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The Wormwood Event
At the end of the world, she holds the only key to the future, written in madness and blood.
Grace believed she was going to be a computer programmer someday, perhaps create programs that educate children, or save lives. She never thought she would be fleeing for her life from her roommate. She also never thought that her roommate would be a ragged, undead monstrosity that clawed out her own eyes.
Sometimes, life takes odd turns.
The turn in Grace’s life came the night of the Wormwood Star, when the dead awoke and twisted aberrations began to walk the land. As technology and sanity began to corrode, all of civilization began to collapse.
Meanwhile Grace and her new comrades struggle to survive, struggle to understand what had happened.
But Grace is special. Grace owns a curious gathering of old papers- a work convoluted with equations, constellational alignments, and dire dates in history. As she reads more, the nature of the work begins to shred the remnants her mind, until eventually Grace cannot tell what is true and what is false. She has horrific waking dreams and begins to doubt all she knows.
Which is unfortunate, as she may in fact be the only person on the planet who can change what has happened.
Sometimes, life takes odd turns.
The turn in Grace’s life came the night of the Wormwood Star, when the dead awoke and twisted aberrations began to walk the land. As technology and sanity began to corrode, all of civilization began to collapse.
Meanwhile Grace and her new comrades struggle to survive, struggle to understand what had happened.
But Grace is special. Grace owns a curious gathering of old papers- a work convoluted with equations, constellational alignments, and dire dates in history. As she reads more, the nature of the work begins to shred the remnants her mind, until eventually Grace cannot tell what is true and what is false. She has horrific waking dreams and begins to doubt all she knows.
Which is unfortunate, as she may in fact be the only person on the planet who can change what has happened.
46 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2015
18 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Guillen
23 books214 followersJM Guillen was just an average Joe when he worked at a Necromancy factory in 2018. After his job was outsourced to Mexico, he has been driven irrevocably mad and gifted with strange, terrible power.
Today he spends his time creating sentient velociraptors in his secret lair and summoning fell powers best left alone. His goal of absolute world domination is almost within his grasp. Soon, nothing will stop him.
Occasionally, he writes.
Today he spends his time creating sentient velociraptors in his secret lair and summoning fell powers best left alone. His goal of absolute world domination is almost within his grasp. Soon, nothing will stop him.
Occasionally, he writes.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 10, 2018
Strange but very interesting
An Event that changes the whole world...nothing is as it seems anymore. It's life or death every second. There is the Tainted and the effects on the mind ....strange but I liked it.
An Event that changes the whole world...nothing is as it seems anymore. It's life or death every second. There is the Tainted and the effects on the mind ....strange but I liked it.
February 5, 2015
This was my first experience of this author and I highly recommend him based on what I've seen so far. I found the premise intriguing, and since this looked like a quick, free read I gave it a try and I was quickly swept away by the quality of writing and the care he too in describing this strange, crumbling, near post-apocalyptic world. Though short, readers get a good sense of a formerly ordinary girl becoming something more as cosmic horror afflicts the world. From what I've read on the author's page, this seems to be a series of interconnected novella set in a fantastic multiverse, and there a definite hints to more going on. Enough to make this particular story - while interesting on its own - more than just your basic Lovecraftian end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it story.
I plan on picking up a couple more novellas and seeing what other tricks he's got up his sleeve.
I plan on picking up a couple more novellas and seeing what other tricks he's got up his sleeve.
July 19, 2015
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
I discovered J.M. Guillen’s works when I stumbled upon his short stories while killing time on the internet. I ended up killing a lot more time that day than I had planned, because the stories were quite good, and then moved on to his series of short fiction entitled The Paean of Sundered Dreams. As I read more and more of the series, they begin to feel interconnected by common threads, despite vast differences in subject matter and genre, spanning from erotica to the zombie apocalypse. However, each story is united by the sense that is incomplete, and by the sense that the world could still be either saved or doomed, depending on what a protagonist does next.
This leads us to The Wormwood Event, one of the newest installments in the series. The story begins with a computer programmer named Grace (I am also named Grace, which made me smile) who receives a mysterious package in the mail. She shoves it aside, and doesn’t open it. But then, the event happens. Everyone goes a little bit crazy for a while, and some people never come back from it. Grace does, but her roommate goes full on zombie. She runs away, taking the package with her. When she opens it, she begins to piece together a pattern in which the Wormwood Event begins to make sense. She realizes that the annihilation of life as she knew it made mathematical sense, and that many wars and disasters throughout history were deliberate efforts to appease Lovecraftian gods with blood sacrifice. Now, the pattern has been disrupted, and only Grace can figure out how to stop it.
