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Brian Keene
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The Conqueror Worms Paperback – January 1, 2006

by Brian Keene (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 89 ratings
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As the never-ending rain causes floodwaters to rise, engulfing coastal cities and towns, a new threat from below emerges, devouring everything in its path and placing humankind on the brink of extinction. Original.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    326 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dorchester Pub Co Inc
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    4.25 x 0.75 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0843954167
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0843954166
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Just in time for picnic season, Keene delivers this wild, gruesome page-turner about two elderly West Virginia good old boys menaced by giant earthworms—and worse. Octogenarian Teddy Garnett tells this story of a global flood that has left humanity in tatters. Holed up in his mountain home, Teddy and his buddy Carl Seaton struggle through daily life, puzzling over things even stranger than a 40-day rainstorm, including the giant slime-coated holes that keep showing up in Teddy's yard. Before long, Teddy and Carl are fending off man-eating earthworms the size of buses. A helicopter crash nearby brings Kevin and Sarah, the last two survivors of an outpost in Baltimore, into Teddy's story; their tale makes up the even more bizarre second part of the book that explores, graphically, the insanity doom can inspire. It all leads to a slam-bang showdown back at Teddy's house with a creature so monstrous it scares even the killer annelids. The awkward framing story—a crushed, dying Teddy writing the novel in a notebook in the tale's aftermath—though a nod to H.P. Lovecraft and H.G. Wells (both obvious influences), can detract from the plot's urgency. Clunky dialogue also slows the action, but the enormity of Keene's pulp horror imagination, and his success in bringing the reader over the top with him, is both rare and wonderful, and more than outweighs these small concerns. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dorchester Pub Co Inc; First Edition (January 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 326 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0843954167
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0843954166
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 0.75 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 89 ratings

About the author

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Brian Keene

Brian Keene

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BRIAN KEENE is the author of over forty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and dark fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is often credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s current interest in zombies. Keene’s novels have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Italian, French, Taiwanese, and many more. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, The X-Files, Hellboy, Masters of the Universe, and Superman.

Several of Keene’s novels have been developed for film, including Ghoul, The Ties That Bind, and Fast Zombies Suck. Several more are in-development or under option.

Keene’s work has been praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, The Howard Stern Show, CNN.com, Publisher’s Weekly, Media Bistro, Fangoria Magazine, and Rue Morgue Magazine. He has won numerous awards and honors, including a World Horror Grand Master award, two Bram Stoker awards, and a recognition from Whiteman A.F.B. (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber) for his outreach to U.S. troops serving both overseas and abroad. A prolific public speaker, Keene has delivered talks at conventions, college campuses, theaters, and inside Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, VA.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
89 global ratings
Insane twists, excellent character development, and gargantuan carnivorous worms
5 Stars
Insane twists, excellent character development, and gargantuan carnivorous worms
This book is both exactly what I thought it wanted it to be, but also so much more than that.What I wanted: a tense and fun creature feature involving gigantic worms that eat people. That box is checked for sure.What I got instead: the giant worms are there, but so are well-developed characters I actually cared about, as well as slower-burn beginning for world building and suspense. The book also takes a turn in the second half that I was NOT expecting. No spoilers, but my jaw literally dropped open when I realized where it was going, and I immediately messaged several people I know who’ve read the book so I could gush about it. Like the book is instantly elevated from amazing to top 10 reads of the year.I absolutely love the post-apocalyptic setup for this book. One day it started raining and then it never stopped. Such a simple yet chilling premise. The book starts some 40 days in after the rain began, and is written from the perspective of an elderly man named Teddy. Like any good creature feature we’re given unnerving scenes of mysterious incidents to build up to the terrifying reveal of the mammoth worms. It’s so creepy, and at the same time it does such a good job of populating the story with multi-faceted and engaging characters.Like I said, the book takes some turns that shocked and surprised me. It also does a good job of pulling back the curtain some to show destruction on a global scale, while also shrouding the life-altering events in mystery to keep you guessing. It’s not necessarily a “fast-paced” read, but it never stops moving and there are plenty of scenes involving intense action and suspense to keep the pages turning. This is my first book by Brian Keene, though I’ve always known him to be an author whom many consider a master in the field of horror. After reading this I can certainly see why, and I will definitely be seeking out more of his work!
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Top reviews from the United States

