Seth Apr 24, 2019

it was amazing 's review

It's strange to start a positive review with a list of caveats but I think context goes a long way towards both an appreciation of the accomplishment that Worm is and a healthy idea of whether or not this story is for you.



Worm was a superhero web serial published on a tight schedule. Donation chapters and interludes excepting, there were two chapters every week for roughly two years straight. The amount of herculean effort and commitment that takes is something to be admired.



With that in mind, it's worth noting for people who can't overcome it, this is wonderful storytelling but not articulate literature. Worm is essentially a massive first draft, a monster of a story written by a growing Wildbow. Some chapters are polished and well paced while others suffer from the stressors of the author's day to day life: This is not a story for those who cannot handle the odd typo, flat dialogue or confusing prose. Sometimes what is intended by a paragraph is confusing to grasp and off putting.



For everything wrong with Worm's technical polish there is so much done right. This is a story that sells organizational corruption and moral ambiguity as well as it drives home stark, hopeless Lovecraftian horror and frightening conspiracies orchestrating events from the shadows.

It is a jaded representation of super hero culture. An articulation of what it means to be a hero or villain in a world where the morality and validity of our actions are unclear.



Worm's story is told primarily through the lens of Taylor Hebert. Taylor has recently lost her mother and is severely bullied in school, the trauma of which causes her super powers to manifest. Taylor's powers are simple: She can control every bug within a couple thousand feet of her and she has an enhanced ability to multi-task. These two seemingly weak powers work together in tandem with Taylor's decisive personality and creativity, driving them to their absolute limits. It's the sort of thing I love: A simple idea or ability with countless creative applications, if only the user knows how to manifest them.



Taylor just wants to do the right thing but seems to constantly find herself at odds with the wrong people. Early events in the story see her mistaken for a villain and the injustice of that simple fact has immense repercussions for the rest of the story.



Unlike the usual super powered universe that may favor simplistic descriptions of powers, most abilities in the Worm universe have some extra layer of complexity or hidden nuance. Most powers manifest through a traumatic event (Something that might seem familiar to Mistborn fans) causing many of those with powers to suffer from psychosis and carry the weight of their traumas with them for the rest of their lives. Some people are warped beyond recognition into near demi-gods that must be constantly monitored and kept away from civilization. Worm is not a story that is afraid to dive into body horror and gruesome descriptions of war.



Despite its dark and what some would call edgy tone, Worm isn't a joyless read. It's just so much fun to read about Taylor and her friends learning to utilize their abilities to overcome seemingly impossible odds. There are many of those classic moments when a character is faced with an insurmountable death trap only to connive their way to victory with a clever application of both powers and analytical skills. I personally find these sorts of proactive problem-solving characters inspiring and probably my favorite archetype.



Wildbow has a talent for worldbuilding which shines in donation chapters and interludes that explore the world through new point of view characters similar to the interludes between sections of a Stormlight Archive novel. You will quickly find yourself sympathizing with these characters and wishing you got to spend more time with them. Truly it is the mark of a good story if the weight of a side character's story feels real enough that it could have been the main plot.



So is Worm for you? If you enjoy a sprawling mammoth of a story that gradually builds from street level heroics to apocalyptic proportions, then yes.



Ultimately I have to rate Worm by two standards. As the only web serial I have read, as the first draft of a story, it is remarkably well crafted and sucked me into its world completely, forcing me to give it a 10/10. As a completed work, something I would pick up on the shelf of a store and expect to be polished to superhuman levels? 8/10. There is work to be done here but for those of you who are waiting for the day you see this on a store shelf, I sincerely hope that day comes to pass because this is one hell of a story.