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Worm
On Pine Street, the houses begin to shake. The earth begins to move. The streets crack open and yards split asunder...and rising from subterranean depths far below, a viscid black muck bubbles up and floods the neighborhood.
In it are a ravenous army of gigantic worms seeking human flesh. They wash into houses, they come up through the sewers, through plumbing, filling toilets and tubs, seeking human prey.
Cut off from the rest of the town, the people of Pine Street must wage a war of survival or they'll never see morning. As bad as the worms are, there's something worse—and far larger—waiting to emerge.
In it are a ravenous army of gigantic worms seeking human flesh. They wash into houses, they come up through the sewers, through plumbing, filling toilets and tubs, seeking human prey.
Cut off from the rest of the town, the people of Pine Street must wage a war of survival or they'll never see morning. As bad as the worms are, there's something worse—and far larger—waiting to emerge.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
14 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
Tim Curran
149 books596 followersTim Curran lives in Michigan and is the author of the novels Skin Medicine, Hive, Dead Sea, Resurrection, The Devil Next Door, and Biohazard, as well as the novella The Corpse King. His short stories have appeared in such magazines as City Slab, Flesh&Blood, Book of Dark Wisdom, and Inhuman, and anthologies such as Shivers IV, High Seas Cthulhu, and Vile Things.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
For DarkFuse and its imprints, he has written the bestselling The Underdwelling, the Readers Choice-Nominated novella Fear Me, Puppet Graveyard as well as Long Black Coffin.
Find him on the web at: www.corpseking.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 18, 2018
wow, four stars for the giant killer worm book, karen?? so it was as accomplished a work as swann's way to you??
and this is why the star-rating system ends up not really meaning anything. not in the grander scheme of other-books-read.
this is a five-star concept that lost a star in execution.
is how i am choosing to think about it.
it is a book about giant worms creeping up out of the sewer system, bringing foul-smelling sludge with them and frequently ending up in some girl's vagina.
why do they go for the vagina? because they are giant phalluses, basically, and the descriptions of how difficult it is to hold onto them and their muscular evasions are less subtle but funnier than in most books about giant worms.
and why do women sit on the toilet in the nude in the first place? greg says it is because she had just taken a shower and then had a poo, but then don't you just need to take a shower again?? plan better! and look out below!
it is a one hundred page book. you're gonna get what you're gonna get. it isn't meant to be much more than a blood n'sludge fest, but it delivers both of those things with enthusiasm and humor.
Like most days, it began badly.
which is one of the better opening lines of a book. it goes on to introduce the people who live on pine street: the stay at home dad to a gay dog who is not happy about either of those things, the flirty hot chick next door, a batty widow, a high-strung chain smoker, an elderly woman, a young mother, assorted couples with problems that may or may not be easier to handle than giant killer worms, one of whom have a set of twin daughters. shudder. etc.
but don't get attached to the characters, because it's just not that kind of book. it is a book about giant killer worms with giant killer teeth that can bore through wooden doors. and
it is a lot of fun, and the final 1/4 is just fucktastic. just giant cinematic bizarre wonderful creamy campy splendor. and i loved all of it.
i am glad the author didn't feel any need
i am also glad that our widow
and i am glad that this book was written.
if you're going to read one book about giant killer worms this year...make it this one.
come to my blog!
and this is why the star-rating system ends up not really meaning anything. not in the grander scheme of other-books-read.
this is a five-star concept that lost a star in execution.
is how i am choosing to think about it.
it is a book about giant worms creeping up out of the sewer system, bringing foul-smelling sludge with them and frequently ending up in some girl's vagina.
why do they go for the vagina? because they are giant phalluses, basically, and the descriptions of how difficult it is to hold onto them and their muscular evasions are less subtle but funnier than in most books about giant worms.
and why do women sit on the toilet in the nude in the first place? greg says it is because she had just taken a shower and then had a poo, but then don't you just need to take a shower again?? plan better! and look out below!
it is a one hundred page book. you're gonna get what you're gonna get. it isn't meant to be much more than a blood n'sludge fest, but it delivers both of those things with enthusiasm and humor.
Like most days, it began badly.
which is one of the better opening lines of a book. it goes on to introduce the people who live on pine street: the stay at home dad to a gay dog who is not happy about either of those things, the flirty hot chick next door, a batty widow, a high-strung chain smoker, an elderly woman, a young mother, assorted couples with problems that may or may not be easier to handle than giant killer worms, one of whom have a set of twin daughters. shudder. etc.
but don't get attached to the characters, because it's just not that kind of book. it is a book about giant killer worms with giant killer teeth that can bore through wooden doors. and
it is a lot of fun, and the final 1/4 is just fucktastic. just giant cinematic bizarre wonderful creamy campy splendor. and i loved all of it.
i am glad the author didn't feel any need
i am also glad that our widow
and i am glad that this book was written.
if you're going to read one book about giant killer worms this year...make it this one.
come to my blog!
June 3, 2013
After an earthquake, first black sludge bubbles up from the depths of the earth, then a ravenous horde of gigantic, razor-mawed worms. Can any of the denizens of Pine Street, or even the entire town, survive?
First off, I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is a B-movie horror flick that has been transmogrified into a book somehow, and an ebook at that. Ever see Tremors? It's like that, only without Kevin Bacon and with a lot more horror, gore, and what is most likely liquified fecal matter. Throw in something akin to tentacle-porn and we're up and running.
Worm tells the story of a neighborhood that's laid waste by cyclopean worms from the depths of the earth. No one is safe, not old people, mothers, deadbeats and their wives' effeminate dogs, or Italian guys who cheat on their frigid wives. The worms are hungry and don't care who they eat, often focusing on the breasts, faces, or genitals.
I could mention the characters by name but the gore is the star of the show. People getting mauled by gross worms was what I picked this up for and that's what I got. The writing was par for the course for a gore book of this time but I did catch myself quoting bits to my girlfriend while she was trying to watch TV.
Some people died in particularly inventive ways that I won't spoil. If this was a movie, it would have to be directed by one of the Italian gore directors like Fulci or Argento.
