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The Silo Archipelago #1
Refuse
Leah is a picker. It's her job to sift through the refuse and waste of the silo and sort it for recycling. On her own time, Leah loves to make homemade paper and she lives to write stories. She just happens to be living in an underground silo full of mysteries and questions, in a dystopian world that has been destroyed by mankind... and the two things she loves to do most are both illegal.
REFUSE is a short story of about 10k words (about 60 pages) that takes place in the world of Hugh Howey's bestselling WOOL saga. It is the first of a three part series that will make up The Silo Archipelago. Written with Hugh's permission, Refuse examines the issues of control, tyranny, and censorship through the lens of history. Throughout time, dissident writers have used paper and words as weapons of war against both governments and really bad ideas. REFUSE, in the spirit of A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch and The Gulag Archipelago, examines what would happen if there were literary dissidents in the silos of Hugh Howey's WOOL.
REFUSE is a short story of about 10k words (about 60 pages) that takes place in the world of Hugh Howey's bestselling WOOL saga. It is the first of a three part series that will make up The Silo Archipelago. Written with Hugh's permission, Refuse examines the issues of control, tyranny, and censorship through the lens of history. Throughout time, dissident writers have used paper and words as weapons of war against both governments and really bad ideas. REFUSE, in the spirit of A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch and The Gulag Archipelago, examines what would happen if there were literary dissidents in the silos of Hugh Howey's WOOL.
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2013
23 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 21, 2016
Pleasant Surprise
I've been in a major rut with reading almost *anything*. Now, I've always loved reading, but I kind of lost my way over the past 7 or 8 years and have been pretty much dabbling in whatever came my way. Most of the books / magazines I've read have been abandoned... not because they are not enjoyable, but I found myself distracted by something else, and so moved on.
This evening, I decided to to try re-engage myself in a genre that I have loved for many years but have somehow strayed from - Science Fiction. I felt that I just needed something different... something that I wouldn't necessarily choose on my own if I were browsing a book store or library. What better, than to look for recommendations on Good Reads?! There were 50 titles that GR had recommended, and after viewing them, I started to feel myself begin to do the same dance that I've done for years. I'd look at the author. "Huh... haven't heard about this one. What's the book about? Oh... I've read something like that before. Nah, let's see what else there is." I did this waltz for about an hour and came to the conclusion that I would never be able to choose a book based upon this methodology. So I took the leap of faith and chose the first recommendation. I didn't read the description, review or even look at the cover art!
BOOM - "Refuse" by Michael Bunker.
What a treat! Something seemed familiar about it, and somehow I felt comfortable in the world. I liked the characters, setting, and the story got me from the 2nd page. Huh.
OK... so here's the deal. Refuse takes place in the Wool universe created by Hugh Howey. Michael Bunker has created a captivating tale within this world. I haven't read all of the Wool story, but from what little I have read, Bunker seems to have integrated his tale expertly into the setting (seeing as by the end of the first 'book' more on that in a minute my feelings of deja vu were justified in the notes section).
Why did I do the air quote 'book'? Well, folks.... Refuse is only about 50 pages long. I'm not complaining! I ripped through the 50 pages and am wanting more. Again, I didn't read any reviews, description or look at the cover art. I only paid $.99 - less than a small coffee. It was well worth it. I just don't want anyone who reads this to think that they are going to get a full novel when in actuality your getting as short story or novella. But really... price doesn't have much to do with this recommendation...
Would I recommend it? Yup.
Was it worth $.99? Yup.
Am I going to get 'Book 2'? Umm... heck yeah!
The only thing that I'm agonizing about this, is that seeing as I haven't finished the Wool series, I'm wondering if I should go back to that, finish it, and return to Mr. Bunker's tale.
At the moment.... I think I'm going to continue on with Mr. Bunker.
Thank you, Good Reads, for a perfect recommendation.
- Allam
I've been in a major rut with reading almost *anything*. Now, I've always loved reading, but I kind of lost my way over the past 7 or 8 years and have been pretty much dabbling in whatever came my way. Most of the books / magazines I've read have been abandoned... not because they are not enjoyable, but I found myself distracted by something else, and so moved on.
This evening, I decided to to try re-engage myself in a genre that I have loved for many years but have somehow strayed from - Science Fiction. I felt that I just needed something different... something that I wouldn't necessarily choose on my own if I were browsing a book store or library. What better, than to look for recommendations on Good Reads?! There were 50 titles that GR had recommended, and after viewing them, I started to feel myself begin to do the same dance that I've done for years. I'd look at the author. "Huh... haven't heard about this one. What's the book about? Oh... I've read something like that before. Nah, let's see what else there is." I did this waltz for about an hour and came to the conclusion that I would never be able to choose a book based upon this methodology. So I took the leap of faith and chose the first recommendation. I didn't read the description, review or even look at the cover art!
BOOM - "Refuse" by Michael Bunker.
What a treat! Something seemed familiar about it, and somehow I felt comfortable in the world. I liked the characters, setting, and the story got me from the 2nd page. Huh.
OK... so here's the deal. Refuse takes place in the Wool universe created by Hugh Howey. Michael Bunker has created a captivating tale within this world. I haven't read all of the Wool story, but from what little I have read, Bunker seems to have integrated his tale expertly into the setting (seeing as by the end of the first 'book' more on that in a minute my feelings of deja vu were justified in the notes section).
Why did I do the air quote 'book'? Well, folks.... Refuse is only about 50 pages long. I'm not complaining! I ripped through the 50 pages and am wanting more. Again, I didn't read any reviews, description or look at the cover art. I only paid $.99 - less than a small coffee. It was well worth it. I just don't want anyone who reads this to think that they are going to get a full novel when in actuality your getting as short story or novella. But really... price doesn't have much to do with this recommendation...
Would I recommend it? Yup.
Was it worth $.99? Yup.
Am I going to get 'Book 2'? Umm... heck yeah!
The only thing that I'm agonizing about this, is that seeing as I haven't finished the Wool series, I'm wondering if I should go back to that, finish it, and return to Mr. Bunker's tale.
At the moment.... I think I'm going to continue on with Mr. Bunker.
Thank you, Good Reads, for a perfect recommendation.
- Allam
June 10, 2013
I've ended the Archipelago Series a few days ago, but I did not write the review immediately. Not for lack of emotions, quite the contrary, it kept returning to my mind waiting over and over.
Without being irrespectful, this story could have been written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; it represents perfectly a distant (or not so distant?) future and the struggle for freedom, not physical freedom, but the freedom to express oneself in one of the most suitable ways to human beings: writing.
While reading on my Kindle I found myself thinking how there was a bit of irony in doing that, too bad I cannot reveal it here without spoiling too much, but I'm sure you'll feel the same.
Without being irrespectful, this story could have been written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; it represents perfectly a distant (or not so distant?) future and the struggle for freedom, not physical freedom, but the freedom to express oneself in one of the most suitable ways to human beings: writing.
While reading on my Kindle I found myself thinking how there was a bit of irony in doing that, too bad I cannot reveal it here without spoiling too much, but I'm sure you'll feel the same.
May 28, 2015
I enjoyed this more than the other Michael Bunker short story that I've read. He does a good job fitting his characters into the Howey Silo world. I REALLY like the title, since it fits either way it is pronounced (Ree * Fuze or Ref * Use). Like most of the Silo books I've read, this one 'ends' with a strong pointer to the next book.
May 28, 2013
I don't mind the short story release style of writing a longer story, that will later be collected into an Omnibus. However, there is such a thing as too short, not really telling a story, but only getting started. I think I like this one, but there just isn't enough meat to know yet...
June 21, 2014
A great start to what will likely be a great series. This author has talent, and it is fun to see what he can do in Hugh Howey's Wooliverse. Refuse was a quick read that packed a lot of suspense into a small space. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
June 1, 2015
There's a lot to love here.
I absolutely love the concept of this story. The heroine is a writer, works in a recycling plant, and steals scraps of used paper that she uses to make her own paper, which is of course totally illegal in the Silo. Can't wait to keep reading the series!
I absolutely love the concept of this story. The heroine is a writer, works in a recycling plant, and steals scraps of used paper that she uses to make her own paper, which is of course totally illegal in the Silo. Can't wait to keep reading the series!
June 9, 2013
A very first part of a 3 part story.
November 17, 2013
This is a slow-burn read. I can feel the ground begin to tremble, there is mild current starting to burn. Intriguing storyline that has captured my attention and curiousity.....must move on to #2.
May 20, 2014
Enjoyed this alternative look into the Silo World!
May 22, 2015
Enjoyable addition to the Wool World
Nicely paced, with a similar economy of detail as Howey's original Wool short stories as well as the "leave you hanging" endings.
Nicely paced, with a similar economy of detail as Howey's original Wool short stories as well as the "leave you hanging" endings.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews