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{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Sand
|author=Hugh Howey
|publisher=Century
|date=June 2014
|website=http://www.hughhowey.com/
|video=
|summary=Four siblings find themselves living in Springston, a town situated on the edge of an endless desert. The only means of income is to dive into the depth and retrieve items from a lost past. Their latest discovery may just change the world they live in. 'Sand' is a masterclass in dystopian world building by an author at the peak of his powers.
|cover=1780893183
|aznuk=1780893183
|aznus=1780893183
}}
World building in science fiction is easier said than done. How can you design a completely foreign place and explain it all to your reader, whilst still writing a compelling narrative? If you are an author such as Hugh Howey, the answer is with consummate ease. Howey has already got the fabulous ‘Wool’ trilogy under his belt and following this up was always going to be the difficult second album syndrome. Well, be prepared to be sucked quickly into ‘Sand’, his new novel.
There is a sense of place and texture to the world of ‘Sand’. Howey, has built a society from the ground up and then written a story within these rules (you will be surprised how many science fiction novels do not do this). There is a believable explanation to how water is gathered, how items are bargained for and how people manage to survive. Simple use of language enriches the novel. Whilst some indigenous people have many words for snow, in ‘Sand’ the people of Springston has many words for sand. This reaffirms how their daily lives are impacted by the stuff; there are different worlds for the sand that falls out of your hair, gather in your boots, when it is wet, when it is hard. This simple use of language really gives weight to the daily struggles that the characters face.
As well as having the great world, Howey is also a great creator of character and relationships. ‘Wool’ concentrated mostly on a protagonist who fought for herself, but here we have a family that must think of the needs of others, as well as their own. The family are instantly likable, likeable but flawed enough to be believable. With their abandonment issues , they all struggle to be better people. Vic , in particular , is excellent, another great female character from the pen (typewriter/keyboard) of Howey. The events which happen to Vic throughout the novel twist and turn. Howey’s ability to shock is wonderful, adding a tension to the entire experience, as you never know who will live and who will die.
Another excellent aspect of ‘Sand’ is that Howey has created a story that works within one novel, but remains open for future instalments should he wish. Too many modern fantasy and science fiction titles are written with a trilogy or series in mind meaning that each book ends in a cliff-hanger and a sense of closure is seldom found. Here, Howey has created a complete adventure, but the world still exists. In the future , he could choose to continue the adventure of the survivors here, or explore a completely different element of the world.
‘Sand’ is another brilliantly realised and well -written novel by Howey. The world itself is intriguing, the characters likable likeable and the story impactful. It explores issues of family, environment, survival, as well as being thrilling and funny in places. Fans of dystopian science fiction should certainly pick up this title, but it will work for any lover of thrilling novels.
Sammy Recommendation
