One day the rain just didn t stop. As the flood waters slowly rose and coastal cities and towns disappeared, some people believed it was the end of...
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Jan 27, 2012
Gavin
rated it: 
I'm not one to normally read a Brian Keene novel (well, I have read three...I think), but when I saw the title of this one, and the fantastic campy-B-flick picture for a cover, I knew I had to read it. And, you know, it wasn't that bad. The first part of the book was a mid-post-apocalyptic tale that tells the story of how some of the characters are surviving. But Keene didn't think that a random monster book about the end of the world was enough. Enter the second half of the book. This half
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Mar 22, 2009
Steve
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Satanists on surfboards. A mermaid. Giant worms and Cthulu. And an End Time rain with two old mountain coots getting to play Beowulf. This is the good stuff. The Conqueror Worms is the second book I've read by Brian Keene (The Rising being the first), and I'm really impressed by this guy. The sheer gusto of his B-movie imagination leaves me hopeful for the future of Horror fiction. In one sense, I'm left thinking Keene is very Old School (see Giant Bug movies from the 50s), but not totally. Conq
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Jan 26, 2010
BarkLessWagMore
rated it: 
Reading for Jare's 2010 Spills & Chills Release Challenge.
I haven't read a book where the main protagonist is a crabby 80 year old guy since struggling through King's Insomnia many moons ago. Fortunately, this story is much more interesting. This guy is a lone survivor (or so it seems) in a world nearly buried under water. He has the misfortune to live high up on a secluded mountain when most others have perished in the floods and he faces long days of loneliness, isolation and d More...
I haven't read a book where the main protagonist is a crabby 80 year old guy since struggling through King's Insomnia many moons ago. Fortunately, this story is much more interesting. This guy is a lone survivor (or so it seems) in a world nearly buried under water. He has the misfortune to live high up on a secluded mountain when most others have perished in the floods and he faces long days of loneliness, isolation and d More...
Feb 19, 2008
Scott
rated it:
"Brian Keene is the next big thing in horror."
How many times have I heard that?
How many times have you heard that?
The Conqueror Worms is the third Keene book I've read. I enjoyed The Rising and City of the Dead. I thought they were both fun books that did some new things with the zombie genre. I thought Keene was a good writer, who showed a lot of promise.
Then came The Conqueror Worms.
The book is told for the most part by a mo More...
How many times have I heard that?
How many times have you heard that?
The Conqueror Worms is the third Keene book I've read. I enjoyed The Rising and City of the Dead. I thought they were both fun books that did some new things with the zombie genre. I thought Keene was a good writer, who showed a lot of promise.
Then came The Conqueror Worms.
The book is told for the most part by a mo More...
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Dec 31, 2008
Norm
rated it:
I love discovering a new author, at least one that is new to me, Brian Keene, a well known name in the horror world was just that. Being a two-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award for “Jobs in Hell.” in 2001, and again in 2003 for his well received zombie tale “The Rising.” Then a 2004 Shocker Award (Non-Fiction) for “Sympathy For the Devil.” His list of works is staggering. I’m going to stop here for a long second and go into my consulting mode and do some arithmetic, 15 novels, 10 short story
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Jul 24, 2011
NJMetal
rated it:
From the new master of horror, Brian Keene, brings "Darkness on the Edge of Town". Keene continues to hone his chops in new and inventive ways. This fast paces near novella is just long enough to keep it an honest novel and just short enough to keep the pace moving at the frantic speed necessary to tell the tale.
This could be seen as Keene's take on the "Under the Dome" premise. At first it seems that way but the story soon reveals itself to be not merely just a 'how do human More...
This could be seen as Keene's take on the "Under the Dome" premise. At first it seems that way but the story soon reveals itself to be not merely just a 'how do human More...
Jun 28, 2011
William
rated it:
3 and 1/2 STARS
This book is divided into 3 parts. I loved the first and third parts and was so-so with the second section. The idea of an 80 year old protagonist trapped up in the mountains in a secluded cabin after 42 days of constant rain was awesome. However, the story shifts to downtown Baltimore where a group of survivors begins to defend itself against... well, I won't give that away. I wasn't really buying everything -- but it was fun nonetheless.
I had issues wit More...
This book is divided into 3 parts. I loved the first and third parts and was so-so with the second section. The idea of an 80 year old protagonist trapped up in the mountains in a secluded cabin after 42 days of constant rain was awesome. However, the story shifts to downtown Baltimore where a group of survivors begins to defend itself against... well, I won't give that away. I wasn't really buying everything -- but it was fun nonetheless.
I had issues wit More...
Aug 10, 2010
Eric
rated it:
Brian Keene's novel was fascinating to me for its deft use of the Corman-esque giant monsters as an effective and terrifying horror tool.
To his credit, Keene doesn't try to explain the central environmental gimmick of The Conqueror Worms. It has been raining for 43 days, and the world is flooding. Where did the water come from? No one knows. Since the degree of flooding described in the book isn't possible (even with melted ice caps, which we are told has not occured in this altern More...
