- Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
- Publisher: Spectra (April 1 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0553578081
- ISBN-13: 978-0553578089
- Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 10.9 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 318 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,330,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
In 1999 Michael Arcangelo, a computer-virus hunter, is called in by an old friend to debug a computer designed to learn chess and defeat human grandmasters. He finds a "worm" that exhibits all the signs of intelligence and sentience and that invades the Internet. Interweaving mythology, virtual reality, role-playing games, chess strategy, and artificial intelligence with a theory of a Group Overmind Daemon susceptible to religious symbolism, first-timer Fabi pits a group of computer programmers and hackers against a formidable opponent who may fulfill end-of-the-world prophesies as the millennium approaches. Although the narrative flow is often broken by explanations of technical terminology and concepts, this work is imaginative and solidly conceived. Recommended for sf collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
The year is 1999. Michael Arcangelo's business is detecting and eliminating viruses, worms, and other computer-nasties from corporate files and operating systems. While attempting to cleanse a cutting-edge chess-playing program, he encounters a worm-- ``Wyrm''--that not only eats other viruses, but reconfigures other programs for greater speed and efficiency! He also meets Al Meade (she's in the same line of business), and the two strike immediate sparks. Further investigation shows that flexible Wyrm might well be intelligent and even self-aware. Problem? Well, the ubiquitous Wyrm has reorganized the entire computer net as a single massively parallel processor; worse, it's apparently planning a millennial apocalypse in which it will not only kill itself but take with it most of the human race by firing off nuclear missiles! The only way to attack Wyrm is through a vast virtual-reality role-playing game designed by computer genius Roger Dworkin--and Roger turns up dead. . . . Will any of this make sense to non-nerds? Let's just say that it helps if you can decode sentences like ``And the frobnule gives us full wizard privileges,'' and if you know your MUDs from your MOOs. A huge, ambitious roller-coaster of a debut, overstuffed with computer hackese, that tries--not always successfully--to meld the latest speculations in artificial intelligence with computer games, Monty Python, mythology, Lewis Carroll, and whatnot. Grab those wizard privileges and beware of hostile frobnules. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cyber Thriller Par Excellence,
By
This review is from: Wyrm (Mass Market Paperback)
Last Sunday I read a surprisingly entertaining book by Mark Fabi titled WYRM. Possible the best way to describe it would be as a cyber-thriller, but it has far more elements than that. With the expected artificial intelligence, Internet and technology references, there is also a strong smattering of fantasy role-playing, Lewis Carroll, Monty Python and a plethora of modern cultural references.WRYM is the story of Michael Arcangelo, a computer-virus hunter. While checking into a possible virus at a chess tournament, Michael is first exposed to a virus of unheard of proportions. An Internet-wide virus is out there and it may have developed intelligence. It may also have bought into the idea that the Millennium will bring about the end of the world. Michael assembles a crack team of programmers, cyber-theorists and technicians to try and stop the virus Wrym from causing a global disaster. Through role-playing and some other techniques they draw nearer to the heart of the problem until a final all-out war involving the global hacker community ensues while Michael tries to make the final move toward victory. I only had two minor problems with this book. One, Fabi does not know where the term bug came from. Secondly, I wonder at the wisdom of including a character referred to as Al in a story that uses the term AI as heavily as this one does. Other than that, this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book lures the reader in quite subtly. I didn't really realize it until two-hundred pages had gone by. The next thing I knew, I was four-hundred pages further along and the book was ending. This book makes so many references and in-jokes that it could almost be considered a SILVERLOCK for the computer generation. But even if you do not recognize every Python reference, recognize every famous programer or catch all of the other cultural and scientific references, you will still be able to enjoy this book.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Take it as it is...no more, no less,
By
This review is from: Wyrm (Mass Market Paperback)
I don't know, but I have the impression that a lot of reviewers take this book for far more than it in fact is (imho of course). I picked it up a couple of years ago, because I liked the cover and the blurbs. I had a lot of fun reading it, also because it sort of took me back to my first computer and online experiences (learning Unix on the university etc.)I re-read the book 2 times and I still think it's fun, although not it does not hold up extremely well to re-reading. The point is that it should not be taken as too serious a work of art or literature (again, imho) but more like you watch some cheap movie or read some trashy comic. Fun, but not to be meant as more than entertaining. There are plenty of writers who stimulate the intellect and make one think about a book but sometimes I just want to have a hamburger instead of haute cuisine. I'd recommend Wyrm warmly if you can see through some of the more obvious wannabee devices and just want an enjoyable, easily digestible read.
1.0 out of 5 stars
The first book I have failed to finish in over 10 years,
By MR G P Foster (Waterlooville, Hampshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wyrm (Mass Market Paperback)
What a waste of money.I read the online reviews which were glowing, and expected an exciting Cyberpunk style thriller along the lines of Gibsons Neuromancer or Jon Courteney Grimwood's Red Robe. Er, no. The story might be fine, but I just kept thinking 'Geeky IT bloke saves the world and gets the girl' the characterisation is just awful - more contrived than my 8 year old Sons learn to read books.
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