GreatWyrmGold
2013-12-07, 11:20 AM
Worm (http://parahumans.wordpress.com/) is a web serial written by wildbow, currently completed at around two million words, organized into 30 arcs with several chapters each. It is one of the best novels I have ever read.
Despite the name, the story has very little to do with worms. Worm is about a girl named Taylor Herbert who gains superpowers, intending to become a superhero, and ("Spoiler" (tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FirstEpisodeSpoiler) Alert)
ends up joining a group of villains called the Undersiders.
Worm is a story of tough choices, none of which are completely right; of good villains and selfish heroes; of regret and redemption; of secrets, of the unknown, and of many other things. The characters (that show up for more than a few chapters in reasonably prominent roles--and some that don't, but who have their own interludes) are well-developed, the setting deep.
If you want to see super men beating up doctors of doom, Worm isn't for you (not that text-based media usually appeal to those people). If you want a deep, complex, and interesting story, then I suggest reading Worm. Despite its length, it can be...not a quick read, per se, but faster than its length suggests.
This thread serves two purposes:
1. Alerting the good people of the Playground to the existence of this tale.
2. Discussing Worm.
A quick note on spoilers: Talking about Worm is pretty hard to do without revealing a spoiler from the first couple arcs (the one spoilered above). Revealing this, I won't have too much of a problem with. However, much of the later story is virtually built on spoilers. If it's a spoiler, spoiler it. If you don't know if it's a spoiler, spoiler it--it probably is. You might also consider a note beforehand, noting the arc the spoiler occurs in. For example:
Defiant is Armsmaster.
(P.S. There is actually a spoiler there. A minor one, but still.)
If you want to read Worm, start here (http://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/1-1/). Obvious advice, sure, but I had to stick the link in there somewhere.
Despite the name, the story has very little to do with worms. Worm is about a girl named Taylor Herbert who gains superpowers, intending to become a superhero, and ("Spoiler" (tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FirstEpisodeSpoiler) Alert)
ends up joining a group of villains called the Undersiders.
Worm is a story of tough choices, none of which are completely right; of good villains and selfish heroes; of regret and redemption; of secrets, of the unknown, and of many other things. The characters (that show up for more than a few chapters in reasonably prominent roles--and some that don't, but who have their own interludes) are well-developed, the setting deep.
If you want to see super men beating up doctors of doom, Worm isn't for you (not that text-based media usually appeal to those people). If you want a deep, complex, and interesting story, then I suggest reading Worm. Despite its length, it can be...not a quick read, per se, but faster than its length suggests.
This thread serves two purposes:
1. Alerting the good people of the Playground to the existence of this tale.
2. Discussing Worm.
A quick note on spoilers: Talking about Worm is pretty hard to do without revealing a spoiler from the first couple arcs (the one spoilered above). Revealing this, I won't have too much of a problem with. However, much of the later story is virtually built on spoilers. If it's a spoiler, spoiler it. If you don't know if it's a spoiler, spoiler it--it probably is. You might also consider a note beforehand, noting the arc the spoiler occurs in. For example:
Defiant is Armsmaster.
(P.S. There is actually a spoiler there. A minor one, but still.)
If you want to read Worm, start here (http://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/1-1/). Obvious advice, sure, but I had to stick the link in there somewhere.