Silo Writer Hugh Howey Has 3 Potential Spin-Off Ideas For The Apple TV Series

Another fantastic season of "Silo" has come and gone, which naturally has fans greedy for even more where that came from. Season 4 is slated to deliver exactly that with the grand finale of this adaptation, based on author Hugh Howey's post-apocalyptic novellas. But who says that has to be the end of the line for this overall story? One would expect this to bring a satisfying conclusion to the arcs of Rebecca Ferguson's Juliette Nichols and all her friends (and enemies), but couldn't this richly layered world lend itself to all sorts of other narratives down the line?

Apple TV is almost certainly exploring this possibility, but an even more important figure has already broached the idea of spin-offs and franchise continuations: Howey himself. While not quite as publicly visible and opinionated as fellow novelist Andy Weir, the "Silo" mastermind has made many of his thoughts known across a whole spectrum of subjects. This one in particular lays out a convincing roadmap for where the streamer (and, intriguingly, he) could take things next. In a recent Reddit AMA, Howey responded to a question about whether any potential spin-offs could be in the cards and what he'd personally like to see:

"You could go one of three ways, I think: Another silo during the same timeframe (like Silo 40, which I'm writing about now). Or more of the before-times (how we got here, how people tried to stop it or survive). Or the after, which we can't talk about until after Season 4."

The future of "Silo" is looking quite bright indeed — figuratively speaking, of course, considering the state of things when we last left our characters after the Season 3 finale. Both creator Graham Yost and Apple TV must be pleased with how the series has been received to this point, but their greatest advantage might be having an author who's staying awfully productive on the literary side of the equation, as well (with apologies to "A Song of Ice and Fire" fans, many of whom might be somewhat traumatized by George R.R. Martin's lack of writing progress). Hugh Howey's most recent update paints a promising picture for the directions certain "Silo" spin-offs could take in the future, and we'd love to see any one of them (if not all three) come to fruition.

While a prequel and sequel series sound fascinating in their own right, the one that grabs our attention the most has to do with the mysterious Silo 40. Hugh Howey has been vocal about his plans to follow up his acclaimed original series of novellas with a new trilogy centered on this specific location set concurrently with the main story, which plays a pivotal – though unseen – role in the events unfolding in "Silo." In a previous AMA on Reddit, Howey indicated this would take place before "Wool" (the first collection of novellas in his series) and extend past "Dust" (the third "Silo" book). 

Of course, any adaptation of this Silo 40 trilogy would likely focus on brand-new characters, but it's easy to see the appeal. In the meantime, fans can look forward to several more books from Howey. As for the rest of us, Season 4 premieres on July 9, 2027.