Rating: 
Summary: A WYRM Well-Turned
Review: Mark Fabi's first novel is entertaining, fast-paced, and more timely than today's news! His main character, Michael Arcangelo, is a professional computer virus hunter, a sort of geek detective protecting powerful, yet all too vulnerable programs from damage and destruction by malicious hackers. Arcangelo encounters a super-virus that has invaded the latest development in Artificial Intelligence, a chess program that is poised to beat the world champion. (Like I said, it's timely!) As Arcangelo discovers, the virus has entered the Internet, and poses a threat that makes the Year 2000 Problem look like a bad crossword puzzle. Speaking of crossword puzzles, the author includes a *really good* crossword puzzle in the middle of the book for his characters (and readers) to solve. I started to work on it, but "WYRM" is such a compelling story that I really could not wait to find out what happened next."WYRM" compares favorably with William Gibson's "Neuromancer" and Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash". Fabi writes with confidence and wit, and has a delightful sense of humor. I especially enjoyed the seamless transitions from the Real to the Virtual. I enthusiastically recommend this book, and I look forward to Fabi's next effort.
Rating: 
Summary: A very timely, and extremely enjoyable read.
Review: When I bought it I [knew] I would love this book, it had it all; apocalyptic visions, sentient computers and roleplaying. It was an easy read, [and] when I was finished, I was left feeling [awestruck]. In my opinion the only good part was the [part between the cover and the back of the book]. The characters in the book were all [n]-dimensional, and the story [was woven like Escher fabric]. In the middle of the book, Fabi suddenly introduces a way of connecting to the internet like the one in Neuromancer. I believe this is [a great idea, eventhough the story is set in 1999]. This is next year! Even if these interfaces existed, the internet would not have the bandwidth to support them [by 1999], even the [current] computers themselves would not be fast enough. [However, I understand this is why they call it Science Fiction.] The way Dworkins game translates text into a fully immersive experience is also [brilliant]. The large section of the book where the characters alter egos explore Roger Dworkins mud is [fantastic], [even at the risk that some readers may feel it] mocks serious roleplaying. In the game, all [of] the characters...collect magic swords and fight AD&D monsters Fabi hardly bothers describing [(and I'm thankful for this, because the best description is the one that forms in my own mind).] The connection between Roger Dworkin and Bill Gates as well as Macrobyte and Microsoft is [an expected metaphor]. This book was [wonderfully entertaining] for me. Mark Fabi tries [and does]...write about [many ideas] at once, therefore the book becomes a huge [techno-cultural-mythological tapestry that I recommend everyone wrap themself in].
Rating: 
Summary: Take it as it is...no more, no less
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Evil Is A Virus
Review: Armageddon is coming in the form of a computer virus. Set in 1999, WYRM is about a virus hunter named Michael Archangelo who discovers a radical new virus while investigating a computer built to play chess. The plot thickens when Archangelo discovers the virus is more than just a virus; it's an artificial intelligence intending to inflict destruction at the beginning of the new millennium.
The story is the standard "band of good guys take on ultimate bad guy" formula, but it is a very entertaining story that handles the formula well. It switches between events that take place in the real world and in a role-playing game. There is a heavy emphasis on computers, MUDs, and viruses, but Mark Fabi makes sure he doesn't lose any readers along the way. The story flows smoothly and Fabi takes the time to explain the technology and computer jargon used in the novel, so readers who aren't very knowledgeable of computers won't get lost.WYRM doesn't break new ground in the genre. The issues brought up in the book could also be found in more detail in William Gibson's Neuromancer or Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. WYRM is by no means a bad book. It is a very entertaining story that pleases from the very beginning to the end.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book, but I have a question...
Review: 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???
Rating: 
Summary: The first book I have failed to finish in over 10 years
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Wyrm is hyrrid...
Review: I read the online reviews and bought the book. Any book favorably compared to "Snow Crash" and "Neuromancer" has to be good, right? Sadly, I should have checked the ages of the reviewers. This book lacks everything that makes Neal Stephenson and William Gibson good sci-fi writers. While the plot is mildly interesting (but done better in any number of recent books), the style is flat and dull. The characters are so contrived as to be beyond belief. It's as if Fabi has tried to create "super-nerds" for fellow nerds to idolize. An extremely disappointing read. Please do not buy this book! It only encourages publishers to continue releasing this drivel.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book!
Review: Other then being a wonderful story (the details of which I won't give away), this introduced new fields and literature to my 13 (in 1996) year old self. It started me reading up about psychology, mythology, and other wonderful topics, which I wouldn't have touched without external intervention otherwise. It's that good. On that note, if you like this book, Jaynes's book "The Origin of Consciousness In the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" is great... and it's mentioned by name in Wyrm. Careful of reading the reviews! They always give away a critical piece of the story, sometimes even more. Don't read the back of the book, either. If I were introducing this to someone, I'd say it was a book from the point of view of a Virus researcher, which contains some strange happenings and some fascinating ideas. The book in general has something for almost any modern nerd.. Monty Python, Philosphy, Mythology, Psychology, MUD's, computer games, AI, and general technological theory...
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for all Technojunkies, but be Warned!!!
Review: Don't get me wrong, this is a great book. I really wish there was a d*** movie, or at least a sequel. This book got off to a quick start, and it was a good, meaty start as well. The romance was a bit... advanced, to put in a word. The psycological concepts made a lot of sense, and I can't resist the temptation to read a book with a good fantasy part. This book had a lot of action, and a lot of great imaginings to it as well. Example: I usually rate a book on how well I feel that I could fit into the story. Believe me, if you try hard enough you can find yourself in this story. BUT BE WARNED!!! THIS BOOK CAN DESTROY YOUR SOCIAL LIFE!!! I remember the time I heard about MUDs. I didn't know what they were, so one day on the Internet, I searched on Yahoo for MUD. A list came up and I played on one. I found one so interesting that it took up quite a bit of my social time. I was obsessed. I have proof that I was too: one day one of my friends came up to me and said, "David, do you actually have a life?" because of this. So give a bit of thought to MUDs before you play them, unless it's only as a hobby. Anyway, this book is great for anyone interested in Greek mythology, fantasy Hack n' Slash, AD&D, RPGs, computer hacking, virii, the Internet, and apocolyptic predictions. Final thoughts: A must read.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent read...
Review: 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...)
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