One of the things that fascinated me about The Wormwood Event is that Grace is either the only sane person left in the world, or the zombies have gotten to her and she’s gone batshit. Her own form of madness and single-minded obsession with figuring out the equation doesn’t seem so different than mental impairment caused by proximity to the zombies. And yet, I found myself hoping that she’d be able to figure out a way to make things right, even though accepting that reality throws you into such a moral grey area that there might not even be a right or a wrong anymore. It’s short, simple, and thoughtful, and I find myself wanting to read more of Guillen’s tales so that I can continue to piece together what went wrong in each of these worlds, and whether the characters I’ve grown to love are doomed.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
I discovered J.M. Guillen’s works when I stumbled upon his short stories while killing time on the internet. I ended up killing a lot more time that day than I had planned, because the stories were quite good, and then moved on to his series of short fiction entitled The Paean of Sundered Dreams. As I read more and more of the series, they begin to feel interconnected by common threads, despite vast differences in subject matter and genre, spanning from erotica to the zombie apocalypse. However, each story is united by the sense that is incomplete, and by the sense that the world could still be either saved or doomed, depending on what a protagonist does next.
This leads us to The Wormwood Event, one of the newest installments in the series. The story begins with a computer programmer named Grace (I am also named Grace, which made me smile) who receives a mysterious package in the mail. She shoves it aside, and doesn’t open it. But then, the event happens. Everyone goes a little bit crazy for a while, and some people never come back from it. Grace does, but her roommate goes full on zombie. She runs away, taking the package with her. When she opens it, she begins to piece together a pattern in which the Wormwood Event begins to make sense. She realizes that the annihilation of life as she knew it made mathematical sense, and that many wars and disasters throughout history were deliberate efforts to appease Lovecraftian gods with blood sacrifice. Now, the pattern has been disrupted, and only Grace can figure out how to stop it.
One of the things that fascinated me about The Wormwood Event is that Grace is either the only sane person left in the world, or the zombies have gotten to her and she’s gone batshit. Her own form of madness and single-minded obsession with figuring out the equation doesn’t seem so different than mental impairment caused by proximity to the zombies. And yet, I found myself hoping that she’d be able to figure out a way to make things right, even though accepting that reality throws you into such a moral grey area that there might not even be a right or a wrong anymore. It’s short, simple, and thoughtful, and I find myself wanting to read more of Guillen’s tales so that I can continue to piece together what went wrong in each of these worlds, and whether the characters I’ve grown to love are doomed.
April 16, 2015
This is not a very long book, in fact it is like a short story. It starts off "fun" enough but then takes a dark and really demented turn. This book is all about the numbers and really speaks to those who are so dedicated to something that everything else gets pushed to the side.
This book follows Grace as she falls down the proverbial rabbit hole after a package is sent to her. For some unknown reason she decides to not open it and one thing leads to another and the entire world goes to hell, I mean what many would probably perceive as hell on earth. It is at that point that she decides to open the package and pandora's box.
If you don't like numbers or mathematical conversations then I would suggest you think twice about reading this book. There is an element of the book that deals with math and how it relates to the world and while I find it really interesting I don't think that everyone would. This book is short and so everything hits really fast, before you know it is over so enjoy the ride but this is also a deep thinker and so if you are not ready to get down and dirty, even in 40 pages then.
I am honestly interested in understanding how the author thought this book out. Was it supposed to be a real situation that had to do with equations, or was it a book that was supposed to be from the view of someone with a mental illness, or is it something completely different. Something to think about.
This book follows Grace as she falls down the proverbial rabbit hole after a package is sent to her. For some unknown reason she decides to not open it and one thing leads to another and the entire world goes to hell, I mean what many would probably perceive as hell on earth. It is at that point that she decides to open the package and pandora's box.
If you don't like numbers or mathematical conversations then I would suggest you think twice about reading this book. There is an element of the book that deals with math and how it relates to the world and while I find it really interesting I don't think that everyone would. This book is short and so everything hits really fast, before you know it is over so enjoy the ride but this is also a deep thinker and so if you are not ready to get down and dirty, even in 40 pages then.
I am honestly interested in understanding how the author thought this book out. Was it supposed to be a real situation that had to do with equations, or was it a book that was supposed to be from the view of someone with a mental illness, or is it something completely different. Something to think about.
December 1, 2015
If I'm counting correctly, this is the fifth book I've read from JM Guillen, and I continue to be impressed. The Wormwood Event is an excellent, gripping work of short fiction that combines Lovecraftian horror with a modern sensibility and setting. Experience the end of the world through the eyes of college student Grace Juarez, a survivor of the horrifying event that left billions dead and turned billions more into savage, soulless monsters. I enjoyed the references to a couple of elements from his other books--note that these are not gratuitous mentions, but in-universe elements that fit perfectly for how they are used.
My only complaint is that I want more! I'm hopeful that this tale is an introduction to another tale to take place after The Wormwood Event ends.
My only complaint is that I want more! I'm hopeful that this tale is an introduction to another tale to take place after The Wormwood Event ends.
February 20, 2015
This was my first time stepping into a world brought to life by JM Guillen and I am still in awe of his words. My only problem with this story was that it was too short. In The Wormwood Event we are introduced to Grace, your average college student just trying to earn her degree in computer programming when the world fell apart. As she tries to come to grip with the world being a waking nightmare she finds out that she is far more than just average.
