The Conqueror Worms (alternate title Earthworm Gods) is a post-apocalyptichorror novel written by author Brian Keene. "Earthworm Gods" was a 9,000-word short story that simultaneously was printed in 4x4 and No Rest for the Wicked.
An indirect sequel to this tale, the 19,000 word novella The Garden Where My Rain Grows, appeared in Fear of Gravity; it was set in the same world, but the characters and situation differed.
These two tales, short story and novella, were later re-imagined as an 85,000 word novel entitled Earthworm Gods that was published by Delirium Books. The title was altered to The Conqueror Worms when the paperback edition was released by Leisure Books, but the content (aside from minor spelling/grammatical alterations) was the same.
Plot summary
Teddy Garnett, an older man and war veteran, tells the story of a global flood that has left humanity in tatters. Holed up in his mountain home in West Virginia, Teddy and his buddy, Carl Seaton, struggle through daily life, puzzling over things even stranger than a 40-day rainstorm, including the giant slime-coated holes that keep showing up in Teddy's yard and the giant worm-like creature that ate a robin outside of Teddy's window. Meanwhile, Teddy is reeling over the loss of his wife Rose and the mysterious fate of his children and grandchildren.
Before long, Teddy and Carl are fending off man-eating earthworms the size of buses. A helicopter crash nearby brings Kevin and Sarah, the last two survivors of an outpost in Baltimore, into Teddy's story; their tale makes up the bizarre second part of the book that explores the insanity doom can inspire. Kevin serves as the narrator for this tale and he tells about how he and a group of survivors faced off against all kinds of terror in Baltimore, including Satanists who make sacrifices to a mysterious beast known as Leviathan.
It all leads to a showdown back at Teddy's house with a creature so monstrous it scares even the killer earthworms.
Editions
Leather-Bound Hardcover (Delirium Books, Sept. 2005): Limited to 52 signed and lettered copies. Also includes the short story "Take Me To The River," which is set in the same universe as Earthworm Gods.
Limited Edition Hardcover (Delirium Books, Sept. 2005): Limited to 400 signed and numbered copies. 229 pages.
Daniel Keys Moran, also known by his initials DKM, is an American computer programmer and science fiction writer.
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The Hour of the Dragon, also known as Conan the Conqueror, is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert E. Howard featuring his sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian. It was one of the last Conan stories published before Howard's suicide, although not the last to be written. The novel was first published in serial form in the December 1935 through April 1936 issues of the pulp magazine Weird Tales. The first book edition was published by Gnome Press in hardcover in 1950. The Gnome Press edition retitled the story Conan the Conqueror, a title retained by all subsequent editions until 1977, when the original title was restored in an edition published by Berkley/Putnam. The Berkley edition also reverted the text to that of its original Weird Tales publication, discarding later edits. Later editions have generally followed Berkley and published under the original title.
Brian Keene is an American author and podcaster, primarily known for his work in horror, dark fantasy, crime fiction, and comic books. He has won the 2014 World Horror Grandmaster Award and two Bram Stoker Awards. In addition to his own original work, Keene has written for media properties such as Doctor Who, Thor, Hellboy, Alien, Masters of the Universe, and The X-Files.
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The Swords of Lankhmar is a fantasy novel, first published 1968, by Fritz Leiber, featuring his sword and sorcery heroes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. It is chronologically the fifth volume of the complete seven volume edition of the collected stories devoted to the characters. The book is an expansion of Leiber's earlier novella "Scylla's Daughter", which was published originally in the magazine Fantastic Stories of Imagination for May 1961. The full novel first published in paperback format during 1968 by Ace Books company, which reprinted the title numerous times through 1986; a later paperback edition was issued by Dark Horse (2008). It has been published in the United Kingdom by Mayflower Books (1970) and Grafton. The first hardcover edition was issued by Rupert Hart-Davis during June 1969; a later hardcover edition was issued by Gregg Press during December 1977. The book has also been gathered together with others in the series into various omnibus editions; Swords' Masters (1990), Return to Lankhmar (1997), and The Second Book of Lankhmar (2001).
The Iron Druid Chronicles is a series of urban fantasy novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories, written by Kevin Hearne and published by Del Rey Books. All the books, including short stories, have recorded audiobooks narrated by Luke Daniels and Christopher Ragland
Bibliography of science fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction writer Lin Carter:
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