The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Conqueror Worms
Book Review: New Book by Keene??
Summary: 2 Stars
As I began this book I was reminded of Keene's 2005 book: EARTHWORM GODS.Oh, wait, this IS that book.This is an "alternate title re-release".This is NOT a sequel to EARTHWORM GODS, it's the same book.No one selling this book makes that very clear.Book Review: Not Keene's strongest work
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading "Ghoul," "The Rising," and its sequel, I was very excited to read more from Brian Keene. When I received this book in the mail I stared at the cover with concern... there were giant earthworms attacking a skyscraper? I was a bit concerned at that point... I mean... I hoped it was just bad cover art. So I started reading.
The book is cut up into 3 parts, the first part is an 80 year old man telling what has happened, 40 or so days of non-stop rain, towns flooding and disappearing, followed by the loneliness of isolation. He finally gains a comrade and we follow their tale as they gather a few more survivors. Then we cut immediately to part 2 of the story, the tale of the survivors up to that point. From reading the other reviews, most people didn't seem to like this part of the story. I actually preferred it to the last 1/3 even if it did go a bit over the top. Well... WAY over the top. Once we finish their tale up, we hop on over to the 3rd bit which is the conclusion back at the 80 year old man's house. The ending of this book will upset many readers, not just because of the downer that it is... but mainly because nothing is ever explained.
This book is fairly well written, you become semi-concerned for a few of the characters, although in truth there is really very little difference between them. My biggest problem with this novel is that it went from "semi-believable creature feature" to "way over the top fantasy." Even though they didn't frighten me or even interest me, I was okay with the worms... I was even okay with the giant squid... but the mermaid was really pushing it... then "possession by earthworm" really pushed it over the top. My suspension of disbelief didn't stretch that far. Perhaps if I had known ahead that this was a bit more "fantastical" than the others I could have bought into it. On the whole I would not recommend this book as an intro to Keene, his zombie books are so much stronger. I'll give this book 3 of 5 stars because although it really wasn't my cup of tea, I didn't hate it rather I was indifferent to most of it.
Book Review: Not a typical end of the world scenario
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading "The Conqueror Worms". There's nothing happy going on. You pretty much know that things are not going to get better. So instead you can really dive right into, "what if this really happened?" It's escapist fun. I plowed right through this in a 2 night session. The story is cut into two parts. It almost seemed like the main story line wasn't enough, so a second one was fleshed out. Regardless, it works. It's fun... for the end of the world.Book Review: Oh yes, there will be rain.
Summary: 5 Stars
Even though _The Conqueror Worms_ has only been out on the shelves for a week, I had to run out and buy the book so I could see what all the fuss was about concerning Brian Keene. I have not read anything else by him yet, but I did buy his zombie novels _The Rising_ and _City of the Dead_ earlier today. I'll tell you what, if _TCW_ is any indication of Keene's future work, we have much to be afraid of - which is a compliment of course.
Pumping new blood into the always frightening apocalypse horror subgenre, _TCW_ takes us 41 days after a global rainstorm began and still continues unabated. We get to see all our favorite end of the world cliches: governments collapsing, money becoming useless, millions of people dying, survivors reverting to savagery, school bus sized earthworms digging their way out of the ground(??? I'll get to that in a minute). Anyhow, an eighty-something West Virginian WWII veteran named Teddy Garnett survives only to see things go from bad to worse to conditions in which I lack the vocabulary to describe.
Teddy spends these bleak days mourning his deceased wife and fighting the pangs of tobacco addiction. One thing he takes solace in is seeing a robin outside his window every morning. But even this little comfort is denied when the robin is eaten by a worm. Shouldn't that be the other way around? Losing his own home to sinkhole, Teddy's absent-minded but good-hearted best friend Carl Seaton checks up on him. Carl and Teddy soon discover the rain is not the only problem they face. Gigantic earthworms that are no longer content absorbing nutrients from the soil are seeking other forms of sustenance. Making matters worse is Earl Harper, a far-right wing conspiracy theorist nutso who cares not if he has to kill anyone who fails to see eye to eye with his narrow worldview.
Thanks to Earl's idiocy, a helicopter carrying several survivors crashes. Two of the survivors, Kevin and Sarah, tell of their ordeal in Baltimore in which they endured horrors different but no less deadly than what Carl and Teddy have to contend with. In order to survive; Teddy, Carl, Sarah, and Kevin have to not only cope with the rain and the worms - but something far more horrifying also.
After reading _TCW_, I find myself dreading rain more than usual now. Keene definitely succeeds in creating a world that nobody sane would want to live in. Having to face either the rain or the worms would be bad enough, but to face both? No thank you. But on the other hand, he makes the stories that the survivors tell oddly compelling. You can't help but feel moved by Teddy outliving not only his children, but his grandchildren as well; or when Kevin describes his late best friend Jimmy. What could have been just another run of the mill apocalypse horror novel wins because of its humanity.
This is the new horror: brains, gore and soul.
Book Review: Oh, Yeah...
Summary: 5 Stars
...it is even better than the title!
Fans of Cthuhlu mythos are gonna dig this bad boy. Keene's passion for creepy, crawly things shines in this impossible-to-put-down apocolyptic action splatter-fest.
The 1st person narrative by Teddy, a likeable humble intellect, who is scribbling down the story of the worms in his notebook, was a nice touch. Though the title makes this out to be a silly B-flick type read, expect some rather rich characterizations, stunning imagery, nail-biting suspense, and plenty of worm phlegm.
All fans of horror fiction need to put this on their reading list.