Product Description
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.

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Customer Reviews (54)

MUSHing for the Planet!
Not exactly high literature, and given the rapid rate at which technology progresses, this isn't the greatest book in the world. However, the concept of an AI arising from the Internet is intriguing, and there are some very interesting discussions on the nature of intelligence and sentience, not to mention Shroedinger's Cat, that make the book worth while. If you play (or played in your youth) MUSHes, MOOs, MUCKs, etc. you'll find a few other little gems in there as well. The romance is cheesy and the tech is obsolete. But for a light read it's reasonably entertaining.

Cyber Thriller Par Excellence
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.

Take it as it is...no more, no less
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.

I loved this book, but I have a question...
What did everyone else think of the General Overmind Daemon? (I probably misspelled that or something...) It wasn't mentioned a whole lot, but it seemed to have almost as much impact on the story as Wyrm itself! It's a pretty weird idea, I think... so how much did it affect whether or not you liked the book? I absolutely LOVED the book for everything except for this concept.. and I'm still not sure how I feel about that one thing. It seemed to fit in fairly well with the story, I suppose... but it DOES seem pretty inplausible to me :P Still, for the rest of that story, I was willing to suspend my disbelief! :D What about all of you other future reviewers? How much impact did it have on your enjoyment???

The first book I have failed to finish in over 10 years
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. ... Read more