The ending was fairly believable for a book about worms the circumference of garbage cans but I was hoping for a less hopeful one. 3.5 gore-splattered stars! I'll have to be on the lookout for more Tim Curran.
First off, I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is a B-movie horror flick that has been transmogrified into a book somehow, and an ebook at that. Ever see Tremors? It's like that, only without Kevin Bacon and with a lot more horror, gore, and what is most likely liquified fecal matter. Throw in something akin to tentacle-porn and we're up and running.
Worm tells the story of a neighborhood that's laid waste by cyclopean worms from the depths of the earth. No one is safe, not old people, mothers, deadbeats and their wives' effeminate dogs, or Italian guys who cheat on their frigid wives. The worms are hungry and don't care who they eat, often focusing on the breasts, faces, or genitals.
I could mention the characters by name but the gore is the star of the show. People getting mauled by gross worms was what I picked this up for and that's what I got. The writing was par for the course for a gore book of this time but I did catch myself quoting bits to my girlfriend while she was trying to watch TV.
Some people died in particularly inventive ways that I won't spoil. If this was a movie, it would have to be directed by one of the Italian gore directors like Fulci or Argento.
The ending was fairly believable for a book about worms the circumference of garbage cans but I was hoping for a less hopeful one. 3.5 gore-splattered stars! I'll have to be on the lookout for more Tim Curran.
April 15, 2013
You know you're in for a bad day when the morning starts with shit and sludge seeping out of the ground, up from pipes in houses and filling the streets with a few feet of sewage.
Would home-owner's insurance cover this kind of disgusting spectacle?
When the street fills with underground feces and muck you might feel like your day isn't going to be getting any worse, but then come the giant worms!
In literary terms these aren't as giant as say the big fucking worms on Dune, one of those wouldn't be able to come poking it's head out of a toilet. But they are giant if you think that a few foot long worm that thickness of your thigh with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth is big. And it is big if that thing wants to eat you, which in this case it does.
One complaint with the book that I just want to get out of the way here. I remember learning about worms in biology class and the only thing I really remember about them is that they are relatively simple in their digestive system. They don't really have intestines like more complex creatures, so what they eat just moves quickly through them and gets shit out of them. In my head this means that a giant worm that bites an arm off of someone should then shit out an slightly decomposed arm, with some of the nutrient qualities taken from it. There are no human body parts anally expelled from the worms. I think this might have added another level of grossness to an already fairly gross book.
I mean gross in a good way. You don't want a book about giant worms slithering (ok they don't slither, undulate? I don't know what word to use for how worms move) through feces to not be gross, right?
And there are some fairly gross scenes in the book, which should satisfy the sort of person I imagine would be drawn to read a book featuring a giant worm on the cover terrorizing a bunch of hapless people.
The book is a quick read, and that has it's good and bad points. It jumps quickly into the worms attacking people and doesn't waste much time with things like excessive character development or setting or those other kinds of things books have. It's like a slasher flick that just brings the killing and gives a cursory bit of background to some characters to drive the story along but knows that people are watching it for the gore, so it delivers on what the people want.
But, at the same time, in a book this feels a little flimsy, like you want a little more out of this sort of media, but really if it was more flushed out it would probably be a very clunky read with unneeded literary pretensions.
A fun quick read, but it kind of felt more like a long short story than a novel. That said, I think this would make a very entertaining and disgusting film.
Would home-owner's insurance cover this kind of disgusting spectacle?
When the street fills with underground feces and muck you might feel like your day isn't going to be getting any worse, but then come the giant worms!
In literary terms these aren't as giant as say the big fucking worms on Dune, one of those wouldn't be able to come poking it's head out of a toilet. But they are giant if you think that a few foot long worm that thickness of your thigh with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth is big. And it is big if that thing wants to eat you, which in this case it does.
One complaint with the book that I just want to get out of the way here. I remember learning about worms in biology class and the only thing I really remember about them is that they are relatively simple in their digestive system. They don't really have intestines like more complex creatures, so what they eat just moves quickly through them and gets shit out of them. In my head this means that a giant worm that bites an arm off of someone should then shit out an slightly decomposed arm, with some of the nutrient qualities taken from it. There are no human body parts anally expelled from the worms. I think this might have added another level of grossness to an already fairly gross book.
I mean gross in a good way. You don't want a book about giant worms slithering (ok they don't slither, undulate? I don't know what word to use for how worms move) through feces to not be gross, right?
And there are some fairly gross scenes in the book, which should satisfy the sort of person I imagine would be drawn to read a book featuring a giant worm on the cover terrorizing a bunch of hapless people.
The book is a quick read, and that has it's good and bad points. It jumps quickly into the worms attacking people and doesn't waste much time with things like excessive character development or setting or those other kinds of things books have. It's like a slasher flick that just brings the killing and gives a cursory bit of background to some characters to drive the story along but knows that people are watching it for the gore, so it delivers on what the people want.
But, at the same time, in a book this feels a little flimsy, like you want a little more out of this sort of media, but really if it was more flushed out it would probably be a very clunky read with unneeded literary pretensions.
A fun quick read, but it kind of felt more like a long short story than a novel. That said, I think this would make a very entertaining and disgusting film.
June 22, 2016
Make no bones about it...Tim Curran is one of the best newer horror authors out there, one of my absolute favorites, and anything he writes is well worth the money spent!
In this lean and mean novella from Dark Fuse, the citizens on Pine Street in a small Wisconsin burg discover a serious plumbing problem affects them all. Noxious, thick black slime oozing from drains and toilets. While that in and of itself is bad, but what follows is much, much worse. And the unprepared citizens must band together if they're to survive an unspeakable and unrelenting horror.
Highly recommended!
In this lean and mean novella from Dark Fuse, the citizens on Pine Street in a small Wisconsin burg discover a serious plumbing problem affects them all. Noxious, thick black slime oozing from drains and toilets. While that in and of itself is bad, but what follows is much, much worse. And the unprepared citizens must band together if they're to survive an unspeakable and unrelenting horror.
Highly recommended!
May 22, 2013
A solid 4 star creature feature that embraces all the nastiness of B movies, while retaining the humor that makes these stories fun in the first place.
Fun! Gory, hilarious, nasty, oozing, fun.
