Glow-worm

Parahumans #1.5

by Wildbow

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Superheroes

Unknown Binding

About the author

Wildbow (real name John C. McCrae, born in 1984), is a Canadian writer of Web Serial Novels.

His works include:

Worm
Pact
Twig
Ward (sequel to Worm)

(From http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...)

Reviews

[William Moses Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is kind of weird to rate Glow-worm as a book because it serves a very specific purpose of bridging the events of Worm to the present day in Ward. So what I rated here is how enjoyable I found this mini-book given that I was going to learn more about the world and the characters in Ward. I was looking more for hints about what changed in the world and maybe sneak peeks at who the new cast would be.

It was fun, and I liked the use of bulletin board posts to give out information little by little. Watching as the personalities of the players in Ward were slowly revealed and seeing a few familiar faces pop up was fun. Even though it's not always clear who is who, I don't think that is much of an issue since you are probably going to read Ward right after this, and so those questions get cleared up eventually.

[yasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt like the dicaprio pointing meme every time lisa, rachel and taylor were mentioned.

[TK · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit hard to rate this one. Glow-worm is technically just a short interlude, a bridge between Worm And Ward. That means if you haven't read Worm, it won't make any sense, and in some ways it feels unnecessary. Maybe in context after I read Ward it will.

Nearly the entire arc is made up of online chat transcripts, mostly to do a bit of world building it would seem. Either way, I can't say I feel it was necessary, but I plan to read Ward soon so though it was worth having a go at it. It was a bit abstract and somewhat nonsensical to me, and I've read Worm twice. But given the series as a whole, I can't bring myself to give it lower than three stars. I just feel it would have been better either appended to Worm or prepended to Ward. As a standalone read it fails to convey anything.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting introduction to Ward, which I will be reading next. I found it somewhat difficult to follow at times because of the format; in many cases, its very unclear who, if anyone, from Worm is being referenced. There were a few interesting moments I appreciated a lot, but overall, I felt it was only decent as a teaser. On to Ward!

[Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

good interlude, pretty confusing

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine but largely unnecessary preface to Ward, more than a bridge from Worm.

[Conor McMann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Glow-worm because I was having Worm withdrawals. The other reviews are right - it’s a little strange to review Glow-worm as a standalone work, because it isn’t. Knowing that, I’m giving allowances for the fact that it is, at times, confusing and opaque, bolstering it with Worm momentum and Wildbow faith.

With that said, Glow-worm was good. It is more of a prelude to Ward than an epilogue to Worm. In some sense, that was disappointing, but it also made me want to read Ward more. We get good (teaser) insights into the post-Gold Morning world, some slow character reveals, both of new friends and a few old. The universe of Parahumans by Wildbow is immense and intricately thought out, and Glow-worm only adds to that sense. The forum-style writing would get frustrating after a while, but I ended up liking it for this length. I’m sure a lot of what I read that struck me as mysterious would be resolved as soon as I started reading Ward, but I’m ok with the mystery for now.

Really what I need is to let Worm settle in my memory. It was incredible and I can’t begin Ward hoping it’ll be more Worm, because I know it won’t be. Glow-worm helped temper the withdrawal, but the road to acceptance must begin sometime. Thanks for cushioning my blow, Glow-worm. You’ve been a delightful sendoff.