Troy Mccombs
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2010
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First and foremost, I'm a writer myself. I read a lot of books, and must say, I plow through many bad ones. This wasn't one of them. I really enjoyed this book. Unique idea, creepy happenings, good dialogue. Everything in this book was spot on for me. If you like anything H.P. Lovecrafty, you will probably like this. The Conqueror Worms may just be a new FAVORITE on my favorite book list.

It's written in first person from an old man's POV, and goes through what happens after it rains nonstop across the earth for several days. Then weeks, etc. But if you thought a constant downpour wasn't bad enough, something else waits IN the water. Old things lost in time. The floods are nothing compared to what comes later.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves good horror. I couldn't stop turning the pages. I had to know what was coming up next from under the rising waves.

5 stars, Mr. Keene. I also read 'The Rising' by the same author. Though I enjoyed it too, I liked The Conqueror Worms much better.
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L. Maynard
4.0 out of 5 stars Keene does it again
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2008
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I am an avid Keene fan. His zombie books are fun and original, and this story didn't disappoint either.

It has been raining for 42 days and nights, and most of the world is now under water. No one is sure what has brought about this apocalyptic event and to the author's credit, he leaves that conclusion to the individual reader. This is a story about the end of civilization as we know it and the last survivors. It is not a happy tale, but it is an exciting one.

Teddy Garnett, an elderly widower and his best friend; Carl Seaton, are trying to wait out the rain and survive the giant worms that are plaguing Punkin Center, West Virginia. They are up on the side of a mountain, looking down at an ocean of water which covers the surrounding towns. Teddy is dying for a dip of snuff, but there is none to be found. He is horrified when he witnesses a bird being eaten one day by a huge worm that jettisons up out of the ground and snatches the Robin out of mid-air. He is soon joined by Earl, the town nut case, and a group of folks that have traveled by helicopter from the north eastern coast.

The book is unusual in that it tells Teddy and Carl's story, then when the helicopter crashes, it switches and tells the tale of what has taken place elsewhere in the U.S. It is a nice touch and very powerful, in my opinion. The thought of slimy, writhing, smelly worms is alone enough to make most of us want to hurl, but just imagine those worms becoming the hunters and mankind, the hunted.

This book takes it's time developing the characters, as well as, the story itself. Keene is a master at creating characters you can identify and sympathize with. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys horror with a plot and not just a bloodfest.
2 people found this helpful
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Catfish
5.0 out of 5 stars Not a typical end of the world scenario
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2006
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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.
2 people found this helpful
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L. A. Veronie II
5.0 out of 5 stars Rain will never be soothing again!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2014
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What's not to like about the world being deluged, flooded, and full of carnivorous worms (among other lifeforms)? Keene scores hugely here with a down to Earth? tale of a second biblical flood (and why that's a kick in the arse for those of us prone to "dip")!
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Mike Kazmierczak
4.0 out of 5 stars Endless rain brings problems. Oh yeah, even a monster or two.
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2015
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This is the perfect book to read during the winter when the weather is dreary and rainy. It gives an extra sense of potential or power to the events in the book.

The story starts off kind of simple: for some reason it starts raining everywhere at once and has been doing so for over forty days. Most of civilization as we know it has been destroyed under floods as the water level across the globe has risen. Then it gets a little crazier as giant worms, sirens and a giant squid/kraken creature appear along with people who worship them.