This is a perfect read when you're in the mood to be entertained or need to be distracted from the harsh horrors of reality. It was exactly what I wanted at exactly the right time. Highly recommended to fans of creature features!
Fun! Gory, hilarious, nasty, oozing, fun.
This is a perfect read when you're in the mood to be entertained or need to be distracted from the harsh horrors of reality. It was exactly what I wanted at exactly the right time. Highly recommended to fans of creature features!
July 7, 2015
2 Stars
Worm was barely readable to me. I love 'B' movie creature features. I love the crazy situations, the humor, and the implausibility. This book simply came across as bad to me. I did not like any characters. I did not find anything to be funny. I hated that a worm could just about fly through the air and somehow liquify a dog in a mouth to dog explosion.
Meh...
Worm was barely readable to me. I love 'B' movie creature features. I love the crazy situations, the humor, and the implausibility. This book simply came across as bad to me. I did not like any characters. I did not find anything to be funny. I hated that a worm could just about fly through the air and somehow liquify a dog in a mouth to dog explosion.
Meh...
December 31, 2017
Ended the year on a high with this one: Curran at his best putting suburbia through hell and reveling in the gory chaos such a trip includes. My one complaint was some of the characters were very difficult to tell apart, but when that's the only negative consequence of Curran avoiding the excessive descriptions he can get into, I'll take it.
Well worth the time if you're a Curran fan, into gory horrors, or enjoy creature features.
4 Thrones You Wouldn't Want to Die On for Worm.
Well worth the time if you're a Curran fan, into gory horrors, or enjoy creature features.
4 Thrones You Wouldn't Want to Die On for Worm.
May 19, 2013
Just like the cover suggests, this was a fun "B-movie" romp. Lots of gore, noxious smells, and a bathroom scene that will be haunting me for months to come. When it comes to good old-fashioned horror fun, Tim Currran delivers!
Want to read
July 10, 2017This mini-hardcover copy is numbered 17 of 100 signed copies.
April 23, 2013
We had this storm on Friday. A storm that didn't really seem like a big deal at our house, it rained pretty much constantly but it was never a very hard rain. We still lost our power that evening, and it was out until the following morning. The drinkalong was scheduled for that night (which I ended up doing in the dark, watching until my laptop battery was dead), but I had plenty of time to do...nothing.
The kids all went to bed early, cos it was dark and there was nothing to occupy their time. Husband spent most of the night playing with various apps on his phone and I was just happy I'd remembered to fully charge my reader before I went to take a nap (a nap that was interrupted by the power going out - SO RUDE!).
Anyway, I had plenty of options for what to read, cos I'd just added a ton of books but I decided to finish the novella I'd started that afternoon - Tim Curran's Worm.
Was it the best idea to read about giant carnivorous toilet/sewer worms invading a neighbourhood while sitting in the dark with a bottle of wine? Probably not. Or maybe it was.
There were all these noises going on outside (we later found out those noises were the neighbour's trees falling over), which heightened my enjoyment of the story.
Because, really? There's only so much you can do with giant worms that hasn't already been done by Tremors, amirite?
And that's kind of what you get with Worm. It's a grossout version of Tremors, and I say that in the most loving way possible.
It's ostensibly a horror novella, but it's really more of a gorefest. I didn't get many of the jump-out-of-my-pants-cos-that-was-so-scary moments, but I did get quite a few husband-asking-why-I'm-sitting-here-gagging moments.
I didn't think I'd enjoy it much at the beginning, because the first character we meet is such an asshole, but once I got past him, things picked up. The characters are fleshed out well, despite how short this story is (114 pages on my Nook), and I would have read a full length novel about any one of them.
As with most horror, it's fairly predictable, but that's kind of a bonus here. You know it's going to follow a specific formula, all you're really left wondering is if it will be done well. And it is.
If you're looking for something that'll make you laugh and want to puke at the same time, this is probably the book for you. Well-written, fairly well edited (this is an ARC provided by DarkFuse and I only noticed a few minor copy errors) and...well, a lot of fun.
Read it in the dark.
Oh, and my husband took this photo of the storm aftermath. This is what was going on outside while I was reading about giant worms coming up from the sewers.
Originally posted here.
The kids all went to bed early, cos it was dark and there was nothing to occupy their time. Husband spent most of the night playing with various apps on his phone and I was just happy I'd remembered to fully charge my reader before I went to take a nap (a nap that was interrupted by the power going out - SO RUDE!).
Anyway, I had plenty of options for what to read, cos I'd just added a ton of books but I decided to finish the novella I'd started that afternoon - Tim Curran's Worm.
Was it the best idea to read about giant carnivorous toilet/sewer worms invading a neighbourhood while sitting in the dark with a bottle of wine? Probably not. Or maybe it was.
There were all these noises going on outside (we later found out those noises were the neighbour's trees falling over), which heightened my enjoyment of the story.
Because, really? There's only so much you can do with giant worms that hasn't already been done by Tremors, amirite?
And that's kind of what you get with Worm. It's a grossout version of Tremors, and I say that in the most loving way possible.
It's ostensibly a horror novella, but it's really more of a gorefest. I didn't get many of the jump-out-of-my-pants-cos-that-was-so-scary moments, but I did get quite a few husband-asking-why-I'm-sitting-here-gagging moments.
I didn't think I'd enjoy it much at the beginning, because the first character we meet is such an asshole, but once I got past him, things picked up. The characters are fleshed out well, despite how short this story is (114 pages on my Nook), and I would have read a full length novel about any one of them.
As with most horror, it's fairly predictable, but that's kind of a bonus here. You know it's going to follow a specific formula, all you're really left wondering is if it will be done well. And it is.
If you're looking for something that'll make you laugh and want to puke at the same time, this is probably the book for you. Well-written, fairly well edited (this is an ARC provided by DarkFuse and I only noticed a few minor copy errors) and...well, a lot of fun.
Read it in the dark.
Oh, and my husband took this photo of the storm aftermath. This is what was going on outside while I was reading about giant worms coming up from the sewers.
Originally posted here.
January 14, 2015
This was an ok horror book but it really didn't blow me away. I love Tim Curran but I just don't think this was one of his better ones.
Don't get me wrong! It's a fun read with a lot of gore and splatter and you gotta love the concept of ferocious killer worms.
That said....the pacing seemed kind of choppy and there was very little character development. I know that it's a novella but still, just thought it moved at a weird kind of pace.
If you want to read a book about worms, I would recommend this one: How to Eat Fried Worms.
Don't get me wrong! It's a fun read with a lot of gore and splatter and you gotta love the concept of ferocious killer worms.
That said....the pacing seemed kind of choppy and there was very little character development. I know that it's a novella but still, just thought it moved at a weird kind of pace.
If you want to read a book about worms, I would recommend this one: How to Eat Fried Worms.
May 30, 2013
Worms,
wiggle-waggle,
wanton
in a
wobbly way,
wayward
of
where we
waylay.
by Nikki
I liked Brian Keene's The Conqueror Worms better. It's like the characters were too much for these mundane worms. I can't find my balance with Tim. One minute he's over-doing it King style, and the next, the story content doesn't hold up to the massively interesting personalities. One day, he will get it right and I can't wait. Until then his reads will continue to be middle of the road for me.
wiggle-waggle,
wanton
in a
wobbly way,
wayward
of
where we
waylay.
by Nikki
I liked Brian Keene's The Conqueror Worms better. It's like the characters were too much for these mundane worms. I can't find my balance with Tim. One minute he's over-doing it King style, and the next, the story content doesn't hold up to the massively interesting personalities. One day, he will get it right and I can't wait. Until then his reads will continue to be middle of the road for me.
May 16, 2013
When I was a little kid, bugs grossed me out. I was so squeamish that I can remember my dad having to put the worm on my hook when he'd take me fishing, because I refused to touch the wriggly little s.o.b. (the worm, not my dad). A few years later and I grew out of that, and at twelve saw Tremors for the first time, and thought it was one of the coolest movies ever. Giant, man-eating worms? Oh yeah. Sign me up. So when I got a chance to check out Tim Curran's latest novella, Worm, and the cool cover featuring a giant worm chasing all those puny humans, I was hoping for some good old fashioned giant monster action. But did it deliver?
In a word: yes ... and no.
Pine Street finds itself cut off from the rest of the city when an earthquake strikes, followed quickly by black viscous goo bubbling up through the ground. The odor is foul and it just keeps rising out of the ground until the street is impassable. The residents of Pine Street soon find out that they're not dealing with so much an earthquake as an unholy uprising of some of the foulest and ferocious worms you've ever imagined. They're not gigantic like those Sarlac's or whatever they're called from Return of the Jedi, but they've got teeth--lots of 'em.
The characters aren't terribly memorable, but when so many of them are being killed by the carnivorous worms, and in such increasingly grotesque ways, why bother with character development. Frankly, the most memorable character in the book is Stevie, a half-Pomeranian/half-poodle, which--spoiler alert!--winds up not being much of a foe against the infernal invertebrates. If you're a reader with squeamish tendencies, I'm left to wonder why you would seek out a story about giant worms. Still, if you're one of those thin-skinned readers who detests any animal violence in your reading material, save yourself the time it'll take to write Tim Curran an angry letter about letting the worms kill poor Stevie so early in the book, and just pick up Marley & Me. I'm sure no dogs die in that one.
Anyway, the action in Worm is as unrelenting as it is unapologetic. If you enjoy B-movie fare in all its pulpy goodness, you're gonna like this. If you want something the least bit subtle or contemplative, you're in the wrong neighborhood, pal. And that neighborhood probably has a Pine Street.
In a word: yes ... and no.
Pine Street finds itself cut off from the rest of the city when an earthquake strikes, followed quickly by black viscous goo bubbling up through the ground. The odor is foul and it just keeps rising out of the ground until the street is impassable. The residents of Pine Street soon find out that they're not dealing with so much an earthquake as an unholy uprising of some of the foulest and ferocious worms you've ever imagined. They're not gigantic like those Sarlac's or whatever they're called from Return of the Jedi, but they've got teeth--lots of 'em.
The characters aren't terribly memorable, but when so many of them are being killed by the carnivorous worms, and in such increasingly grotesque ways, why bother with character development. Frankly, the most memorable character in the book is Stevie, a half-Pomeranian/half-poodle, which--spoiler alert!--winds up not being much of a foe against the infernal invertebrates. If you're a reader with squeamish tendencies, I'm left to wonder why you would seek out a story about giant worms. Still, if you're one of those thin-skinned readers who detests any animal violence in your reading material, save yourself the time it'll take to write Tim Curran an angry letter about letting the worms kill poor Stevie so early in the book, and just pick up Marley & Me. I'm sure no dogs die in that one.
Anyway, the action in Worm is as unrelenting as it is unapologetic. If you enjoy B-movie fare in all its pulpy goodness, you're gonna like this. If you want something the least bit subtle or contemplative, you're in the wrong neighborhood, pal. And that neighborhood probably has a Pine Street.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2013
Worm is a good old-fashioned creature B-movie displayed in print. It bears strong resembles to Slither, Tremors, Deep Rising, Anaconda/Python, and those shit weasels from Dreamcatcher. In other words, Worm contains some severely sickly disturbing s.o.b.s with a penchant for human flesh.
If I could describe Worm in one word, it would be "fun." Curran doesn't shy away from the stereotypes of the genre. Instead, he embraces them fully and even glamorizes them, successfully delivering horror while recognizing the full tongue-in-cheek potential of his story. Worm will make you squirm, but sometimes you'll be laughing and cringing simultaneously. A dark and splendidly twisted sort of humor that will make you smirk uncomfortably, Worm offers few laugh out loud moments (with the exceptions of the perfectly placed final lines of two protagonists). And for some reason, I found myself rooting for Stevie.
One aspect of Worm that really seemed genuine to me was the dynamic Curran creates among the inhabitants on one street in mid-West suburbia. Some characters were heroic, others not as much, but all were fully developed and entirely realistic despite the events affecting them. The interchange between them was masterful, Curran leading his readers from one point of view to the next, lives intertwined. As one might imagine, those varying points of view quickly diminish.
