The Conqueror Worms is a post-apocalyptic themed horror novel written by author Brian Keene

Brian Keene

Brian Keene is an American author, primarily of horror, crime fiction, and comic books. He has won two Bram Stoker Awards.- Background :Keene was born in 1967. He grew up in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and many of his books take place in these locales. After graduating high school, he...

. "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 was 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

Delirium Books

Delirium Books, launched in the Summer of 1999 by Shane Ryan Staley, is currently recognized as one of the premiere horror publishers in the collector's market, producing low print run limited editions intended for both collectors and readers alike...

. The title was altered to The Conqueror Worms when the paperback edition was released by Leisure Books

Leisure Books

Leisure Books is an imprint of Dorchester Publishing specializing in Horror and Thriller mass market paperbacks. As of 2000, Leisure Books was the only U.S. publisher with a line of horror books...

, but the content (aside from minor spelling/grammatical alterations) was the same.

Plot summary

Teddy Garnett tells this story of a global flood that has left humanity in tatters. Holed up in his mountain home, 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. 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 even more bizarre second part of the book that explores, graphically, the insanity doom can inspire. It all leads to a slam-bang showdown back at Teddy's house with a creature so monstrous it scares even the killer annelids.

Editions

• Leather-Bound Hardcover (Delirium Books
  Delirium Books
  Delirium Books, launched in the Summer of 1999 by Shane Ryan Staley, is currently recognized as one of the premiere horror publishers in the collector's market, producing low print run limited editions intended for both collectors and readers alike...
  
  , 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
  Delirium Books
  Delirium Books, launched in the Summer of 1999 by Shane Ryan Staley, is currently recognized as one of the premiere horror publishers in the collector's market, producing low print run limited editions intended for both collectors and readers alike...
  
  , Sept. 2005): Limited to 400 signed and numbered copies. 229 pages.
• Mass Market Paperback (Leisure Books
  Leisure Books
  Leisure Books is an imprint of Dorchester Publishing specializing in Horror and Thriller mass market paperbacks. As of 2000, Leisure Books was the only U.S. publisher with a line of horror books...
  
  , May 2006): 326 pages; Dimensions (inches): 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9; ISBN 0-8439-5416-7.