Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved Worm, try Ward, Pact, Vicious, Steelheart, Renegades and Hench. Each one offers dark, smart superhero fiction, morally gray powers or a long, immersive web serial.
Worm is a web serial by John McCrae, writing as Wildbow, published online from 2011 to 2013. It follows Taylor Hebert, a bullied teenager who can control insects, as she tries to become a hero but ends up among villains. The story grows into an enormous tale of powers, politics and apocalyptic threats. Readers love its clever power use, its moral complexity and its scale. These books share its superheroes and its darkness.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Style | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward | Wildbow | Web serial | readers who want the sequel |
| Pact | Wildbow | Web serial | readers who want more Wildbow |
| Vicious | V.E. Schwab | Novel | readers who like villains with powers |
| Steelheart | Brandon Sanderson | Novel | readers who like evil superheroes |
| Renegades | Marissa Meyer | Novel | readers who like villains infiltrating heroes |
| Hench | Natalie Zina Walschots | Novel | readers who like henches |
| Wild Cards | George R.R. Martin, ed. | Anthology | readers who like gritty superheroes |
| Watchmen | Alan Moore | Graphic novel | readers who like dark superhero stories |
| The Boys | Garth Ennis | Comic | readers who like superhero satire |
| Super Powereds | Drew Hayes | Novel | readers who like hero schools |
| Mother of Learning | Domagoj Kurmaić | Web serial | readers who like time loops |
| A Practical Guide to Evil | ErraticErrata | Web serial | readers who like villain heroes |
| The Wandering Inn | pirateaba | Web serial | readers who like very long serials |
| Cradle: Unsouled | Will Wight | Novel | readers who like power progression |
| Soon I Will Be Invincible | Austin Grossman | Novel | readers who like villain narrators |
1. Ward by Wildbow
The world after Worm's events.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. Pact by Wildbow
A young man inherits a house full of dangerous magic.
Best for: readers who want more Wildbow.
3. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Two friends gain powers and become enemies.
Best for: readers who like villains with powers.
4. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Superpowered people rule a broken world.
Best for: readers who like evil superheroes.
5. Renegades by Marissa Meyer
A villain joins a hero group.
Best for: readers who like villains infiltrating heroes.
6. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
A villain's temp worker exposes heroes.
Best for: readers who like henches.
7. Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin, ed.
An alien virus creates superpowered people.
Best for: readers who like gritty superheroes.
8. Watchmen by Alan Moore
Retired heroes investigate a murder.
Best for: readers who like dark superhero stories.
9. The Boys by Garth Ennis
A team keeps corrupt heroes in check.
Best for: readers who like superhero satire.
10. Super Powereds by Drew Hayes
Students train to control powers.
Best for: readers who like hero schools.
11. Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaić
A mage student relives the same month.
Best for: readers who like time loops.
12. A Practical Guide to Evil by ErraticErrata
A girl becomes a villain's apprentice.
Best for: readers who like villain heroes.
13. The Wandering Inn by pirateaba
A girl runs an inn in a fantasy world.
Best for: readers who like very long serials.
14. Cradle: Unsouled by Will Wight
An outcast seeks power.
Best for: readers who like power progression.
15. Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
A supervillain plots his comeback.
Best for: readers who like villain narrators.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Worm: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Worm. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Continue with Ward, or try Pact for Wildbow's horror. For published novels, Vicious, Steelheart and Hench explore powers in dark ways. Comics fans should read Watchmen and The Boys. Web fiction readers will enjoy A Practical Guide to Evil and Mother of Learning.
Related: Vicious by V. E. Schwab: Summary and Key Takeaways · Renegades by Marissa Meyer: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Worm about?
A bullied teen who controls insects tries to be a hero and is drawn into a vast war.
Where can I read Worm?
It is free online at the author's website.
How long is Worm?
Very long, about 1.7 million words.
Is Worm finished?
Yes. It ended in 2013, and the sequel Ward is also complete.
Is Worm dark?
Yes. It includes violence and mature themes.
Who is Wildbow?
The pen name of Canadian author John McCrae.
What powers does Taylor have?
She can control insects and other small bugs.
What is Earth Bet?
The version of Earth where Worm takes place, filled with heroes called capes.
Who should read Worm?
Readers who love clever superhero fights and long, dark stories.