Worm: Difference between revisions
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==Synopsis== | ==Synopsis== | ||
An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, [[Taylor]] goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a [[Villains|supervillain]] sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local [[ | An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, [[Taylor]] goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a [[Villains|supervillain]] sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local '[[cape]]' scene's politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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*[[Audiobook|Worm Audiobook Project]] | *[[Audiobook|Worm Audiobook Project]] | ||
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Worm is an online web serial by Wildbow that ran from June 2011 to November 2013. | Worm is an online web serial by Wildbow that ran from June 2011 to November 2013. The story follows protagonist Taylor Hebert as she faces a world altered by the presence of superpowers, trying to do the right thing and find an escape from her unhappy civilian life. | ||
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | ||
(Redirected from WildBow) | |||
J.C McCrae is a Canadian writer best known by his pen name Wildbow | J.C. McCrae is a Canadian writer best known by his pen name Wildbow. He is the author of several web serials, the most well-known of which is the dark superhero tale Worm which ran from 2011 to 2013. McCrae specializes in gritty, rationalist fantasy, frequently with characters of ambiguous morality. He is considered one of the most successful creators of English-language serialized fiction, with his stories consistently some of the highest rated on topwebfiction.com. This is due not just to the quality of his work, but very frequent and lengthy updates (roughly one standard novel a month). He is currently writing the biopunk novel Twig which publishes new chapters between midnight and 3AM (EST) Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. | ||
Bibliography | Bibliography | ||
McCrae writes serial fiction, starting with his first story Worm, and continuing with the still-ongoing Twig. He publishes on his wordpress blog at a rate of three chapters a week, with stories are composed of somewhere between 16 - 30 roughly "arcs", each with roughly ~10 chapters. This means that his stories are extremely long, being roughly equivalent in length to 18 standard novels. | McCrae writes serial fiction, starting with his first story Worm, and continuing with the still-ongoing Twig. He publishes on his wordpress blog at a rate of three chapters a week, with stories are composed of somewhere between 16 - 30 roughly "arcs", each with roughly ~10 chapters. This means that his stories are extremely long, being roughly equivalent in length to 18 standard novels. | ||
Worm | Worm | ||
Worm is the grim story of Taylor Hebert, an introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower. She goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life with her first attempt at taking down a supervillain seeing her mistaken for one. Thrust into the midst of the local | Worm is the grim story of Taylor Hebert, an introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower. She goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life with her first attempt at taking down a supervillain seeing her mistaken for one. Thrust into the midst of the local 'cape' scene's politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals, she risks life and limb while the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons. | ||
Readers should be cautioned that Worm is fairly dark as fiction goes, and it gets far darker as the story progresses. | Readers should be cautioned that Worm is fairly dark as fiction goes, and it gets far darker as the story progresses. Morality isn't black and white, Taylor and her acquaintances aren't invincible, the heroes aren't winning the war between right and wrong, and superpowers haven't necessarily affected society for the better. Just the opposite on every count, really. Even on a more fundamental level, Taylor's day to day life is unhappy, with her clinging to the end of her rope from the story's outset. The denizens of the Wormverse (as readers have termed it) don't pull punches, and I try to avoid doing so myself, as a writer. There's graphic language, descriptions of violence and sex does happen (albeit offscreen). It would be easier to note the trigger warnings that don't apply than all the ones that do. | ||
Worm boasts a very active fan base as well, with hundreds of related works on DeviatArt alone | Worm boasts a very active fan base as well, with hundreds of related works on DeviatArt alone. | ||
Published between June 2011 and November 2013, Worm is by far McCrae's most popular book to date. In June 2015, almost two years after completion, it was still receiving more than 80k unique pageviews per day | Published between June 2011 and November 2013, Worm is by far McCrae's most popular book to date. In June 2015, almost two years after completion, it was still receiving more than 80k unique pageviews per day. | ||
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Jump up ^ "Compete". siteanalytics.compete.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04. | Jump up ^ "Compete". siteanalytics.compete.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04. | ||
