22 Comments

I enjoyed the podcast a lot. I suppose it matters what it's going to focus on, but anyway, I humbly submit "There Be Monsters", which is not just a reference to the first podcast. I really mean it as a nod to the empty spaces in old maps, which dealt with the end of known land by drawing in serpents and whatnot. Of course there were monsters, there always are. They just shapeshift in response to exploration.

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i thought about suggesting "Hic Sunt Dracones," but for some reason, Rhyd doesn't share my enthusiasm for confusing names written in unpronounceable dead languages.

glad you enjoyed the first installment! more coming soon.

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I like that. Classic classics are always a good move in my opinion. I very much dig the idea of exploring given what you were saying about auto-didacticism. Some of the dragons are cant and some are the order of knowledge only fully known to exist by those who are on the inside. The mix is sharp on all edges and it's as fully there as a continent.

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hell yeah. what a great way to understand it.

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I felt seen, clarified, and relieved by what you were saying. I greatly appreciated it! 🍻

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thank you! i'm very happy to hear that, it's the whole reason i got started in this business. glad to have you along for the ride.

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also, can't let an opportunity for a Young Frankenstein joke go to waste: https://youtu.be/9Gt3QY2Aa2I

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Hah, speaking of the mix of understanding + limitless confusion 😂

Speaking of auto-didacticism I just ran across this. https://open.substack.com/pub/joshuaoommen/p/be-suspicious-of-a-sense-of-ease?r=7imgx&utm_medium=ios What a great argument for being omnivorous! I'm certain I've done this a lot, as it also works excitingly well for synthesizing or for developing new ideas. I'd even say that mixing physical and mental activity is a great approach although since I'm thinking of art practice as well as pure thought, it's essential anyway.

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Losing £200k a year? What kind of gravy train are these people on. Total grift.

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Right? Staggering… And sure, books are not always an easy sell, but even all the predecessors to Sul Books managed to at least break even every single year, and I’m hardly the sort one would call “business-minded.”

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sounds like money laundering... maybe they got a grant from USAID?

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I love this! Happiest of birthdays to you when it arrives.

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Happy Birthday! I'm ahead of you but I feel the same as you (I was born in '71)!

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The Monstrosities podcast?

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Happy birthday!

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Ryan and Rhyd Transform the Esoteric to the Exoteric or Making the Esoteric Exoteric, R&R With Rhyd and Ryan

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Maybe the R&R could stand for Revelation and Rebellion. “In Anglo-Saxon verse, such as Beowulf, you will see alliteration as one of the organizing and guiding principles” My primal ancient ancestry is coming through.

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Rhyd’s and Ryan’s Revealing the Weirdness of Reality or simply Weirdnesses of Reality or Realty Wyrd or Realty Weird

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Monsters vs Zombies?

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Belated Happy Birthday. Having spent much time with horse riding people my entire family knows to "get back on." My oldest daughter was giving her sister a ride on her pony when the pony spooked. Little sister thrown off over the pony's head and got her leg stepped on. Big sister helped her back on because "Aunt Maryland says you always have to get back on."

As for no books at publicity events: my publisher did not send any copies to a Mystery Writers of America book signing at Manhattan Borders. They are an academic press and not reaIly used to mere commerce. I also saw an author without books to sign at the Bouchercon in San Diego 2023 and commiserated with him. For non-mystery fans, the MWA gives out the Edgar Awards; Bouchercon is a fan con with awards by the attendees.

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Since you are no longer in the US, I thought you might have missed some very important information similar to the Gulf of ________ issue. This morning my new app treated me to an article about a new bill proposing that Greenland should be bought and renamed “Red White and Blue Land”. And when I say “treated”, I mean treated. I have a deep and abiding love for the absurd. And right now it seems the GOP has turned the screenwriting over to Douglas Adams. I hope you also get a laugh over this move. I did think about seeing if I could place a tip with the newly-created DOGE in hopes of pointing them towards the inefficiencies of paying staffers to write unintentionally funny legislation, but I figured they probably are very busy clacking coconut husks together behind Donald, President of the Americans. I’m sure eventually the economic chaos caused by no one wanting to sign contracts or bid work with no clue what the price of gas, steel, or labor will be next week will start to bite, but for today I’m content to enjoy the farce.

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/12/nx-s1-5294315/greenland-trump-red-white-blueland-denmark-california

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Just read this and I'd be interested to hear your take in it as he seems to be addressing themes that co-align with a lot of your interests

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/feb/19/the-narcissist-peter-drew-fine-art-adelaide-exhibit

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