I recommend you get The Wormwood Event if you want a quick thought provoking apocalyptic horror story.
I recommend you get The Wormwood Event if you want a quick thought provoking apocalyptic horror story.
July 19, 2015
Intriguing and engrossing, Guillen has an incredible knack for world-building. I just wish this were longer - I felt like I was really getting into it and beginning to understand when the story ended.
April 17, 2019
A very, very short introductory teaser to the irrational worlds of author J.M. Guillen.
I liked the story and the concepts. I think he does a fine job setting up his apocalypse and throwing his characters into it. I would have liked a little more secondary character development. Actually I would have liked a little more build on Grace's character too, but this is so short there really isn't time for much more. I'm hoping the characters and the story get more time in subsequent works.
Narrator was pretty good, but I really did not enjoy the audio effect when she uttered the unspeakable names. It really just sounded cheap and was pretty annoying.
The groundwork is laid. The numbers remain to be calculated. Overall, an enjoyable little taste to begin the end of all things.
I liked the story and the concepts. I think he does a fine job setting up his apocalypse and throwing his characters into it. I would have liked a little more secondary character development. Actually I would have liked a little more build on Grace's character too, but this is so short there really isn't time for much more. I'm hoping the characters and the story get more time in subsequent works.
Narrator was pretty good, but I really did not enjoy the audio effect when she uttered the unspeakable names. It really just sounded cheap and was pretty annoying.
The groundwork is laid. The numbers remain to be calculated. Overall, an enjoyable little taste to begin the end of all things.
May 4, 2018
Very short and very dark
Sufficiently twisted and intriguing. I did think it was a little heavy on exposition in the beginning but the details being described were dark and horrifying enough to keep me reading avidly.
I am looking forward to exploring more of JM Guillen's work.
Sufficiently twisted and intriguing. I did think it was a little heavy on exposition in the beginning but the details being described were dark and horrifying enough to keep me reading avidly.
I am looking forward to exploring more of JM Guillen's work.
October 11, 2017
Wow
This was great but too short. Not sure how it ties into the other books yet, but I am sure it will become clear. Will there be a book 2?
This was great but too short. Not sure how it ties into the other books yet, but I am sure it will become clear. Will there be a book 2?
January 11, 2018
Pretty good
I enjoyed this book. It was a bit confusing, but not too terribly so. I just hope that more will be written.
I enjoyed this book. It was a bit confusing, but not too terribly so. I just hope that more will be written.
February 4, 2019
Guillen's latest installment in the Irrational Worlds sequence is definitely one for fans who've followed the series thus far, but may not serve as the perfect entry point to the sequence. Beginning with the bad news: it seems our heroes have failed, at least in this reality, and the apocalyptic horrors have commenced and a comet streaking across the heavens heralds doom, insanity, and the rising dead.
The narrative here is taken up by apparently normal college girl Grace, who is fleeing from the abberant hordes with fellow survivors, but is she quite as normal as she seems? Perhaps she carries the most dire horrors of all with them.
Questions are answered but more are raised in this installment, and if the equation is not yet complete, new variables continue to turn up.
On the plus side: quality of writing and characterization remains high, but some early extended flashbacks disrupt the survival horror pace early on and give away some plot points a bit too soon.
The narrative here is taken up by apparently normal college girl Grace, who is fleeing from the abberant hordes with fellow survivors, but is she quite as normal as she seems? Perhaps she carries the most dire horrors of all with them.
Questions are answered but more are raised in this installment, and if the equation is not yet complete, new variables continue to turn up.
On the plus side: quality of writing and characterization remains high, but some early extended flashbacks disrupt the survival horror pace early on and give away some plot points a bit too soon.
February 5, 2016
Alien zombies oh my!
I didn't know what to expect when I started this amazing adventure into the mind of a college student. Wow! What a thrilling story. A cross between the walking dead and body snatchers. When I story was over I wasn't ready to put it down. I hope this story continues. I loved it!
I didn't know what to expect when I started this amazing adventure into the mind of a college student. Wow! What a thrilling story. A cross between the walking dead and body snatchers. When I story was over I wasn't ready to put it down. I hope this story continues. I loved it!
May 22, 2015
Wormwood
On the issue of the authors note IF ANYONE GO'S ON A QUOTE END QUOTE WILD PUPPY-EATING SPREE THEY WILL BE CRUCIFIED IN PIECES WHILE STILL ALIVE THROUGH NECROMANCY!GO ON A WILD CAT AND OR CHICKEN EATING SPREE! DON'T TOUCH THE PUPPIES
On the issue of the authors note IF ANYONE GO'S ON A QUOTE END QUOTE WILD PUPPY-EATING SPREE THEY WILL BE CRUCIFIED IN PIECES WHILE STILL ALIVE THROUGH NECROMANCY!GO ON A WILD CAT AND OR CHICKEN EATING SPREE! DON'T TOUCH THE PUPPIES
April 10, 2015
Promising!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews