Sand by Hugh Howey is a science fiction novel about a world buried under sand with survivors eking out their existence by diving through the sand to salvage remnants from the previous civilisation. That previous civilisation looks suspiciously like it might be current day earth but there are few clues as to what has happened and how the world was buried.
The story focusses on a number of members of one family each of whom has coped with their circumstances very differently.
I’m liking
I first read Hugh Howey’s when I discovered his Wool trilogy and I like how in Sand he’s returned to exploring ideas about being underground – you wouldn’t think that there is sufficient material about being underground to use across four books but he’s managed to write four enjoyable stories and counting. But Sand is quite distinct from the Wool books; the potential scope of the book is huge and therefore intriguing, I enjoyed the characters, the way they attempted to resolve their personal challenges, and constantly had to work out how to be a family when they are all so different. I also liked how the book explored a society that has evolved in what is essentially a desert with no apparent way out of the harsh environment.
Things that made me go hmmmm
It’s a small gripe but the book finishes without answering many of the questions it raises. Obviously a sequel is planned but when you’ve enjoyed a book sometimes waiting for the sequel feels like a long wait. But I’ve said that before about other books I’ve reviewed, so maybe I’m just impatient.
The conclusion
I enjoyed Sand, especially contemplating how they dived in sand in what appeared to be a similar way to how scuba divers dive in water. Obviously we’ll have to wait for a sequel or sequels to find out how the world came to be buried in sand and I look forward to reading those books.
