with other fans. I hope that you find this page to be useful. Enjoy the series! (TV or books, if not both.)
Friday, May 26th, 2023:
I am continuing to update this page with links, particularly to the author's thoughts on the episodes and Pete Peppers' episode breakdowns, along with other content, page polish, and site improvements, so that it may serve as a meaningful repository going forward for all Silo fans and friends.
As we reach the halfway point in Season 1 what has the reception been to 'Silo'? Besides the very positive response from critics, for Reelgood's 5 million U.S. users, 'Silo' was the #1 streamed show or movie from May 18th through May 24th (covering the release of episode 4 "Truth", and of course people joining and catching up).
-Robert
- Friday, June 16th, 2023
- Updated with link to Pete Peppers' episode 8 breakdown.
- Wednesday, June 14th, 2023
- Updated with the latest information on Season 2 and 'Silo' author Hugh Howey's appearance on the Ty & That Guy podcast.
- Tuesday, June 13th, 2023
- Updated with link to Hugh Howey's episode 7 thoughts and added Stephen King's latest 'Silo' tweet to the reviews section.
- Sunday, June 11th, 2023
- Updated with link to Pete Peppers' episode 7 breakdown and note about Amazon's current sale price on the Kindle edition of 'Wool', the first book in the 'Silo' series.
A more comprehensive "What is new?" listing is also available.
Remember 'The Martian' from about ten years ago, the great story about an astronaut stranded alone on Mars who had to survive until a rescue mission could reach him? The success of 'The Martian' started with being self-published by the author. As people read and enjoyed the book, word-of-mouth generated buzz. As the popularity of the story grew and grew the 'big names' of the media world took notice. The commercial success to which this then lead included the movie from 2015.
Author Hugh Howey has been another rare indie-publishing success and now one of his book series that has drawn immense grassroots excitement is getting further notice in a new television series, 'Silo', debuting Friday, May 5th, 2023.
Hugh Howey says about his writing: "A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise."
Stories about humanity and people, scales both societal and personal, sounds like a good start.
What is 'Silo' itself about? From the book blurb: "This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside."
So people loved the book series, but often books don't translate well to a screen. Why should I expect this to work as a television series? Because the person who created the 'Silo' series and serves as an executive producer, Graham Yost, has a bona fide track record of quality, popular fare. Graham wrote 'Speed' (the Keanu Reeves / Sandra Bullock bus movie from 1994); was supervising producer on the superb HBO series 'From the Earth to the Moon', wrote two episodes, and directed the episode "Spider"; wrote two episodes of 'Band of Brothers'; and created the series 'Justified' and wrote twelve episodes. Graham Yost knows how to make engaging quality shows.
'Silo' begins streaming in the U.S. And U.K. on AppleTV+ on Friday, May 5th with the release of the first two episodes. The third episode airs on Friday, May 12th with one new episode weekly through Friday, June 30th for a total of ten episodes in the first season.
Special Offers:
Apple is currently allowing people to watch the first episode for free, no subscription required! (First noted May 6th, still valid as of June 11th.)
To watch more you might qualify for a
free trial subscription
based upon where you live.
Additionally purchase of a qualifying new Apple device (Phone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac)
might include an
offer for a free trial AppleTV+ subscription.
(Not pushing Apple, but rather the show.)
If you are a PlayStation 4 or 5 owner in the U.S. Sony is offering free trial subscriptions. (Offer available until Monday, July 31st, 2023).
(If you can get a trial subscription, or already have a subscription, I also recommend checking out 'Mythic Quest' and 'Still'.)
As for the books in the 'Silo' series:
As of June 6th Amazon is offering the Kindle version of 'Wool', the first book in the 'Silo' book series for only $1.99. (Still valid as of June 11th.)
For British readers: Amazon UK has the second book in the 'Silo' series, 'Shift', on sale for the month of June for just 99 pence! (Verified still valid as of June 11th.)
- Listen to the Season 1 soundtrack to set the atmosphere for reading this page or just to enjoy:
- Spotify
- Apple Music / iTunes Store
- YouTube (not YouTube Music)
- Amazon Music
First, 'Silo' is being supported by one of those great 'fake' marketing campaigns that draws people into the environment of the story with an accompanying Instagram post.
