Silo TV Series Comparison To The Wool Book Series – Becoming The Muse
The Wool Series by Hugh Howey is a dystopian post-apocalyptic series that the Apple+ TV show Silo was based on.
Having watched the Silo TV Series I was curious to read the books considering the series ended on a What In The Silo cliffhanger and I was not prepared to wait till the next season came round to ge answers… In case you missed it, click to read my review of Silo TV Series below.
I am the sort of reader whom upon seeing that something I watched is based on a book I might look up the book just to see how it compares… in most cases the book usually does it better ( possibly because you get to be producer and director of all the scenes as they play out in your head)
Reading the books after watching the series, the characters, casting and settings that I visualised were directly imported from the TV series. The opening chapter practically reads like the TV Script for the pilot episode… for the most part the books and the TV series are on the same trajectory although there were a couple differences.
*Potential Spoilers Ahead ⚠️
Difference between Silo TV Series and The Wool Series Books
Walker. The first major difference for me was that Walker was a man in the books while in the series Walker was a woman who played the role of the doting (grand)mother Juliette never had.. That dynamic made their connection all the more stronger and better explained the sacrifices they would do for each other.
Puzzle Box. In the book the plot hurries along much faster and the secrets of the Silo are unravelled sooner with less of the slow burn mystery box feel, events that are only seen in the season finale you get read about halfway into the first part of the Wool Omnibus. Characters’ motivations are laid out bare and you can spot the good side and the not so good side without the pretence of carefully cultivated respectability.
Generator Job. Repairing the generator in Silo TV series is a landmark high stakes moment but in the Wool Series its practically just another day in the down deep with mechanical getting things back running with barely any of the edge of your seat tension.
The Judiciary and Sims played by Common in the TV Series got a more prominent role.. in the book they are just background characters who keep the Silo running according to The Pact but in the TV series you get a more front row look at their all-seeing-all-knowing work ethic.
Juliette’s love interest(s). In the book George is already dead like a tragic forbidden love story while in the TV Series we get to explore the backstory romance that fuels Juliette’s drive to find out the truth of things. The other love interest barely makes an appearance in the TV series.
Juliette’s Character. In the series Juliette comes across as a rather abrasive and standoffishly awakward person in social standings and at times just plain rude at things not worth of her attention…understandably dealing with a lot of childhood trauma with unresolved daddy issues… In the book Juliette is a bit more welcoming and not as hot-headed as her TV version.
Overally the TV series had more developed characters and background context as to why some things happened the way they did such as the lottery which was rigged for some people and the flame keepers who kept the truth going against all the odds.
The first Wool story was released as standalone short story in July of 2011 and upon favourable reviews and popular demand it grew into a serialised Saga consisting of Wool, Shift and Dust.
This is one of those few times where I feel the TV adaptation did justice to the books and might have made it better even. I don’t think I would have appreciated the books had I simply picked them up and read as they read more like short stories stitched together than a fully planned out epic dystopian tale.
~B
PS Bookstooge you are not missing out on a lot. 🤣
Becoming The Muse 
Your thoughts.. if you will?