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''Note to others: if you are interested in helping edit the draft article, feel free.''{{AFC submission|t||ts=20160629004250|u=Gbear605|ns=118|demo=}} | ''Note to others: if you are interested in helping edit the draft article, feel free.''{{AFC submission|t||ts=20160629004250|u=Gbear605|ns=118|demo=}} Important, do not remove this line before article has been created. | ||
{{ '''John "Wildbow" McCrae''', is a self published [[Web_fiction#Web_serial|web serial]] that inverts common [[Trope (literature)|tropes]] of [[superhero fiction]]. It is one of the most popular web [[Serial (literature)|serials]] on the internet, with a readership in the hundreds of thousands.<ref name="Beacon-Villager">{{cite web|url=http://maynard.wickedlocal.com/article/20150702/NEWS/150709367|title=Adam Sherman of Maynard publishes web serial|first=Jesse|last=Collings|publisher=Wicked Local}}</ref><ref name="Litreactor"/><ref name="Creative Writing Guild">{{cite web|url=http://creativewritingguild.com/sl/interview/worm-author-john-mccrae/|title=Interview with Worm Author John McCrae - Creative Writing Guild|date=2 December 2015|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="The Star">{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/online-exclusive/reading-revolution/2014/02/20/discipline-and-determiniation/|title=Discipline and determination pay off for webserial writer|date=20 February 2014|publisher=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]}}</ref> It was McCrae's first novel.<ref name="T4anky"/> | {{'''John "Wildbow" McCrae''', is a self published [[Web_fiction#Web_serial|web serial]] that inverts common [[Trope (literature)|tropes]] of [[superhero fiction]]. It is one of the most popular web [[Serial (literature)|serials]] on the internet, with a readership in the hundreds of thousands.<ref name="Beacon-Villager">{{cite web|url=http://maynard.wickedlocal.com/article/20150702/NEWS/150709367|title=Adam Sherman of Maynard publishes web serial|first=Jesse|last=Collings|publisher=Wicked Local}}</ref><ref name="Litreactor"/><ref name="Creative Writing Guild">{{cite web|url=http://creativewritingguild.com/sl/interview/worm-author-john-mccrae/|title=Interview with Worm Author John McCrae - Creative Writing Guild|date=2 December 2015|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="The Star">{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/online-exclusive/reading-revolution/2014/02/20/discipline-and-determiniation/|title=Discipline and determination pay off for webserial writer|date=20 February 2014|publisher=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]}}</ref> It was McCrae's first novel.<ref name="T4anky"/> | ||
''Worm'' features a bullied teenage girl, Taylor, who develops the super power to control [[ | ''Worm'' features a bullied teenage girl, Taylor, who develops the super power to control [[insect]]s.<ref name="Toolsandtoys"/><ref name="GS Williams"/> She deals with both [[super heroes]] and [[super villains]], and struggles to do the right thing even when there is no clear difference between right and wrong.<ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/> | ||
==Publication== | ==Publication== | ||
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The title ''Worm'' has multiple potential meanings. It has been connected to the protagonist's character development, as a "lowly, overlooked" person who is nonetheless useful and dangerous; drawing a parallel with the the protagonists power to control [[worms]] and other [[bugs]].<ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/> | The title ''Worm'' has multiple potential meanings. It has been connected to the protagonist's character development, as a "lowly, overlooked" person who is nonetheless useful and dangerous; drawing a parallel with the the protagonists power to control [[worms]] and other [[bugs]].<ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/> | ||
A number of reviewers have noted the characters' ingenuity, and the original and creative use of [[superpowers]] in the narrative.<ref name="T4anky"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="Genre Reader"/><ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/> Author Adam Sherman described one of the recurring themes of the story as "that powers | A number of reviewers have noted the characters' ingenuity, and the original and creative use of [[superpowers]] in the narrative.<ref name="T4anky"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="Genre Reader"/><ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/> Author Adam Sherman described one of the recurring themes of the story as "that powers don't really make the person, its the person who makes the power". McCrae has described how he would regularly write himself into corners, so that "the desperate gambits we see are echoed by my writerly desperation to figure out a way to keep things going."<ref name="T4anky"/> G.S Williams drew a parallel between the protagonist's power being seemingly underwhelming, and her being overlooked in her civilian life, and the broader theme of things being overlooked.<ref name="GS Williams"/> | ||
