Going back to an Old Read: Wyrm

Alright, so imagine you’re back in 1999. That’s how long ago it was I last read this book. But, this book was one of the most formative to my college self. While I was a table-top gamer, I had only been introduced to MMOGs and in particular MMORPGs and all the rest through AOL text chats. There, it wasn’t so much a formal game as a bunch of folks - like me - who had fun creating characters around each of our log in names. You described your characters in text - a red-haired half-elf with decidedly human ::clears her throat:: attributes, a silver dragon man, a green skinned orc. You described what you were doing. You interacted verbally with other people. You learned to type like the wind or get left behind.

Ahh, the good old days. Back then, things like Everquest and World of Warcraft were only beginning to become the behemoths they would prove to be.

It was also when the “Y2K bug” concerns were coming to a fever pitch. Computers were out to get us. They would start a nuclear war or crash and leave our economy burned all because of some lazy 70s programming. (Gee, this sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) Or that mysteriously, the Julian Calendar turning the 2 Millenial mark would bring about the end of the world. (The end of a calendar bringing some unknown end of the world... still sounding familiar....).

So, it’s with current events at heart, I decided to dive back into the world of Wyrm (not to be confused with the World of Warcraft, although I believe they might be mentioned in homage).

This book I would still recommend, although it’s hard for me to do it justice by describing it. As basic as I can make it though, the premise is that there’s a virus infecting systems and our hero has to save the world by entering the computer realm.

You’ve heard this story before? Well, not like this.

Sure, it REEKS of the 1990s, but it’s AWESOME. I mean Schrodinger’s Cat is personified (?!), there’s a VR chair, and some SWEET 1990s era hackers.

Go. Read it. And enjoy.

And enjoy a tankard of Dwarven ale or a pint of Elven mead while you’re doing it, would you?