To his credit, Keene doesn't try to explain the central environmental gimmick of The Conqueror Worms. It has been raining for 43 days, and the world is flooding. Where did the water come from? No one knows. Since the degree of flooding described in the book isn't possible (even with melted ice caps, which we are told has not occured in this altern More...
Feb 28, 2011
Kimberly
rated it:
Incredibly vivid horror tale. I met Brian Keene recently and spoke on a panel with him at Hypericon. It was the actual first horror book I read. Incredible!!! It wasn't too gory, but kept you worried the entire time. I've recently purchased three more of his books. Stellar person as well as a writer!!!
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Dec 09, 2008
Sockmonkey
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Brian Keene is one of my favorite authors. He proved that with this book. He's really good with zombie stories but with me that's pretty easy. 1. Write story. 2. Insert zombies. If you follow these steps I'll probably at least kinda like it. But I needed proof that he was as good as I thought he was. That brings us to The Conqueror Worms. When I read the back cover I couldn't have been any less interested. Giant killer worms. Pass. But I figured if he could keep my interest then he was really th
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Mar 25, 2011
Kelleynotlp
rated it:
"The Conqueror Worms" was my first foray into Keene country and overall I enjoyed it. It's basically the story of how undending rains and flooding bring about the end of the world and call forth ancient gods, a la Leviathan (Cthulhu/Kraken) and Behemoth (giant worms) and maybe other things around the world. I liked Keene's characters in this one. The elderly narrator was someone you cared about as were the two young protagonists who run into him later in the story. I also really li
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Mar 15, 2010
Thee_ron_clark
rated it:
My faith in Brian Keene has returned.
A few years back, I caught a bit of this book at one of Keene's readings and I just recently got around to picking it up. I should not have waited.
The story is that it begins to rain one day all over the planet and never stops. The concept is that if a day of rain brings earthworms out, 40 days will bring out some really big earthworms and more.
Although it gets silly in a few places, I still found this to be an enjoyable, More...
A few years back, I caught a bit of this book at one of Keene's readings and I just recently got around to picking it up. I should not have waited.
The story is that it begins to rain one day all over the planet and never stops. The concept is that if a day of rain brings earthworms out, 40 days will bring out some really big earthworms and more.
Although it gets silly in a few places, I still found this to be an enjoyable, More...
Aug 20, 2007
Rick
rated it:
This book was so much fun to read. Monster worms, Lovecraftian horror and the Apocalypse all at once, told by a dying old man. Superb.
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Feb 27, 2009
Trevor
rated it:
I'll never, ever take my fishbait for granted anymore. That is all. Great book!
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Nov 09, 2010
Daniel
rated it:
The Keeneathon continues with his 2006 book, The Conqueror Worms. Now, when people mention Brian, they usually ask if you’ve read The Rising. The Rising is considered to be his ‘hit’, but after fellow readers have enquired about The Rising, the next one, I’ve found, is The Conqueror Worms.
I thought that The Rising was okay. My preferred Keene book so far has been The Ghoul, which was reviewed earlier this month. Could Worms take the crown?
Teddy, and 80 year old man living al More...
I thought that The Rising was okay. My preferred Keene book so far has been The Ghoul, which was reviewed earlier this month. Could Worms take the crown?
Teddy, and 80 year old man living al More...
Feb 23, 2007
marc
rated it:
giant earthworms terrorize senior citizens. fuck yeah.
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Jun 16, 2009
Michael
rated it:
Despite the lame name, this was a good book! And despite the plot - the world flooded for weeks straight leaving only mountain-top island pockets of humanity, some monsters and the narration of an 8-something year old survivor addicted to tobacco chew.
Yet the narrative grew on me. And interestingly, the middle third of the book was like a separate story narrated by someone younger, and it didn't had a "tidy" predictable ending and I liked that. Combined with the fact that I p More...
Yet the narrative grew on me. And interestingly, the middle third of the book was like a separate story narrated by someone younger, and it didn't had a "tidy" predictable ending and I liked that. Combined with the fact that I p More...
Mar 02, 2009
Fred
rated it:
Sometimes it's good to pick up a book from a genre you've long ignored and read a good old-fashioned page turner. I came across this author reviewing graphic novels for my library job. A decent read, but not very scary, more sickout and suspenseful, and a well drawn-out protagonist. The author reaches, nobly, for mythic and Biblical resonances in his symbolism and plotting and epigrams and allusions, but the book's about worms... It's hard to get past that. Hilarious cover that strikes a bl
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Dec 28, 2011
Kasia
rated it: 
This was my first time reading Brian Keene, and I was excited! I wanted to like this story, giant worms eating everything in their path, end of the world and nature's victory over human power...Unfortunately I felt deceived by the title and about what really happened in the book - where are the worms? They were mere filler barely getting any attention, I felt like this was a worm version of Where is Waldo, tough to spot with many pages that did not belong there.
It started off interesti More...
It started off interesti More...
Sep 27, 2008
Dirk
rated it:
A bleak horror story. It starts raining and doesn’t stop. When the book starts it’s been raining for something like 40 days and most of the world is flooded. The first third of the book is written from the perspective of an 80 year old dude that lives alone up the mountains of West Virginia. The closest town to his home is underwater and there are giant worms going around eating whoever or whatever is left.
Then the book jumps over to a flooded Baltimore where a young video store More...
Then the book jumps over to a flooded Baltimore where a young video store More...
May 21, 2008
Kristen
rated it:
After reading “Ghoul,” “The Rising,” and its sequel, I was very excited to read more from Brian Keene. When I received this book in the mail I stared at the cover with concern… there were giant earthworms attacking a skyscraper? I was a bit concerned at that point… I mean… I hoped it was just bad cover art. So I started reading.
The book is cut up into 3 parts, the first part is an 80 year old man telling what has happened, 40 or so days of non-stop rain, towns flooding and disapp More...
The book is cut up into 3 parts, the first part is an 80 year old man telling what has happened, 40 or so days of non-stop rain, towns flooding and disapp More...
Jan 23, 2011
Vfields
rated it: 
This really should have been a great book but I just couldn’t get into the main character who was an old man and we say this whole end of the world from his point of view. He was so feeble and non-adventurous that it was sad not exciting. The plot is that it started raining and never stopped and after about thirty days worms started to take over the world and there was a strange fungus. I really could not finish this book. Too bad it could have been something really special.
Oct 24, 2009
Wendy
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. When I first got the book and saw the cheesy cover with the giant earthworms I thought "Give me a break." But I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I have always loved Post Apocalyptic books so that probably helped. I loved the main character. I enjoyed how the story changed in the middle and we go to see another point of view and I even liked the way that the book ended, although normally I would be upset that we are left wondering.
All More...
All More...
Oct 15, 2010
Marvin
rated it:
Brian Keene may be the king (with a small "k") of end-of-the-world novels. In The Conqueror Worms, the earth is besieged by Noah sized rains plus water monsters and worms of Lovecraftian proportion. The tale starts at full speed as narrated by 80 year old Teddy Burnett, a live-wire geriatric hero if ever I saw one. As long as he is in the foreground, the book soars. However it slows down when the narration moves to Baltimore and we are given a less-than stellar survivor tale involving
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Jan 29, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
An interesting book that I've reread many times. Sure there are better books to repay visits too, but whenever it's really rainy and gray out, I kind of always want to visit this book again.
Brian Keene is an author that is unpredictably predictable if that makes any sense: he usually has quirky narrators/protagonists (this one is an 80 year old widower living on a mountain top in West Virginia) against ridiculous odds--in this one, a completely flooded and ruined world, house sized More...
Brian Keene is an author that is unpredictably predictable if that makes any sense: he usually has quirky narrators/protagonists (this one is an 80 year old widower living on a mountain top in West Virginia) against ridiculous odds--in this one, a completely flooded and ruined world, house sized More...
Oct 11, 2009
Amy
rated it:
I liked this book. It was a post-apocalyptic story where the world has flooded due to endless rain and giant earthworms surfaced to wreak havoc on the few remaining inhabitants. The book is split into three parts. Part I is the first person account of an old dude with a bad nicotine habit who believes he is the last remaining survivor until his best friend and neighbor finds him. The Conqueror Worms has a classic B-movie horror vibe until Part II, when the old dudes run into more survivors and w
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Apr 26, 2011
Dustin
rated it:
THis was the first Keene book I read, and I thought it was awesome! It takes a premise which any other writer would have made seem so ridiculous as to be unreadable, and made something genuinely scary out of it. Keene uses smell and textile descriptions to give you the creeps rather effectively. Keene has a real gift for telling, and I highly suggest you read this and all of his others.
Apr 11, 2008
Dustin
rated it:
Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoyed this apocalyptic view of the future.
The book is really told in two stories, one from the old guy living on a mountain and one from some helicopter crash survivors that were holding it together in a skyscraper.
See, the world is flooded. It started raining and never stopped. Al Roker blows his brains out on live tv.
Cults start popping up and making human sacrifices to Leviathan and Behemoth. One thinks they must be More...
The book is really told in two stories, one from the old guy living on a mountain and one from some helicopter crash survivors that were holding it together in a skyscraper.
See, the world is flooded. It started raining and never stopped. Al Roker blows his brains out on live tv.
Cults start popping up and making human sacrifices to Leviathan and Behemoth. One thinks they must be More...
Dec 19, 2008
Mya
rated it:
What I expected from this book was science gone awry. From the look of the cover, I think that I even may have suspected some Tremors-like humor. What I did not expect was the gripping tale of an elderly man in the mist of well...a "Mist"-type horror novel. Brian Keene is like the love child of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft and while there are worms is the book, there are also a lot worse things!!
Oct 27, 2010
Gregory
rated it:
Absolutely stellar horror novel filled with some incredibly memorable characters, and lots and lots of tense moments. It slips a star for reasons I can't address here due to spoilers, but they're solely of my personal preferences, and shouldn't deter people looking for a great horror novel to pick this up. Can't recommend it enough!
