WYRM (Bantam Spectra Book) [Paperback]

Mark Fabi (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bantam Spectra Book | Publication Date: May 5, 1997

As the new millennium approaches, cults, sects, and crackpot prophets flood the worldwide media.  But for Michael Arcangelo none of their catastrophe theories are more frightening than the Goodknight virus.  Michael suspects it is the work of a mysterious programming genius, who designed it to create a computer role-playing game so real it can kill.  Now Michael and his team of techno-wizards must descend into a harrowing and convoluted world of reality and fantasy.  But what they discover is even worse than they could have ever imagined.  For the so-called game is already out of hand, the virus has taken over the Internet, harnessing the power of the millennial frenzy already sweeping the world.  And if they don't find and defeat the twisted mastermind responsible, humanity will wake from its worst nightmare to find the end of the world is truly here.

Editorial Reviews

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.

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; 1St Edition edition (May 5, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553378716
• ISBN-13: 978-0553378719
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,377,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cyber Thriller Par Excellence, June 24, 2004

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent read..., February 1, 2001

By 

aViva Sedai (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wyrm (Mass Market Paperback)

The title and cover art caught my eye initially, having never heard of Mark Fabi. The wyrm is a central theme expressed many times over in various forms. The story isn't only for compter nerds; I pride myself on knowing only enough about computers to write papers and use the Web, and it didn't detract from the book. The fantasy aspect becomes engrossing, so much so that when it switches back to high-tech it sometimes threw me for a moment. There are surprises here and there, and a happy ending, which can be expected in the Millenium-scare genre. Overall, I'm glad I own this book and I'll be rereading it every few years.

(Oh, and eventually I'll photocopy the crossword and see if I can do it myself...)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings, April 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wyrm (Mass Market Paperback)

You, the reader of these reviews, will mostly see two types of reveiw: Good or terrible. That's because this book is aimed at a particular audience. Namely, computer nerds. To those of you who are computer literate, in the areas of tech stuff and games, this is a great read. It's comical, adventurous, full of little one-liners that generate more-than-your-average-one-liner laughter. It switches from real-reality to virtual reality, which at some points elevates the book, and at others points gets really annoying. But save the slightly unrealistic romance area of the plot, it's a great book. Again, this book isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean only computer geeks can read it. I reccomend picking it up no matter who you are.