Up until the monsters started appearing, I was thinking of it as sort of a mother nature gets revenge or global warming beware type of novel. Once the monsters arrived, it become more of a Lovecraft story; one of the characters even pointed this out. As I've pointed out before, I'm not crazy about Lovecraft but all told I still really liked the book; it was almost two novellas combined into one as two different sets of characters tell their own story before combining together into a single adventure. I would like to see more of the world, especially from earlier in their reality. We join in somewhere around day thirty or so. It would be great to see things in the first seven days or so. Fortunately Keene has a collection coming out to cover exactly this. Due out in July 2008 from Delirium Books, EARTHWORM GODS: SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE EARTH is a collection of short stories based in the same world. It is also one more book that will be on my "to buy" list.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very happy! Great book
Reviewed in Canada on June 22, 2016
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Arrived quickly, condition of novel as described. Very happy! Great book.
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Ginger Nuts
5.0 out of 5 stars You'll be the worm on the end of the hook.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2016
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The Conqueror worms is one of the best apocalyptic novels you can imagine. A world that is drowning under rising sea levels, satanic cults, killer worms both small and huge, a grumpy old man and hints at a labyrinth of "other earths" this book dares to mix so many ingredients into one novel, that at the hands of a lesser gifted writer would have resulted in a book that was a damp squib. Conqueror Worms is a bombastic novel that cleverly links into so many of Brian's other books.
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Tom
4.0 out of 5 stars Keene enttäuscht nicht!
Reviewed in Germany on August 1, 2006
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Die Story mag wie aus einem B-Movie stammen, doch das Buch ist alles andere als billiger Trash (Welcher auch unterhaltsam sein kann.).

Keene erzählt die Geschichte aus der Sicht eines alten Mannes, der glaubt der einzige Überlebende einer Katastrophe zu sein. Der Großteil der Erde ist überflutet, es gibt kein Fernsehen, kein Radio, kein Strom. Und es regnet seit über vierzig Tagen ununterbrochen.

Doch Ted, der Erzähler, ist nicht alleine. Er trifft seinen besten Freund und weitere Menschen und gemeinsam müssen sie nicht nur gegen die Riesenwürmer kämpfen, welche aus der Erde empor kriechen.

Die erwähnten Würmer kommen erst nach knapp 80 Seiten zum Einsatz, was den Figuren Raum gibt sich zu entfalten. In der Mitte wird die Geschichte aus der Sicht von jemand anderes erzählt, an einem anderen Ort. Hier gibt es leider zu viel Action und zu viel Gelaber über Waffen, was etwas langweilt, in einem Horroroman. Man vermisst die Horrorszenen, doch trotzdem unterhält die Story weiter und nach dem kleinen Abstecher geht es gewohnt weiter.

Keene schafft es nicht sein geniales Debut THE RISING zu toppen, aber das hatte ich aucvh nicht erwartet. Ich befürchtete eher ein neues CITY OF THE DEAD, welches zu actionlastig war. Aber weit gefehlt. THE CONQUERER WORMS überzeugt auf der ganzen Linie. Ich gebe nur deshalb 4 Sterne, weil mich der Abstecher trotz seiner Abwechslung etwas gelangweilt hat.

Keene ist ein klasse Autor. Hoffentlich wird man noch viel von ihm hören und lesen.
2 people found this helpful
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Anthony Chalk
4.0 out of 5 stars Worms!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2018
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Really enjoyed "the conqueror worms". I loved the two main old guys, Teddy and Carl. The creatures were interesting and proved to be creepier than I expected.. The action scenes were fast paced and I ploughed through the book super quick.. My only criticism would be that the middle section with the younger characters was a bit disappointing as every single one of them were unlikeable..as soon as it gets back to Teddy and Carl its great again. I evil mended Brian keene based on my interest in Edward Lee, which if you are a fan of Lee, you would know this book is not similar to his grotesque horror. None the less, a brilliant book with only a tiny flaw..
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Mangrove Throatwarbler
2.0 out of 5 stars Not really the best
Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2007
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I bought two books at once by this author, thinking that he was good and that the books would be a great read. Turns out they were pretty much the same book, except zombies took the place of worms.

This would have been a good book except that the author inserted the same evil godlike charecter from his other book, which totally ruined it for me. It also destroyed any "stand alone" aspect of the book. What i mean by that is that this book is either a sequel/prequel to his other zombie book or it is not. If it is, it makes no sense because the world can't be flooded out and then overrun by zombies. If it is not, don't use exactly the same plot device and "origin" as the previous book.
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