Podcast appearances and mentions of Andy Weir

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: reading slumps and how to replant your reading life Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: how to talk about books “in the wild” The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  1:21 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 7:18 - Our Current Reads 7:37 - Murder in the Dollhouse: The Jennifer Dulos Story by Rich Cohen (Meredith) 14:11 - My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (Kaytee) 14:22 - CR Season 3: Episode 1 18:34 - My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows 19:49 - The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (Meredith) 24:49 - She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson (Kaytee) 28:02 - Lexicon by Max Barry (Meredith) 31:26 - The Rook by Daniel O'Malley 31:35 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 33:52 - The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl (Kaytee) 35:01 - The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 35:03 - World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil 35:08 - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 35:09 - The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer 35:12 - An Immense World by Ed Yong 37:14 - How To Talk About Books In The Wild 39:27 - Shawnathemom on Instagram 43:56 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 45:56 - Lexicon by Max Barry 47:24 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 52:10 - Meet Us At The Fountain 52:19 - I wish the next book I talked about was a book I liked, rather than a book that I did not. (Meredith) 52:36 - A Small Porch by Wendell Berry 54:47 - I wish to always have the right book for the person in front of me. (Kaytee) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. May's IPL is a new indie to the rotation - Dog Eared Books in Ames, Iowa. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

In this episode of the Fully-Booked literary podcast, we're back in the room with Meaghan, Shirin, and Arthur, though Arthur gets plenty of playful shade right out of the gate. The energy is chaotic in the best way, and we all seem to embrace it.This time around, we're not doing a structured game or typical author discussion. Instead, we've decided to have a casual roundtable where we toss out book recommendations based on popular titles.Think of it as a “if you liked this, try this” style chat, the kind of stuff you might scroll through on BookTok, but with more tangents, more laughs, and a whole lot more coffee shop banter.So, yes, it's a podcast version of one of those aesthetic recommendation reels, but longer and full of personality. We're hoping it helps listeners find their next favorite read, whether they're winding down for bed or commuting with earbuds in. Along the way, we make plenty of jokes, toss in personal stories, and keep things as relatable as ever.Cozy Fantasy And Twisty YA PicksMeaghan kicks things off with Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. It's a standout in cozy fantasy, a genre that's all about lower stakes and high charm. This one's about a retired assassin who just wants to run a coffee shop. We love it because it's charming without the constant doom that high fantasy sometimes leans into. If you're tired of watching your favorite characters die dramatically, this is your safe space.From there, we get three recommendations to follow that cozy vibe:This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher offers more of an epic twist, following four heroes who reunite years after saving the world to stop another evil. It's got humor, sarcasm, and a nostalgic team-up energy.Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfhart includes orcs, elves, and romance, much like Legends and Lattes, but kicks the fantasy world-building up a notch.Dreadful by Caitlin Rosakus is quirky and a bit chaotic. A man wakes up in an evil wizard's lair and slowly realizes… he's the wizard. It's got dark magic with a comedic undertone that keeps things from getting too heavy.Next, Shirin brings up We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, a twisty, emotional YA mystery that clearly divides readers. Some of us saw the ending a mile away. Others (hi, Shirin) were shocked. Either way, it sparks strong reactions. From there, the recommended reads are:One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, a classic high school murder mystery.A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, which begins as a school project but morphs into a full-on whodunit.Both offer those unreliable narrators and layers of secrets that make for great binge reads (and binge-worthy shows, too).Sci-Fi Sarcasm and Robots with FeelingsArthur (yes, we're letting him talk now) shifts us into sci-fi territory. He spotlights The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, which is being adapted into a TV show. The series centers around a sarcastic AI bot who's pretending not to be sentient while dealing with messy human feelings. It's funny, sharp, and dives into questions about identity and autonomy.The companion picks for Murderbot are:Neuromancer by William Gibson, the cyberpunk classic full of noir and hacking vibes.Autonomous by Annalee Newitz, a gritty, emotional dive into freedom and biotech ethics.Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie features a starship AI stuck in a single human body, trying to cope and also seek revenge.This whole section sparks a thoughtful conversation about how sci-fi is evolving to focus more on questions of self, ethics, and AI rights, especially as real-world conversations about artificial intelligence ramp up.From Gothic to Gruesome: Creepy Houses and Haunting PastsMeaghan circles back with another strong pick: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. This gothic classic inspires a group of haunting and eerie recommendations:The September House by Carissa Orlando, where every September, the house goes full horror mode with blood on the walls and something lurking in the basement.The Only One Left by Riley Sager, another gothic mystery involving a secluded cliffside mansion and a historical murder case.We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson delivers that same psychological tension and sense of dread found in Rebecca.We also detour briefly into House of Leaves territory, a book so bizarre in structure it's basically unreadable in audiobook form. Everyone agrees it's an experience, not just a novel.Court of Thorns, Shadow Daddies, and Fae RomanceThen we dive into a big one: A Court of Thorns and Roses (or ACOTAR, because who has time for long titles) by Sarah J. Maas. This fantasy romance gets a lot of love and some side-eye, depending on who you ask. It starts like Beauty and the Beast but quickly turns into something much more plot-heavy and twisty.Meaghan recommends:Quicksilver by Callie Hart, where the heroine gets dragged into the fae realm after trying to save her family. It's rich in world-building and dramatic romantic tension.Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco, a witchy, demon-summoning fantasy with Italian vibes, mouthwatering food descriptions, and yes—another shadowy love interest.We joke a lot about the term shadow daddy, which is hilarious and weirdly accurate for some of these characters. The group shares a good laugh about imagining their dads lurking in shadows. Totally normal podcast behavior...One-Person Sci-Fi Adventures (and Existential Crisis Fuel)Back in sci-fi land, Arthur brings us to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which is getting a film adaptation with Ryan Gosling. The book features a lone scientist in space trying to save Earth, accompanied only by an alien rock creature named Rocky. The humor and heart between the human and the alien make it surprisingly emotional.The suggested read-alikes:The Martian, also by Weir. Obviously.Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey has that isolated, losing-your-sanity-in-space vibe.Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke, a classic of alien exploration and big questions.We get into the emotional toll of reading too much sci-fi. Some of us find it uplifting and full of imagination. Others (Shirin) find it deeply depressing. Fair enough.Vampires, Book Clubs, and Dark HumorShirin wraps things up with The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix. It's part horror, part comedy, and all about strong women who take matters into their own hands. Think housewives turned vampire hunters. The book doesn't shy away from gruesome details, especially involving rats and face tentacles. But it's also heartfelt and hilarious.Similar reads include:The Honeys by Ryan La Sala, a genre-bending YA horror story about identity, loss, and hive-mind weirdness.So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison, another vampire tale that's more about the women fighting their way through chaos than the monsters themselves.We end with another surprise: Arthur picks something non-sci-fi for once. Catabasis by R.F. Kuang gets mentioned as a dark academia fantasy with two rival scholars traveling to hell. Yep. Hell. To save a professor. Talk about dedication.Recommendations here include:The Atlas Six by Olivie BlakeThe Secret History by Donna TarttIf We Were Villains by M.L. RioThey all explore dark magic, academic rivalries, and blurred lines between performance and reality. By the end, our TBR piles are towering, and we're all a little overwhelmed in the best way.Wrapping UpWe went through a ton of books in this episode: cozy fantasies, murder mysteries, sci-fi sagas, dark academia, and good old-fashioned horror. Some are funny. Some are terrifying. Some make you question your life choices. And some just make you feel seen as a reader who wants something a little different.We hope at least one of these picks piqued your interest or gave you something new to add to your list. And if your TBR just grew five feet taller, well… same. Until next time, keep on reading. We'll be here, figuring out how to read all of these before next week.

This week we dive into the beloved Movie and Book, the Martian by Andy Weir. The Betches discuss the book to movie, what they liked and didn't, and you might be surprised who liked what more. Tune in to find out what the Betches think, along with tons of laughs from this episode! Follow us on Instagram for previews of next week's episode! @Books_N_BetchesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I read to spend time with people—fictional or not—that make me think, make me laugh, or just feel like good company. In this episode, I talk about why Less by Andrew Sean Greer worked for me, why Artemis by Andy Weir didn't, and why I give every novel exactly 50 pages to win me over. This isn't about snobbery—it's about using your time wisely.Send Me a Text Message with Your QuestionsIMPORTANT LINKS:

In Part 2 of Tom's wide-ranging conversation with Andy Weir, Andy explores how AI will transform material science, medicine, biotechnology, and possibly even human evolution itself. From AI-designed drugs and custom gene editing to the ethical dilemmas of “designer babies” and the future of cosmetic self-alteration, Andy contemplates what these advances could mean for human identity, equality, and society's deepest values. The episode then hurtles into the far future, weighing the prospects of artificial superintelligence, AI alignment, and the ultimate “tool or agent” debate. Tom and Andy touch on open versus closed source AI, existential risk, and what humanity's historical track record tells us about technology. SHOWNOTES 22:08 AI's leap in material science, biotech, and AlphaFold's revolution28:49 Hardware bottlenecks and the coming “AI card” revolution32:09 Efficiency breakthroughs, compression, and training paradigm shifts36:10 How new materials could propel us to low Earth orbit38:39 AI-designed proteins: The promise and danger within biology39:47 The ethics of designer babies: Health, intelligence, and consent46:38 The coming age of “cosmetic ethnicity” and identity fluidity47:29 Body hacking: Social and economic consequences, from eating to politics48:32 Why society will push—and resist—genetic modifications49:34 The looming “intelligence arms race” between humans and AI50:15 Why Andy doubts the need to compete with AI; the “bulldozer analogy”57:15 Caution and optimism: Why Andy expects a post-scarcity AI future58:10 Why “control” is likely to stay with humans—unless we hand it over1:01:04 Open source debate, narrative control, and algorithmic bias1:28:00 What excites Andy: Self-driving cars and societal revolution1:33:57 Andy on writing, his approach to AI, and what's next for his books1:35:29 Where to follow Andy Weir FOLLOW ANDY WEIR:Twitter/X: @andyweirauthorFacebook: Andy Weir CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS ButcherBox: Ready to level up your meals? Go to ⁠https://ButcherBox.com/impact⁠ to get $20 off your first box and FREE bacon for life with the Bilyeu Box! Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to ⁠https://www.vitalproteins.com⁠ and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Netsuite: Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at ⁠https://NetSuite.com/THEORY⁠ iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACTGO when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at ⁠https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu⁠  Mint Mobile: If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at ⁠https://mintmobile.com/impact.⁠  DISCLAIMER: Upfront payment of $45 for 3-month 5 gigabyte plan required (equivalent to $15/mo.). New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full-price plan options available. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business:⁠ join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER⁠ SCALING a business:⁠ see if you qualify here.⁠ Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox:⁠ sign up here.⁠ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast,⁠ Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook⁠ —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS:⁠ apple.co/impacttheory⁠ ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/⁠ Tik Tok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/tombilyeu⁠ YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dopo Alien e il suo tardo prequel Prometheus, Ridley Scott torna a raccontarci lo spazio e la fantascienza con The Martian – il Sopravvissuto. A portare in vita le pagine dell'omonino romanzo di Andy Weir, Matt Demon, nei panni di Mark Watney: un astronauta che si ritrova, da solo, a dover sopravvivere su Marte. 

Tom Bilyeu is joined by Andy Weir, celebrated science fiction author best known for his bestsellers “The Martian” and “Project Hail Mary.” Andy brings his trademark grounded, analytical perspective as he and Tom grapple with one of the most pressing and fascinating subjects of our time: the future of artificial intelligence. In Part 1, Andy breaks down the near- and mid-term landscape of AI's impact—from industry disruptions and the transformation of art to the coming upheaval in entertainment and personal storytelling. The conversation dives into economic inevitabilities, how AI art upends creative professions, and the paradigm shift awaiting writers, artists, and audiences alike. Andy also unpacks the deeper consequences: Are we heading toward a world without shared cultural narratives? What do ultra-personalized stories mean for society, politics, and how we connect? SHOWNOTES 00:00 Introduction: Andy Weir on grounded sci-fi and AI's future04:34 How AI will revolutionize storytelling and end “event entertainment”06:06 Personalized narrative: When every film is custom-made for you12:07 What shared values mean in a fractured, AI-personalized world13:50 Roots of national cohesion before mass media, and the role of religion15:53 Core documents, slow narrative, and the dangers of centralized change17:35 Social change, the “woke era,” and decentralized storytelling18:57 Summing up: Will control of narrative actually break down meaningfully?21:15 How personal entertainment will always sidestep challenges to belief22:08 Setting up what's next: The technological future, material science, and medicine FOLLOW ANDY WEIR:Twitter/X: @andyweirauthorFacebook: Andy Weir CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS ButcherBox: Ready to level up your meals? Go to https://ButcherBox.com/impact to get $20 off your first box and FREE bacon for life with the Bilyeu Box! Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Netsuite: Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at https://NetSuite.com/THEORY iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACTGO when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu  Mint Mobile: If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://mintmobile.com/impact.  DISCLAIMER: Upfront payment of $45 for 3-month 5 gigabyte plan required (equivalent to $15/mo.). New customer offer for first 3 months only, then full-price plan options available. Taxes & fees extra. See MINT MOBILE for details. What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER SCALING a business: see if you qualify here. Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here. ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3581: Greg Audino redefines what it means to be responsible by blending real-life growth stages with mind-bending concepts from Robert Scheinfeld's Busting Loose From the Money Game. By challenging conventional thinking and viewing life as a personal video game of cause and effect, Audino makes the case for radical responsibility as a path to freedom, empowerment, and deeper self-awareness. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://medium.com/invisible-illness/life-invaders-3-return-of-responsibility-fbb9d06baa9e Quotes to ponder: "Responsibility is one of those concepts whose meaning changes drastically as life goes on." "You see, we like responsibility within reason. It feels nice to tell ourselves we're responsible. But transcending that is not what most people sign up for." "Taking deliberate responsibility for things that aren't a part of your plan gets you comfortable with the uncomfortable." Episode references: The Egg - A Short Story (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI The Martian by Andy Weir: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3581: Greg Audino redefines what it means to be responsible by blending real-life growth stages with mind-bending concepts from Robert Scheinfeld's Busting Loose From the Money Game. By challenging conventional thinking and viewing life as a personal video game of cause and effect, Audino makes the case for radical responsibility as a path to freedom, empowerment, and deeper self-awareness. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://medium.com/invisible-illness/life-invaders-3-return-of-responsibility-fbb9d06baa9e Quotes to ponder: "Responsibility is one of those concepts whose meaning changes drastically as life goes on." "You see, we like responsibility within reason. It feels nice to tell ourselves we're responsible. But transcending that is not what most people sign up for." "Taking deliberate responsibility for things that aren't a part of your plan gets you comfortable with the uncomfortable." Episode references: The Egg - A Short Story (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI The Martian by Andy Weir: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3581: Greg Audino redefines what it means to be responsible by blending real-life growth stages with mind-bending concepts from Robert Scheinfeld's Busting Loose From the Money Game. By challenging conventional thinking and viewing life as a personal video game of cause and effect, Audino makes the case for radical responsibility as a path to freedom, empowerment, and deeper self-awareness. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://medium.com/invisible-illness/life-invaders-3-return-of-responsibility-fbb9d06baa9e Quotes to ponder: "Responsibility is one of those concepts whose meaning changes drastically as life goes on." "You see, we like responsibility within reason. It feels nice to tell ourselves we're responsible. But transcending that is not what most people sign up for." "Taking deliberate responsibility for things that aren't a part of your plan gets you comfortable with the uncomfortable." Episode references: The Egg - A Short Story (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI The Martian by Andy Weir: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Andy-Weir/dp/0553418025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guitarist Carlos Santana suffered a medical emergency just before going on stage. A new young billionaire, Lucy Guo of Scale AI, bumps Taylor Swift from the top spot — but what about Kylie Jenner? Plus, we're hyped for Ryan Gosling in the film adaptation of Andy Weir's ‘Project Hail Mary'. Over protein bars? Consider switching to chunks of parmesan cheese. Sarah and Vinnie square off over Bob's love, but first — 1980s trivia!

Où l'on parle de snobisme, mais aussi d'astrophysique.

Episode 263 - "Book Review: The Egg"In this mind-expanding episode, Michelle and Scott dive into Andy Weir's short story The Egg—a powerful parable that challenges our understanding of identity, connection, and consciousness. What if every person you've ever met . . . was you? What if life is just one long journey toward unity, empathy, and self-realization? They explore the emotional, philosophical, and spiritual implications of this story, from radical empathy to the illusion of separation. Whether you're drawn to metaphysics, storytelling, or just curious about what it means to be truly connected to everyone and everything, this episode invites you to reimagine your place in the universe.Keeping Your Sh*t Together in a Stressed World is a podcast hosted by Michelle Post, MA, LMFT and Scott Grossberg, JD, CLC, CCH, NLP, and is 30 minutes of raw, irreverent, and results-oriented discussion with one purpose in mind . . . to help you cope, thrive, and survive the craziness that's going on in the world.As a reminder, our “Get Your Sh*t Together” Home Retreat can be found here:http://thinkingmagically.com/retreatReplays of prior episodes can be found at:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-grossbergYou can also join our Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/keepingystMichelle Post can be reached at michelle@postinternationalinc.com http://postinternationalinc.com
Scott Grossberg can be reached at sgrossberg@hotmail.com https://www.thinkingmagically.com© ℗ 2025 Scott Grossberg & Michelle Post. All rights reserved."Easy Lemon (60 second)" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0DISCLAIMER: MICHELLE IS A THERAPIST, BUT SHE IS NOT YOUR THERAPIST. SCOTT IS A RETIRED ATTORNEY, DOES NOT PRACTICE LAW, AND DOES NOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE. AS SUCH, SCOTT IS NOT YOUR ATTORNEY. THE INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION THAT TAKES PLACE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT LEGAL, MEDICAL, NOR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE. LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST DOES NOT CREATE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT NOR THERAPIST-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP. MICHELLE AND SCOTT ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY LOSSES OR DAMAGES RELATED TO ACTIONS OR FAILURES TO ACT RELATED TO ANY OF THEIR PROGRAMS OR TRAINING. IF YOU NEED SPECIFIC LEGAL, MEDICAL, OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE OR HELP, CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHO SPECIALIZES IN YOUR SUBJECT MATTER AND JURISDICTION. NEVER DISREGARD THE MEDICAL ADVICE OF A PSYCHOLOGIST, PHYSICIAN OR OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, OR DELAY IN SEEKING SUCH ADVICE, BECAUSE OF THE INFORMATION OFFERED OR PROVIDED WITHIN OR RELATED TO ANY OF MICHELLE'S OR SCOTT'S PROGRAMS OR TRAININGS. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY EITHER MICHELLE OR SCOTT OR BOTH OF THEM ARE OFFERED IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES, OFFERED "AS-IS" AND NO REPRESENTATIONS ARE MADE THAT THE CONTENT OF ANY VIEWS ARE ERROR-FREE.MICHELLE'S AND SCOTT'S PROGRAMS AND TRAINING ARE NOT SUITED FOR EVERYONE. THEY DO NOT ASSUME, AND SHALL NOT HAVE, ANY LIABILITY TO USERS FOR INJURY OR LOSS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH. THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY CONCERNING ANY TREATMENT OR ANY ACTION FOLLOWING THE INFORMATION OFFERED OR PROVIDED WITHIN OR THROUGH ANY PROGRAM, COACHING, CONSULTING OR STRATEGIC WORK SESSION.

Yeah, yeah. It's April Fool's Day today...technically. And yes, we've pulled our japes in the past. You're right to be on your guard. But we promise, this is just a normal episode. Ok, maybe not normal normal. It's a pretty great episode, actually! Joining Lizzy and Nate in Spielenwald's basement studio are frequent guests, Z and Rich Johnson. They've come to talk about, spoil, examine, dissect, illuminate, and swear copiously about The Martian, Andy Weir's 2011 novel and Ridley Scott's 2015 adaptation of the same name. Both versions are pretty well out of sight, and there's a lot about both to dig. Even still, when we do run into the occasional speed bump you can be certain we'll talk our way through whatever it is. We're here for the vibes. Ayyy! Erratum: as far can be determined, Andy Weir does nor or has not lived in the PNW. We'll not hold it against him. Several good people don't.

Andy Weir is having a second outer space book adapted for film, and this time it's "Project Hail Mary." This story may have one of the best sidekick characters of all time. Is it worth it for those who aren't fans of sci-fi? Video: https://youtu.be/KfgbtQmH3JE

This week, we asked listeners in our Facebook Group for categories to share our top 3 rankings! We cover (almost) everything, from food to books to pop culture and more!   Food Trader Joe's products Becca - taco seasoning; hold the cone; pastry pups Olivia (Costco remix) - Rotisserie chicken, Costco Pizza, Carbonara Buldak Ramen, Built Bars Fast food orders Becca -McDonald's (Chicken Selects), Shake Shack, Dunkin' (Sausage Egg and Cheese Wake Up Wrap) Olivia -  McDonald's (2 Cheeseburgers, extra pickles), Auntie Anne's (Pretzel Bites), Starbucks Dips Becca - Chili's salsa, Hillstone Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Spicy Feta Olivia -  Helluva Good Onion Dip, mom's spinach dip in bread bowl, Chili's ranch Plane Snacks Becca - Mini pretzels, Twizzlers, peanut butter crackers Olivia - Gardetto's, Cheez Its, Peanut M&Ms   Books: Romance Becca - The Idea of You by Robinne Lee, The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Olivia - Talking at Night by Claire Daverley, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller  Thriller Becca - Verity by Colleen Hoover, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston, All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klefoth Olivia - The Push by Ashley Audrain, Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  Books that deserve the hype Becca - The People We Keep by Alison Larkin, Musical Chairs by Amy Poepell, A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood  Olivia - We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash, Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino  Books to recommend  Becca - The Idea of You by Robinne Lee, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Olivia - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Wedding People by Alison Espach, The Husbands by Holly Gramazio Book-to-Film adaptations Becca - Crazy Rich Asians, The Devil Wears Prada, The Summer I Turned Pretty S1 Olivia - Gone Girl, The Martian, Pride & Prejudice 2005   Pop Culture: Newsletters to receive Becca - As Seen On (Ochuko Akpovbovbo), Gossip Time by Allie Jones, Galley Brag by Ezra Kupor Olivia - The Composite by Jordan Bogeegean, Morning Person by Leslie Stephens, Literary Leanings by Michelle Martin Formative celebrity crushes Becca - Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Walker, Joshua Jackson Olivia - Ashton Kutcher, Sean Faris, Robert Pattinson Karaoke Songs Becca - Hero by Enrique Iglesias, Never Ever by All Saints, Spice up Your Life by the Spice Girls  Olivia - Goodbye, Earl by the Chicks, 2 a.m. by Anna Nalick, How To Save a Life by The Fray TV Romance Plotlines: Becca - Olivia+Fitz+Jake love triangle in Scandal, Blair Waldorf + Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl, Connell + Marianne in Normal People Olivia - Nick+Jess on New Girl, Emma+Dexter in One Day, Priest+Fleabag in Fleabag Reality TV Shows: Becca - RHONY, NYC Prep, Laguna Beach Olivia - RHOSLC, RHOOC, Below Deck   Misc Things to do when you need a reset Becca - Take a walk, go to bed early and don't set an alarm, journal Olivia - Let my phone die, take a shower, journal Candle scents Becca - The New Savant Summer Splendor, Brooklyn Candle Company Apple Cider, Hotel Lobby Candle Signature Olivia - Anything that doesn't smell like cologne Late 90s/early 00s beauty products Becca - Hard Candy lip gloss, Stila Kitten Sparkle Powder, Clinique Black Honey Olivia - Dream Matte Mousse, Lancome Juicy Tube, Clearasil Face Pads   Obsessions Becca - Paradise on Hulu Olivia - Gap Barrell Overalls   This Month's Book Club Pick - Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (have thoughts about this book you want to share? Call in at 843-405-3157 or email us a voice memo at badonpaperpodcast@gmail.com)   Sponsors Quince - Go to Quince.com/bop for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Wayfair - Give your home the refresh it needs at Wayfair.com   Join our Facebook group for amazing book recs & more!  Buy our Merch! Join our Geneva! Order Olivia's Book, Such a Bad Influence! Subscribe to Olivia's Newsletter! Order Becca's Book, The Christmas Orphans Club! Subscribe to Becca's Newsletter!  Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviamuenter and Becca @beccamfreeman.  

In this episode, Jamey and his guest Marc Wallace discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Project Hail Mary is a science fiction novel that follows the journey of Ryland Grace, a lone scientist who wakes up in a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. His memory gradually returns and he realizes that he's on a suicide mission to save life on earth. Marc goes above and beyond and brings three drinks to the discussion.For videos and more episodes visit, https://onedrinkbookclub.com/

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: Kindle samples and getting new indie bookstores Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: six star books to which we will take no criticism from anyone The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  1:01 - Ad For Ourselves 1:18 - Currently Reading Patreon 1:34 - An Unlikely Story 2:35 - @anunlikelystory on Instagram 3:37 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 6:48 - Literally, A Bookshop 7:54 - @Literallybookshop on Instagram 8:52 - Our Current Reads 9:23 - The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley (Meredith) 16:32 - All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim (Kaytee) 16:40 - Tucson Festival of Books 2025 19:52 - Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala 20:13 - This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Meredith) 21:47 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 23:20 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 23:49 - They Came for the Schools by Mike Hixenbaugh (Kaytee) 24:11 - Southlake Podcast 27:46 - Past Crimes by Jason Pinter (Meredith) 29:44 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 31:06 - Recursion by Blake Crouch 31:40 - The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues by Beth Lincoln (Kaytee) 31:49 - The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln 35:11 - Our Six Star Reads 36:08 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 37:29 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 37:33 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 40:17 - Happy Place by Emily Henry 42:32 - The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher 42:37 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 42:38 - In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden 42:41 - The Stand by Stephen King 42:43 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 42:44 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 44:44 - All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle 45:00 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 45:09 - Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge 45:13 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 45:14 - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson 45:17 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 45:38 - Lobizona by Romina Garber Russell 45:43 - Cazadora by Romina Garber Russell 49:14 - The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman 49:49 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 51:22 - Meet Us At The Fountain 51:43 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 51:53 - I want everyone to listen to episode 188 of Sarah's Bookshelves Live if you enjoy fantasy reading. (Meredith) 51:54 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live episode 188 53:09 - I wish for a book aggregator that would house all book covers of all books so we could compare easily and find the ones we want to purchase quickly without having to browse multiple sites. (Kaytee) 54:09 - Greenwood by Michael Christie Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. March's IPL comes to you from our tried and true partner, An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

In this week's episode, we continue our discuss about how seeking prestige can be dangerous for writers, specifically in the form of traditional publishing and the New York Times Bestseller list. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Shield of the Knight, Book #2 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store: DRAGONSHIELD50 The coupon code is valid through March 21, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 241 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February 28th, 2025. Today we are continuing our discussion of how to escape the trap of prestige for writers, specifically traditional publishing and The New York Times Bestseller List. Before we get to our main topic, we will do Coupon of the Week, an update on my current writing and audiobook projects, and then Question of the Week.   This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Shield of the Knight, Book Two in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. That coupon code is DRAGONSHIELD50. As always, I'll include the coupon code and the link to the store in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through March 21st, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook as we start to head into the spring months, we have got you covered. Now an update on my current writing projects. I'm pleased to report I am done with the rough draft of Ghost in the Assembly. I came in at 106,000 words, so it'll definitely be over a hundred thousand words when it's done. I'm about 20% of the way through the first round of edits, so I am confident in saying that if all goes well and nothing unexpected happens, I am on track to have it out in March. I am also 10,000 words into Shield of Battle, which will be the fifth of six books in the Shield War series and I'm hoping to have that out in April, if all goes well.   In audiobook news, recording for both Cloak of Dragonfire and Orc-Hoard is done. I'm just waiting for them to get through the processing on the various stores so they're available. There is also an audiobook edition of Half Elven Thief Omnibus One and Cloak Mage Omnibus Three that hopefully should be coming in March. More news with that to come.   00:01:55 Question of the Week   Now let's move on to Question of the Week. Question of the Week is intended to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics. This week's question: what is your favorite subgenre of fantasy, high fantasy, epic fantasy, sword and sorcery, historical fantasy, urban fantasy, LitRPG, cultivation, or something else? No wrong answers, obviously.   