4 Biggest Differences Between Apple TV's 'Silo' & the Original Source by Hugh Howey
What is The Algorithm, and who are the Founders?
Silo showrunner Graham Yost deliberately distances himself from Hugh Howey's books, creating an original version of events. Some plot lines are radically reimagined, while others are only slightly adjusted.
Here, we examine four key discrepancies between the series and the source material.
The following text contains spoilers for the Silo series by Hugh Howey and the Apple TV show of the same name!
When Does 'Silo' Take Place, How Were the Bunkers Built & What Happened to the World?
The chronology in the series is deliberately vague, but Bernard mentions that the bunkers have existed for 352 years. Counting from 2018, the date on the VR headset, we arrive at around 2370.
In the books, construction begins later, around 2052, and the events unfold around 2345. The discrepancy is small but significant: the series brings the disaster closer to the present day.
As for the disaster itself, the versions agree. The world was destroyed by nanobots that were created as a medical breakthrough but were turned into a weapon.
Operation Fifty envisioned a nuclear bombing and the evacuation of select individuals to 50 bunkers where they would wait until useful nanobots cleared the surface. However, the Founders knew from the start that only one shelter would survive.
What Do We Know About the Founders From the Books?
The Founders are not abstract Founding Fathers, but rather specific individuals who occupied Silo 1. Thanks to cryogenic suspended animation, they take turns operating the helm for centuries, overseeing the other shelters through The Algorithm.
One key figure is Congressman Donald Keene, an architect who designed the bunkers but was unaware of the operation's true scope. After learning that 49 shelters are doomed, he tries to sabotage the plan from within.
This plotline hasn't been fully fleshed out in the series – instead of a solid narrative about the Founders, we received only hints and fragments so far.
What Happened to Silo 17 in the Books & Will Juliette Return There?
In the original story, the Silo 17 uprising itself ended differently. Silo 1 destroyed the rebels with killer nanobots, not gas.
Solo survived because the rebels shut off the ventilation. In the series, Juliette has already left Silo 17, however, according to the books' logic, she will have to return.
The novels depict Silo 17 as a refuge for survivors of Silo 18 when the latter comes under attack. The tunnels connecting the bunkers make this possible, and we will likely see this plotline in Season 3.
What Is The Algorithm?
In the series, The Algorithm is a frighteningly anthropomorphic AI that can engage in dialogue, assess human qualities, and make decisions that resemble emotional ones.
It converses with Lukas in the tunnel and discusses the fate of the bunker with Bernard. Judging by the Season 2 finale, it also independently chooses Camille Sims as the new leader.
In the books, The Algorithm is much simpler. It's a computer program that analyzes the bunkers' statistical parameters: crime rates, the population's mental health, and technological competence.
Its task is to select a single winner in a race for survival. The remaining 49 shelters will be erased.