Several reviewers have described the serial as an exercise in repeatedly escalating the stakes of the story.<ref name="T4anky"/><ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/> | Several reviewers have described the serial as an exercise in repeatedly escalating the stakes of the story.<ref name="T4anky"/><ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/> | ||
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''Worm'' has received generally favorable reviews. It received substantial attention following a favourable review by author Gavin Williams roughly six months into publication, which praised the story's themes and originality.<ref name="GS Williams">{{cite web|url=http://webfictionguide.com/listings/worm/review-by-gswilliams/|first=G.S.|last=Williams|title=WORM - It grows on you|date=Mar 10, 2012|publisher=Web Fiction Guide}}</ref><ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/> Readership doubled when it was recommended by author [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] on his website while the story was in it's final months.<ref name="T4anky"/> | ''Worm'' has received generally favorable reviews. It received substantial attention following a favourable review by author Gavin Williams roughly six months into publication, which praised the story's themes and originality.<ref name="GS Williams">{{cite web|url=http://webfictionguide.com/listings/worm/review-by-gswilliams/|first=G.S.|last=Williams|title=WORM - It grows on you|date=Mar 10, 2012|publisher=Web Fiction Guide}}</ref><ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/> Readership doubled when it was recommended by author [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] on his website while the story was in it's final months.<ref name="T4anky"/> | ||
News site Monotonecritic.com compared it favorably to the similar-length book series [[A Song of Ice and Fire]].<ref name="MT Critic">{{cite web|url=http://monotonecritic.com/2015/06/26/worm-the-web-serial-that-will-top-anything-youve-ever-read-before/|title=Worm, the web serial that will top anything | News site Monotonecritic.com compared it favorably to the similar-length book series [[A Song of Ice and Fire]].<ref name="MT Critic">{{cite web|url=http://monotonecritic.com/2015/06/26/worm-the-web-serial-that-will-top-anything-youve-ever-read-before/|title=Worm, the web serial that will top anything you've ever read before|date=26 June 2015|publisher=}}</ref> Matt Freeman of Daly Planet Films praised the story's originally, noting that it works as a [[science-fiction]] story to a degree not found in most works of [[superhero]] fiction.<ref name="Daly Planet Films">{{cite web|url=http://dalyplanetfilms.com/2015/06/25/matts-sci-fi-picks-worm-web-serial-review/|title=MATT'S SCI-FI PICKS – WORM WEB SERIAL REVIEW|date=5 June 2015|publisher=Daly Planet Films|first=Matt|last=Freeman}}</ref> Media site toolsandtoys.net published a review by Chris Gonzales, who described it as "one of my favorite stories ever written". However, he also noted that it was "dark", warning "definitely don't hand this to a kid to read".<ref name="Toolsandtoys">{{cite web|url=http://toolsandtoys.net/worm-a-complete-web-serial/|title='Worm' — A Complete Web Serial|date=2 December 2015|publisher=Blanc Media|first=Chris|last=Gonzalez}}</ref> Several reviews praised the story for being difficult to stop once you began reading.<ref name="MT Critic"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/><ref name="Genre Reader"/> | ||
Reviewers have praised the story's realism use of consequences, contrasting it favorably with the [[Comic book death|tendency]] for characters to return from the dead in superhero [[comic books]] and [[superhero film|films]].<ref name="Genre Reader"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="MT Critic"/> Many praised the story's originality and creative use of [[superpowers]].<ref name="T4anky"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="Genre Reader"/><ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/> | Reviewers have praised the story's realism use of consequences, contrasting it favorably with the [[Comic book death|tendency]] for characters to return from the dead in superhero [[comic books]] and [[superhero film|films]].<ref name="Genre Reader"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="MT Critic"/> Many praised the story's originality and creative use of [[superpowers]].<ref name="T4anky"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="Genre Reader"/><ref name="GS Williams"/><ref name="The Odyssey"/> | ||
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Several publications have discussed ''Worm'' within the context of the increasing popularity of [[web serial]]s,<ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/><ref name="Litreactor">{{cite web|url=https://litreactor.com/columns/stepping-into-the-digital-wilds-expanding-our-approach-to-novels|title=Exploring the Digital Wilds: Expanding Our Approach to Novels|date=December 27, 2013|publisher=Litreactor|first=Robbie|last=Blair}}</ref><ref name="T4anky">{{cite web|url=https://t4nky.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/interview-with-wildbow/|title=Interview with Wildbow|date=July 2, 2015|publisher=Adam Sherman}}</ref><ref name="Beacon-Villager"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/> and compared to the work of authors such as [[Charles Dickens]] and [[Mark Twain]], who also wrote in the serial format.<ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/><ref name="Litreactor"/> Authors Olivia Rising and Adam Sherman have credited it as a decisive influence on their work.<ref name="Genre Reader">{{cite web|url=https://genrereader.com/2016/05/09/interview-olivia-rising/|title=Interview: Olivia Rising|publisher=Genre Reader|date=May 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Beacon-Villager"/> | Several publications have discussed ''Worm'' within the context of the increasing popularity of [[web serial]]s,<ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/><ref name="Litreactor">{{cite web|url=https://litreactor.com/columns/stepping-into-the-digital-wilds-expanding-our-approach-to-novels|title=Exploring the Digital Wilds: Expanding Our Approach to Novels|date=December 27, 2013|publisher=Litreactor|first=Robbie|last=Blair}}</ref><ref name="T4anky">{{cite web|url=https://t4nky.wordpress.com/2015/07/02/interview-with-wildbow/|title=Interview with Wildbow|date=July 2, 2015|publisher=Adam Sherman}}</ref><ref name="Beacon-Villager"/><ref name="Daly Planet Films"/> and compared to the work of authors such as [[Charles Dickens]] and [[Mark Twain]], who also wrote in the serial format.<ref name="Daly Planet Films"/><ref name="Creative Writing Guild"/><ref name="Litreactor"/> Authors Olivia Rising and Adam Sherman have credited it as a decisive influence on their work.<ref name="Genre Reader">{{cite web|url=https://genrereader.com/2016/05/09/interview-olivia-rising/|title=Interview: Olivia Rising|publisher=Genre Reader|date=May 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Beacon-Villager"/> | ||
--> | |||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
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*Contains 304 chapters, followed by 9 sequel teaser chapters. | *Contains 304 chapters, followed by 9 sequel teaser chapters. | ||
*The word "Worm" is one of the oldest words in the English language.<ref>https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/oldest-english-words/#worm </ref><ref>https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/science-says-these-23-words-are-oldest-in-world.html</ref> | *The word "Worm" is one of the oldest words in the English language.<ref>https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/oldest-english-words/#worm </ref><ref>https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/science-says-these-23-words-are-oldest-in-world.html</ref> | ||
*It was originally meant to be a placeholder but eventually settled into being the main title.<ref name="16.6 c1">It was a placeholder name for a while, | *It was originally meant to be a placeholder but eventually settled into being the main title.<ref name="16.6 c1">It was a placeholder name for a while, "Worm", and I wound up sticking with it. In retrospect, I rather like it.<br><br>[http://webfictionguide.com/listings/worm/review-by-gswilliams/ GSW's review of Worm] at Webfictionguide really sums it up. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/colony-15-6/#comment-5790 comment] by wildbow on [[Colony 15.6]]</ref> | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
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Worm is the first web serial published by John C. McCrae AKA Wildbow. It totals roughly 1.68 million words.
Synopsis[edit]
An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local 'cape' scene's politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons.
History[edit]
The story began with Gestation 1.1 on June 11 2011, and ended with Interlude: End on November 19 2013.
Wildbow followed Worm by writing two unrelated web serials, Pact and Twig. Worm itself is being edited and prepared to reach the standards of professional publishing houses.<ref>Post on Pig's Pen</ref>
A sequel to Worm, titled Ward, began on November 2017 and concluded in May 2020.
Timeline[edit]
- Main article: Timeline
See more at the events category page or on the link above.
See also[edit]
Trivia[edit]
- Topped out at roughly 1.68 million words.
- Contains 304 chapters, followed by 9 sequel teaser chapters.
- The word "Worm" is one of the oldest words in the English language.<ref>https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/oldest-english-words/#worm </ref><ref>https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/science-says-these-23-words-are-oldest-in-world.html</ref>
- It was originally meant to be a placeholder but eventually settled into being the main title.<ref name="16.6 c1">It was a placeholder name for a while, "Worm", and I wound up sticking with it. In retrospect, I rather like it.
GSW's review of Worm at Webfictionguide really sums it up. - comment by wildbow on Colony 15.6</ref>
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
<references/>
[edit]
| Worm Arcs | Gestation • Insinuation • Agitation • Shell • Hive • Tangle • Buzz • Extermination • Sentinel • Parasite • Infestation • Plague • Snare • Prey • Colony • Monarch • Migration • Queen • Scourge • Chrysalis • Imago • Cell • Drone • Crushed • Scarab • Sting • Extinction • Cockroaches • Venom • Speck • Teneral |
|---|---|
| Ward Arcs | Glow-worm • Daybreak • Flare • Glare • Shade • Shadow • Pitch • Torch • Eclipse • Beacon • Gleaming • Polarize • Blinding • Heavens • Black • Breaking • Dying • From Within • Sundown • Radiation • Infrared • Last |