Cindy says: Epic fantasy or those with a good history for that world. The Ghost Series are fantastic at this.   Thanks, Cindy.   Justin says: I enjoy all those sub-genres, if they are done well. In times past I would've said comic fantasy, but that is because Terry Pratchett at his best was just that good.   Mary says: High fantasy.   Surabhi says: I'd honestly read anything fantasy that's written well and has characters I'm attached to, given that it's not too gritty. Bonus points if there's humor! Also, I love your books so much and they're the perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, and characters. Your books were what really got me into Sword and Sorcery.   Thanks, Surabhi.     Matthew says: See, that's difficult. I love my sabers, both light and metal. I would say urban fantasy crosses the boundary the most. If it's a captivating story, it will be read.   John F says: I can't choose one- Lord of the Rings or LWW, The Inheritance Cycle, The Dresden Files, Caina, Ridmark, or Nadia. I think what draws me is great characters who grow. The setting/genre is just the device. That's why I keep coming back to your books. You create great characters.   Thanks, John F.   John K says: I think I'm partial to historical fantasy. I enjoy all genres, but when I think of my favorites, they tend to be derivations of historical settings. Think Guy Gavriel Kay or Miles Cameron. That said, I was weaned on Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Michael Moorcock, Karl Edward Wagner, Jack Vance, so a strong sword and sorcery second place.   Juana says: High fantasy. Belgariad, Tolkien, dragons, et cetera.   Jonathan says: Sword and sorcery in space! Prehistoric sword and sorcery, sword and sorcery always.   Quint: says Sword and sorcery!   Michael says: Sword and sorcery.   For myself, I think I would agree with our last couple of commenters and it would be sword and sorcery. My ideal fantasy novel has a barbarian hero wandering from corrupt city state to corrupt city state messing up the business of some evil wizards. I'm also very fond of what's called generic fantasy (if a fighter, a dwarf, an elf, and a wizard are going into a dungeon and fighting some orcs, I'm happy).   00:04:18 Main Topic of the Week: Escaping the Prestige Trap, Part 2   Now onto our main topic for the week, Escaping the Prestige Trap, Part 2, and we'll focus on traditional publishing and the New York Times Bestseller List this week. As we talked about last week, much of the idea of success, especially in the United States, is based on hitting certain milestones in a specific order. In the writing world, these measures of success have until fairly recently been getting an MFA, finding an agent, getting traditionally published, and hitting The New York Times Bestseller List. Last week we talked about the risks of an MFA and an agent. This week, we are going to talk about two more of those writing markers of prestige, getting traditionally published and having a book land on The New York Times Bestseller List. Why are they no longer as important? What should you devote your energy and focus to instead?   So let's start with looking at getting traditionally published. Most writers have dreamed of seeing their book for sale and traditional publishing for a long time has been the only route to this path. Until about 15 years ago, traditional publishing was the way that a majority of authors made their living. Now that big name authors like Hugh Howie, Andy Weir, and Colleen Hoover have had success starting as self-published authors (or in the case of authors Sarah J. Maas and Ali Hazelwood, fan fiction authors) and then are getting traditional publishing deals made for them for their self-published works. It's proof that self-publishing is no longer a sign that the author isn't good enough to be published traditionally. Previous to the rise of the Kindle, that was a common belief that if you were self-published, it was because you were not good enough to get traditionally published. That was sort of this pernicious belief that traditional publishing was a meritocracy, when in fact it tended to be based on who you knew. But that was all 15 years ago and now we are well into the age of self-publishing. Why do authors still want to be traditionally published when in my frank opinion, self-publishing is the better path? Well, I think there are three main reasons for that.   One of the main reasons is that the authors say they want to be traditionally published is to have someone else handle the marketing and the advertising. They don't realize how meager marketing budgets and staffing support are, especially for unknown authors. Many traditionally published authors are handling large portions of their own marketing and hiring publicists out of their own pocket because publishers are spending much less on marketing. The new reality is that traditional publishers aren't going to do much for you as a debut author unless you are already a public figure.   Even traditionally published authors are not exempt from having to do their own marketing now. James Patterson set up an entire company himself to handle his marketing. Though, to be fair to James Patterson, his background was in advertising before he came into publishing, so he wasn't exactly a neophyte in the field, but you see more and more traditionally published authors who you think would be successful just discontented with the system and starting to dabble in self-publishing or looking at alternative publishers like Aethon Books and different arrangements of publishing because the traditional system is just so bad for writers. The second main reason authors want to be traditionally published is that they want to avoid the financial burden of publishing. This is an outdated way of thinking. The barrier to publishing these days is not so much financial as it is knowledge. In fact, I published a book entirely using free open source software in 2017 just to prove that it could be done. It was Silent Order: Eclipse Hand, the fourth book in my science fiction series. I wrote it on Ubuntu using Libre Office and I edited it in Libre Office and I did the formatting on Ubuntu and I did the cover in the GIMP, which is a free and open source image editing program. This was all using free software and I didn't have to pay for the program. Obviously I had to pay for the computer I was using and the Internet connection, but in the modern era, having an internet connection is in many ways almost a requirement, so that's the cost you would be paying anyway.   