The only criticisms I would note were the writing style at a few "slow" points and the repetitiveness of certain descriptions. To this, however, I give the author a quiet nod - it couldn't have been easy to think of as many ways as he did to describe a worm. Talk about a creature with few distinguishing features.
I put "slow" in quotes above because Worm is never slow. Curran wastes no time getting into the horror; from beginning to end, Worm is a fast-paced romp through campy, genre-epitomizing fun. The book and cover suggest exactly what one can expect to find inside. So if this is the type of stuff you like, Curran will not disappoint you. Highly recommended for fans of creature horror.
If I could describe Worm in one word, it would be "fun." Curran doesn't shy away from the stereotypes of the genre. Instead, he embraces them fully and even glamorizes them, successfully delivering horror while recognizing the full tongue-in-cheek potential of his story. Worm will make you squirm, but sometimes you'll be laughing and cringing simultaneously. A dark and splendidly twisted sort of humor that will make you smirk uncomfortably, Worm offers few laugh out loud moments (with the exceptions of the perfectly placed final lines of two protagonists). And for some reason, I found myself rooting for Stevie.
One aspect of Worm that really seemed genuine to me was the dynamic Curran creates among the inhabitants on one street in mid-West suburbia. Some characters were heroic, others not as much, but all were fully developed and entirely realistic despite the events affecting them. The interchange between them was masterful, Curran leading his readers from one point of view to the next, lives intertwined. As one might imagine, those varying points of view quickly diminish.
The only criticisms I would note were the writing style at a few "slow" points and the repetitiveness of certain descriptions. To this, however, I give the author a quiet nod - it couldn't have been easy to think of as many ways as he did to describe a worm. Talk about a creature with few distinguishing features.
I put "slow" in quotes above because Worm is never slow. Curran wastes no time getting into the horror; from beginning to end, Worm is a fast-paced romp through campy, genre-epitomizing fun. The book and cover suggest exactly what one can expect to find inside. So if this is the type of stuff you like, Curran will not disappoint you. Highly recommended for fans of creature horror.
May 22, 2013
Giant mutant worms swimming in muck, terrorizing an entire town and devouring the residents one by one. Cool.
July 24, 2013
I'm never sitting on a toilet again. I'll resort to a spatula and a paper bag if necessary until I come up with something more civilized but porcelain is out of the question for the time being.
October 26, 2017
Однажды в одноэтажном пригороде после подземного толчка из под земли стала валить черная жижа, густая и очень теплая. Жижа прибывала и прибывала, а когда она поднялась уже по колено, а потом и по пояс, в жиже появились гигантские черви, которые стали хватать людей за ноги и разрывать их на части. Черные слепые черви врывались в дома, выпрыгивали из унитазов, сжирали на своём пути всё живое.
В новелетте Тима Каррэна «Червь» чуть больше ста страниц, оригинальных идей - ноль, персонажи - условные и почти все крайне неприятные, но читается при этом легко и бодряще. Главное - не пытаться сравнивать автора с коллегами рангом повыше, а еще - внимательнее смотреть в унитаз, когда в следующий раз задумаешь посрать и спустишь портки.
В новелетте Тима Каррэна «Червь» чуть больше ста страниц, оригинальных идей - ноль, персонажи - условные и почти все крайне неприятные, но читается при этом легко и бодряще. Главное - не пытаться сравнивать автора с коллегами рангом повыше, а еще - внимательнее смотреть в унитаз, когда в следующий раз задумаешь посрать и спустишь портки.
April 14, 2013
As soon as I saw this on netgalley I knew I had to have it. It reminded me of those old horror films like 'The Blob' and 'The killer shrew' haha. It really did not disappoint. It's a cheesy monster on the rampage with people running scared. Plus look at that cover, it just screams at you...well me anyway.
This was a lovely short read and easily got through it in a few hours. It has a great fast pace to it that keeps you reading more. From the title and description you can see what it's about so not really many surprises are in store for you. Though I think the imagery alone is enough to read it. Tim Curran describes everything perfectly...if not a little gross but still amazing. The description of the worm/worms sends a shiver down your spine and goosebumps to appear, you even imagine staring the ghastly thing in the face.
I love that the book is set one street, Curran could easily have spread it over a wider territory which would of ruined the idea of sticking together through tough times and I love the fact that even in one street you can have such a wide variety of characters.
We have the helpless characters, like the elder people in the street, the children and the guys who all want to save the day and defeat the creature.
The day starts like any other in Pine Street until the black muck starts rising from underground. Of course first off everyone assumes its a burst pipe, until it doesn't stop rising and one of their neighbours is pulled under the surface. Whilst many hold up in their homes wanting to wait the situation out a few residents attempt to leave. Everyone is unaware of what this sludge is, so what's to do for the best?
Wade through the muck to higher ground...only to feel something moving under the surface, or to stay inside, only for the danger to start seeping it's way in.
Short review for a short book I'm afraid but I reckon you should give it a go. If you like a bit of gore and a good survival story then this is for you.
June 25, 2013
What, where? Exploding toilets with sewage and worms attack a quiet, neighborhood street and its fleshy, human inhabitants. How? The worms swim freely through sewage and can--and do--attack at will. Why?
You can tell author Tim Curran had a lot of fun writing this B-movie inspired novella. It's almost pure non-stop action from page one until the ending. The strengths and weaknesses lie in the constraints of the format: the camera never stays long enough on the same character for the reader to get to know him/her/them and thus the horror is less felt by the reader.
Descriptions, as expected in a Curran story, are awesome. Particularly when it comes to describing the carnage the worms deliver. The ending is way too abrupt to be satisfying, almost as if the author got tired of writing about the worms doing damage and decided to quickly finish.
This one feels like it would have fit Curran's zombie collection, Zombie Pulp well (obviously no zombies here, but it has very similar pacing and action as numerous stories within the collection). I enjoyed reading it simply because the author enjoyed writing it, but ultimately it left the impression of a fast food meal: something to fill a hungry belly, not something holding long lasting merit and memory. As long as the reader isn't going to take it too seriously, it's fun and recommended. 3.5 stars, rounded up. 1,826 Kindle locations.
You can tell author Tim Curran had a lot of fun writing this B-movie inspired novella. It's almost pure non-stop action from page one until the ending. The strengths and weaknesses lie in the constraints of the format: the camera never stays long enough on the same character for the reader to get to know him/her/them and thus the horror is less felt by the reader.
Descriptions, as expected in a Curran story, are awesome. Particularly when it comes to describing the carnage the worms deliver. The ending is way too abrupt to be satisfying, almost as if the author got tired of writing about the worms doing damage and decided to quickly finish.
This one feels like it would have fit Curran's zombie collection, Zombie Pulp well (obviously no zombies here, but it has very similar pacing and action as numerous stories within the collection). I enjoyed reading it simply because the author enjoyed writing it, but ultimately it left the impression of a fast food meal: something to fill a hungry belly, not something holding long lasting merit and memory. As long as the reader isn't going to take it too seriously, it's fun and recommended. 3.5 stars, rounded up. 1,826 Kindle locations.
May 29, 2013
Thanks to Charlene who "lent" me this novella. I really liked it and read it in almost no time at all.
Do not read this anywhere near to a mealtime. Also, do not read when you are in the bathroom (shower, shave, whatever). Creepy, slimy, bloody, yucky, and so on.....A fun thriller where most of the folks end up on the dinner menu for these "worms". Not a very nice way to "go" at all. Very bloody & gory & graphic....all hallmarks of a true Tim Curran classic.
Very similiar to another novella I read this year:
by Weston Ochse. Only difference-in Blaze the threat are maggots (of various sizes) and in Worm (it is these killer worms). Both bloody and gory and slimy and yuck! I liked them both.
I have read a couple of other Curran novels and a novella, and so far they all have been 4 or 5 star reviews. This guy can write horror. I am just a few years older than he is, but it sounds like we had a similiar love of comics, movies, and monster models growing up. I think I have at least 3 other full-length Tim Curran novels on my Kindle right now. I might have to move one or two of them up higher on my TBR list.
Tim: I served in the U.S. Coast Guard in Cheyboygan, Michigan from 73 to 76. Spent a lot of time in the UP. Brrrr, too cold for me (I was stationed on the U.S.C.G. Mackinaw (an icebreaker).
Do not read this anywhere near to a mealtime. Also, do not read when you are in the bathroom (shower, shave, whatever). Creepy, slimy, bloody, yucky, and so on.....A fun thriller where most of the folks end up on the dinner menu for these "worms". Not a very nice way to "go" at all. Very bloody & gory & graphic....all hallmarks of a true Tim Curran classic.
Very similiar to another novella I read this year:
by Weston Ochse. Only difference-in Blaze the threat are maggots (of various sizes) and in Worm (it is these killer worms). Both bloody and gory and slimy and yuck! I liked them both.I have read a couple of other Curran novels and a novella, and so far they all have been 4 or 5 star reviews. This guy can write horror. I am just a few years older than he is, but it sounds like we had a similiar love of comics, movies, and monster models growing up. I think I have at least 3 other full-length Tim Curran novels on my Kindle right now. I might have to move one or two of them up higher on my TBR list.
Tim: I served in the U.S. Coast Guard in Cheyboygan, Michigan from 73 to 76. Spent a lot of time in the UP. Brrrr, too cold for me (I was stationed on the U.S.C.G. Mackinaw (an icebreaker).
May 24, 2013
Well I suppose you may like this type of short story (written as if a b class movie) but personally it's not really my kind of horror...I don't want to be just entertained I need my horror to be intelligent and containing thoughtful well written prose....mixed in with a splattering of blood and gore :) Worm is just about.....well.... great big bloody worms trying to eat all the little inhabitants of the community of Camberly and at the end we encounter "Big Boss Worm"...she is one mean worm!..and that's it really. It's fun (if your idea of fun is pointless and aimless reading) and mildly entertaining.....but not really my can of worms...ouch!
July 29, 2019
To be brutally honest, I'm kind of hoping to read a weak novella released by DarkFuse. As a reviewer, my plate is full, but they keep putting out books by authors I like and I keep adding them to my ever-growing pile of titles. When I looked at the cover of Tim Curran's Worm, I knew it probably wouldn't be the first mediocre tome that would allow me to stop obsessing about their new releases. I was right. You win again, DarkFuse.
You can read Giuseppe's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Giuseppe's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
November 29, 2018
Another great read from Curran.
The people of Pine St soon find that the disaster that has befallen their street is anything but natural. Soon all the residents are fighting for their lives with quite a few of them meeting their maker.
This was just fun all the way, but then flesh eating worms are always going to be fun. Curran packs the novella with disgusting detail from the initial deluge of sewagey mud to the descriptive demise of most of the residents. Several scenes had the 'eeewww' factor which to me just made it all the better.
A fantastic no brainer, B movie read.
The people of Pine St soon find that the disaster that has befallen their street is anything but natural. Soon all the residents are fighting for their lives with quite a few of them meeting their maker.
This was just fun all the way, but then flesh eating worms are always going to be fun. Curran packs the novella with disgusting detail from the initial deluge of sewagey mud to the descriptive demise of most of the residents. Several scenes had the 'eeewww' factor which to me just made it all the better.
A fantastic no brainer, B movie read.
February 18, 2014
What the hell did I read?!
I really enjoyed this short book. Unbelievably disgustingly gory and action packed. Read this is in one day and it just made me want to read more by the author, as I really enjoy his imagination and style of writing.
An excellent book for horror fans, but certainly not one for the squeamish.
An advance reader copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley
I really enjoyed this short book. Unbelievably disgustingly gory and action packed. Read this is in one day and it just made me want to read more by the author, as I really enjoy his imagination and style of writing.
An excellent book for horror fans, but certainly not one for the squeamish.
An advance reader copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley
May 3, 2014
There was more to this novella than just b-movie goodness. There were quite a few sad parts. Overall another ver good novella by Mr. Curran
May 24, 2013
Do you remember the movie Tremors? It’s a bit of a classic isn’t it? The only issue I ever had with it was I always thought that the Graboids were nowhere near terrifying enough. Tim Curran appears to feel the same way and attempts to redress the balance with his latest novella, Worm. The good news is that he does a damn good job of it.
The residents of Pine Street are just an ordinary bunch of folks and this particular night isn’t going to end well for some of them. I do love that moment in a horror story when you realise absolutely no one is safe and everyone is fair game.
Just wait till you meet Bertie Kalishek, she’s a doll.
The worms themselves are disgusting creations. Driven by the most primal urges, they desire nothing but to consume, to eat. They are just so different, so very alien. It makes my flesh crawl thinking about them even now.
"The mouth yawned open and a set of spongy pink shining gums jutted forth, mammoth teeth sliding from them like switchblades."
This book is proper old school evil, it’s delightfully icky. There is so much muck, gloop, ooze and slime. I’ve not even mentioned the buckets of blood yet, and believe me there is plenty of it. When characters get dispatched it is in spectacularly gory ways. I’m genuinely concerned that after reading Worm I may never be able to go to the bathroom again. They come through the pipes! *sits in corner of the room slowly rocking back and forth*
Seriously though, this book is more than a little bit bonkers. I should stress that I mean that as the highest of compliments. The whole time I was reading I kept making appreciative “Eeuuuwwww” sounds under my breath. My only complaint, I really wish it was a little bit longer. It’s a brilliant novella I reckon it could be and AWESOME novel.
Every so often when it comes to reading I want something that is just out and out pure entertainment. I want something that is outrageous, nonsensical and fun. I reckon that Worm is that something. Like it’s celluloid predecessor this isn’t high art, but it is massively enjoyable.
Overall, Worm is exactly what I hoped it would be, darkly comic, gross in the extreme and sometimes just plain old nasty. Any story that features the phrase semi-gelatinous is always going to be a winner in my opinion. Kevin Bacon would be proud. This is over the top horror at it’s very best.
Worm is published by Dark Fuse and is now. Beware people, there is trouble brewing under our feet. The worms are coming and they are more than a little hungry.
The residents of Pine Street are just an ordinary bunch of folks and this particular night isn’t going to end well for some of them. I do love that moment in a horror story when you realise absolutely no one is safe and everyone is fair game.
Just wait till you meet Bertie Kalishek, she’s a doll.
The worms themselves are disgusting creations. Driven by the most primal urges, they desire nothing but to consume, to eat. They are just so different, so very alien. It makes my flesh crawl thinking about them even now.
"The mouth yawned open and a set of spongy pink shining gums jutted forth, mammoth teeth sliding from them like switchblades."
This book is proper old school evil, it’s delightfully icky. There is so much muck, gloop, ooze and slime. I’ve not even mentioned the buckets of blood yet, and believe me there is plenty of it. When characters get dispatched it is in spectacularly gory ways. I’m genuinely concerned that after reading Worm I may never be able to go to the bathroom again. They come through the pipes! *sits in corner of the room slowly rocking back and forth*
Seriously though, this book is more than a little bit bonkers. I should stress that I mean that as the highest of compliments. The whole time I was reading I kept making appreciative “Eeuuuwwww” sounds under my breath. My only complaint, I really wish it was a little bit longer. It’s a brilliant novella I reckon it could be and AWESOME novel.
Every so often when it comes to reading I want something that is just out and out pure entertainment. I want something that is outrageous, nonsensical and fun. I reckon that Worm is that something. Like it’s celluloid predecessor this isn’t high art, but it is massively enjoyable.
Overall, Worm is exactly what I hoped it would be, darkly comic, gross in the extreme and sometimes just plain old nasty. Any story that features the phrase semi-gelatinous is always going to be a winner in my opinion. Kevin Bacon would be proud. This is over the top horror at it’s very best.
Worm is published by Dark Fuse and is now. Beware people, there is trouble brewing under our feet. The worms are coming and they are more than a little hungry.
May 23, 2013
Tim Curran is an author I’ve heard lots of buzz about. I even have a few of his books waiting for me on my Kindle. I was trying to choose which one to try first when, as if by magic, the latest DarkFuse title from him popped up. After seeing the cover I knew this was the one. You can’t always judge a book by its cover, but with this one you can, and that’s a very good thing. Worms is a pretty short novella that you can rip through in a sitting or two. This is a good old creature feature that I don’t come across too often anymore. It immediately brought to mind two of my favorite gross-out, nature run amok books: Slugs by Shaun Hutson and The Rats by James Herbert. Check them out if you’ve never read them.
It starts in a typical suburban street with a down on his luck unemployed husband, Tony. He’s reduced to spending his days catering to his wife’s child-replacement, annoying, yappy dog, Stevie, who she probably loves more than him. Then, throughout the neighborhood, comes the black ooze bubbling up from underground. When a thick, three foot long, vicious worm bristling with teeth explodes out of his toilet, it becomes clear that the dog is the least of his worries.
The story skips around to the various neighbors as they deal with the worms that come up through the plumbing and into their homes. This takes us into joyous set piece after set piece, as residents square off against the worms. No prizes for guessing who usually comes out on top. The kills are brutal and some of them are downright disturbing. The intensity picks up as the story progresses and moves towards a satisfying stand off and an exciting conclusion.
What’s not to enjoy about this premise? It’s not going to scare you to the core, but it’s fantastic fun and hugely entertaining. Well, on second thought, it might scare you enough to keep you from sitting on the toilet too long. It may also make you queasy. The descriptions of the worms are vivid and squirm-worthy – he really brings them to life. The gore is fantastic. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I’m a big gorehound so I enjoyed every minute of it. Body parts get broken, chewed up, eaten and spat out – delicious. As you might be able to tell, I strongly recommend this book.
It starts in a typical suburban street with a down on his luck unemployed husband, Tony. He’s reduced to spending his days catering to his wife’s child-replacement, annoying, yappy dog, Stevie, who she probably loves more than him. Then, throughout the neighborhood, comes the black ooze bubbling up from underground. When a thick, three foot long, vicious worm bristling with teeth explodes out of his toilet, it becomes clear that the dog is the least of his worries.
The story skips around to the various neighbors as they deal with the worms that come up through the plumbing and into their homes. This takes us into joyous set piece after set piece, as residents square off against the worms. No prizes for guessing who usually comes out on top. The kills are brutal and some of them are downright disturbing. The intensity picks up as the story progresses and moves towards a satisfying stand off and an exciting conclusion.
What’s not to enjoy about this premise? It’s not going to scare you to the core, but it’s fantastic fun and hugely entertaining. Well, on second thought, it might scare you enough to keep you from sitting on the toilet too long. It may also make you queasy. The descriptions of the worms are vivid and squirm-worthy – he really brings them to life. The gore is fantastic. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I’m a big gorehound so I enjoyed every minute of it. Body parts get broken, chewed up, eaten and spat out – delicious. As you might be able to tell, I strongly recommend this book.
June 15, 2013
Without warning, oozing slime and fetid matter bursts from the ground, and within hours a small Wisconsin town is hip deep in the gruesome sludge. The smell is horrible, but that is not the worst of the town’s problems. Inside the mud are sightless and segmented worms multiple feet long that have a knack for eating the townspeople. They are capable of moving with lightning speed, snaring their prey without warning. Supposedly, the National Guard is going from neighborhood to neighborhood rescuing the inhabitants, but for the unfortunate folks of Pine Street, the rescuers seem to be starting at the wealthy end of town – and they’re at the opposite end of the SES spectrum. So, they’re on their own.
This is Saturday afternoon creature feature material. There is no character development to speak of (although there is one guy who is stuck for the day with his wife’s annoying, yapping, puff ball of a dog – he adds a little life to the human side of things). The scene is set quickly. The ground rumbles and the worms appear. People die. Given the pacing, you care little for who lives or dies. But, heck, if you’re reading a horror novel called the Worm, what do you want. Worm action, of course. The worm attacks become increasingly dramatic and gruesome (for instance, besides the ground, the worms come up through the plumbing. Think toilets). On more than one occasion I realized I was reacting viscerally, squirming and tensing my muscles as I read. I found the writing to be pretty cinematic; I could visualize the characters wading through the ooze, unaware if or when the worms would attack. Definitely creepy. When you get right down to it, what more can you ask from killer worms?
This is Saturday afternoon creature feature material. There is no character development to speak of (although there is one guy who is stuck for the day with his wife’s annoying, yapping, puff ball of a dog – he adds a little life to the human side of things). The scene is set quickly. The ground rumbles and the worms appear. People die. Given the pacing, you care little for who lives or dies. But, heck, if you’re reading a horror novel called the Worm, what do you want. Worm action, of course. The worm attacks become increasingly dramatic and gruesome (for instance, besides the ground, the worms come up through the plumbing. Think toilets). On more than one occasion I realized I was reacting viscerally, squirming and tensing my muscles as I read. I found the writing to be pretty cinematic; I could visualize the characters wading through the ooze, unaware if or when the worms would attack. Definitely creepy. When you get right down to it, what more can you ask from killer worms?
March 28, 2015
God I hate worms. Always have. Always will. They're gross, slimy, pink disgusting things that wriggle around in the dirt and look like phallic snakes. Ugh. So disgusting.
Now, thanks to Tim Curran, I think I hate worms even more...and I didn't even know that was possible. But then again, when there's a million of them, attacking and devouring people, spewing out worm juice and being absolutely vile things, then, I suppose, it makes a little more sense.
Sometimes we read books to be enlightened, and sometime we read books to learn. But sometimes we read books just for the hell of it. To have fun (even if it's bloody, violent fun). Curran embraces the latter of those things. He pulls no punches. Leaves nothing sacred. In fact, the guy still manages to amaze me with his descriptions and metaphors and similes. The dude writes in disgusting prose the same way Shakespeare wrote in tawdry love sonnets. He even manages to pack quite a lot of story in these short novellas. What takes King and some other prolific authors 500 plus pages of narrative to pen, Curran does it in 50. Even better, there's no real boring explanation or backstory. The worms come, eff some stuff up, and humanity fights against them. That's all there is and that's all we need to know.
I'm just glad that Amazon offers all his books on their unlimited plan because now I've had the opportunity to read a ton of Curran's stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to. And Worm had been on my list for over a year.
And thank god it lived up to the hype; Of the 3 Curran novellas I've read in the last 3 days, Worm is by far the best. It's goopy, gross, gruesome fun and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Now, thanks to Tim Curran, I think I hate worms even more...and I didn't even know that was possible. But then again, when there's a million of them, attacking and devouring people, spewing out worm juice and being absolutely vile things, then, I suppose, it makes a little more sense.
Sometimes we read books to be enlightened, and sometime we read books to learn. But sometimes we read books just for the hell of it. To have fun (even if it's bloody, violent fun). Curran embraces the latter of those things. He pulls no punches. Leaves nothing sacred. In fact, the guy still manages to amaze me with his descriptions and metaphors and similes. The dude writes in disgusting prose the same way Shakespeare wrote in tawdry love sonnets. He even manages to pack quite a lot of story in these short novellas. What takes King and some other prolific authors 500 plus pages of narrative to pen, Curran does it in 50. Even better, there's no real boring explanation or backstory. The worms come, eff some stuff up, and humanity fights against them. That's all there is and that's all we need to know.
I'm just glad that Amazon offers all his books on their unlimited plan because now I've had the opportunity to read a ton of Curran's stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise had the opportunity to. And Worm had been on my list for over a year.
And thank god it lived up to the hype; Of the 3 Curran novellas I've read in the last 3 days, Worm is by far the best. It's goopy, gross, gruesome fun and I wouldn't have it any other way.
September 29, 2013
Glub-glub-glub...Plop-plop-plop...Glug-glug-glug. What does it all mean? Look-out, it's the "Worm". This was a lot of fun reading. This was my first experience with Tim Curran and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book had the feel of one those nostalgic type B-movie horror flicks albeit a good one where you are totally engrossed with the story and can't take your eyes off the screen. The same can be said with this story in that you can't stop reading. The pace is rapid, rapid fire; the chapters (not the pages) become a blur, their going by that fast. Oh, and lookout for Stevie (half-Pomeranian and half-poodle); what a dog. And don't miss the use of a James Patterson novel in hardback being used as a weapon although Tony prefers Elmore Leonard. (LOL). Just some of the little things that made this a fun read. Highly recommend for a change of pace.
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