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Cast:
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At the heart of any work is the writing, for which the grassroots success that has propelled 'Silo' to reach this point speaks for itself. To make a screen adaptation truly shine though takes a great cast and here 'Silo' definitely delivers beginning with the central character played by Rebecca Ferguson (and Instagram) who we all know as Ilsa Faust from the two previous Mission Impossible movies (we also saw her as Lady Jessica in 'Dune: Part One'). 'Silo' might not even have been made were it not for Rebecca Ferguson. (Another interview: Rebecca Ferguson on the World of 'Silo' and How the Truth Can Cause Chaos) Supporting Rebecca Ferguson are good actors likely to be new to you and good actors who you might recognize, such as: David Oyelowo ('Selma') (Instagram and his production company Yoruba Saxon) Rashida Jones ('Parks and Recreation') (Instagram) Common ('John Wick: Chapter 2') (Twitter) Tim Robbins ('Mystic River' and 'The Shawshank Redemption') (Twitter) Ferdinand Kingsley ('The Sandman' as Dream's friend (Hob Gadling) he would meet in the pub every century) (Twitter) and last but not least Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont in 'Game of Thrones') (Twitter) |
What about the atmosphere? Philippa J. E. Broadhurst (Twitter or Facebook) who previously worked on 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance', among many other series, is the lead graphic designer for 'Silo'.
A peek at the result:
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Teasers and Trailers
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"Uncovering the Truth" (Trailer 2) Opening Title Sequence (opening credits) My playlist with the above videos, and more. For an introduction to the Silo universe, based on the books: Wool - The Basics of the Silo Series - Geek Crash Course East |
To what does it all add up?
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Reviews:
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Stephen King tweets: "Mysterious and terrifically suspenseful. This is excellent science fiction with three-dimensional characters." Rotten Tomatoes (86% from forty-two critics, 72% from the eighteen 'Top Critics', as of May 10th morning) Metacritic (75 (out of 100) from twenty critics as of May 10th morning)
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Apple knew what they had on their hands and season two already began filming in April!
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Season 2:
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Word had been quietly out since April, and mentioned here early on in Season 1, that Season 2 of 'Silo' was already in production. Taking advantage of interest in the show while it is airing and nearing the conclusion of Season 1 Apple today (Wednesday, June 14th) officially announced that 'Silo' has been renewed for a second season. Katherine DiSavino provided further confirmation that Season 2 has been in production for a while, tweeting that she had joined the writing staff for Season 2 a little over a year ago. Add to that soup the recent tweet by Hugh Howey mentioning that he will be at San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) next month, and... perhaps a Season 2 teaser at Comic Con? Merely a suggestion, I have no awareness that such is to be expected, but I think that Apple could do far worse marketing than to give every SDCC attendee a voucher for a free one-month trial of AppleTV+ to try out 'Silo' and catch-up on 'Mythic Quest' in preparation for that show's fourth season this fall. |
Both the books and the show have inspired an active fan following:
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Connect with other fans (and the author himself):
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A Subreddit (on iOS / iPadOS I recommend the free Apollo app for Reddit)
Official SILO Series Fangroup on Facebook The Down Deep Discord chat
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Last, but certainly not least, the person whose brainchild is the 'Silo' journey, Hugh Howey. (Who really seems to be a great, down-to-Earth person.)
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Hugh Howey
(the author): |
A Twitter thread - on adapting novels to the big & small screen.
'Silo' and Disrupting Entertainment: "A true disruptor, Hugh Howey turned his sci-fi novella series Silo from a self-published ebook into a bestseller and now an acclaimed streaming series. On the occasion of Silo’s release on Apple TV+, Hugh talks about changing the traditional model of publishing, adapting his work to television, and the creative revolution he sees on the horizon." 'Silo' is not Hugh Howey's only work being adapted into a television series: Beacon 23 is being turned into a series for AMC starring Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'). Even though the first season has not yet aired the second season is already in production. May 5th Ask Me Anything on Reddit (on iOS / iPadOS I recommend the free Apollo app for Reddit) An interview with Wired magazine about 'Silo', artificial intelligence, and why everyone's got dystopia fever.
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Like this page? Please share with your friends. Thanks! -Robert