The idea that you must spend tens of thousands of dollars in formatting, editing, cover, and marketing comes from scammy self-publishing services. Self-publishing, much like traditional publishing, has more than its fair share of scams or from people who aren't willing to take the time to learn these skills and just want to cut someone a check to solve the problem. There are many low cost and effective ways to learn these skills and resources designed specifically for authors. People like Joanna Penn have free videos online explaining how to do this, and as I've said, a lot of the software you can use to self-publish is either free or low cost, and you can get some very good programs like Atticus or Vellum or Jutoh for formatting eBooks for very low cost.   The third reason that writers want to be traditionally published is that many believe they will get paid more this way, which is, unless you are in the top 1% of traditionally published authors, very wrong. Every so often, there's a study bemoaning the fact that most publishers will only sell about $600 worth of any individual book, and that is true of a large percentage of traditionally published books. Traditional publishers typically pay a lump sum called advance, and then royalties based on sales. An average advance is about the same as two or three months of salary from an office job and so not a reflection of the amount of time it typically takes most authors to finish a book. Most books do not earn out their advance, which means the advance is likely to be the only money the author receives for the book. Even well-known traditionally published authors are not earning enough to support themselves as full-time authors. So as you can see, all three of these reasons are putting a lot of faith in traditional publishers, faith that seems increasingly unnecessary or downright misplaced. I think it is very healthy to get rid of the idea that good writing comes from traditional publishers and that the prestige of being traditionally published is the only way you'll be accepted as a writer or be able to earn a living as a full-time writer. I strongly recommend that people stop thinking that marketing is beneath you as an author or too difficult to learn. Whether you are indie or tradpub, you are producing a product that you want to sell, thus you are a businessperson. The idea that only indie authors have to sell their work is outdated. The sooner you accept this reality, the more options you will have. Self-publishing and indie publishing are admittedly more work. However, the benefits are significant. Here are five benefits of self-publishing versus traditional publishing.   The first advantage of self-publishing is you have complete creative control. You decide what the content of your book will be; you decide what the cover will be. If you don't want to make the covers yourself or you don't want to learn how to do that, you can very affordably hire someone to do it for you and they will make the cover exactly to your specifications. You also have more freedom to experiment with cross-genre books. As I've mentioned before, publishers really aren't a fan of cross genre books until they make a ton of money, like the new romantasy trend.   Traditional publishing is very trend driven and cautious. Back in the 2000s before I gave up on traditional publishing and discovered self-publishing, I would submit to agents a lot. Agents all had these guidelines for fantasy saying that they didn't want to see stories with elves and orcs and dwarves and other traditional fantasy creatures because they thought that was passe. Well, when I started self-publishing, I thought I'm going to write a traditional fantasy series with elves and orcs and dwarves and other traditional fantasy creatures just because I can and Frostborn has been my bestselling series of all time in the time I've been self-publishing, so you can see the advantages of having creative control.   The second advantage is you can control the marketing. Tradpub authors often sign a contract that they'll get their social media and website content approved by the publisher before posting. They may even be given boilerplate or pre-written things to post. In self-publishing, you have real time data to help you make decisions and adjust ads and overall strategy on the fly to maximize revenue. For example, if one of your books is selling strangely well on Google Play, it's time to adjust BookBub ads to focus on that platform instead of Amazon.   You can also easily change your cover, your blurb, and so forth after release. I've changed covers of some of my books many times trying to optimize them for increased sales and that is nearly impossible to do with traditional publishing. And in fact, Brandon Sanderson gave a recent interview where he talked about how the original cover of his Mistborn book was so unrelated to the content of the book that it almost sunk the book and hence his career.   You also have the ability to run ad campaigns as you see fit, not just an initial launch like tradpub does. For example, in February 2025, I've been heavily advertising my Demonsouled series even though I finished writing that series back in 2013, but I've been able to increase sales and derive a significant profit from those ads.   A third big advantage is that you get a far greater share of the profits. Most of the stores, if you price an ebook between $2.99 (prices are USD) and $9.99, you will get 70% of the sale price, which means if you sell an ebook for $4.99, you're probably going to get about $3.50 per sale (depending on currency fluctuations and so forth). That is vastly more than you would get from any publishing contract.   You also don't have to worry about the publisher trying to cheat you out of royalties. We talked about an agency stealing money last episode. Every platform you publish your book on, whether Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Smashwords and Apple will give you a monthly spreadsheet of your sales and then you can look at it for yourself, see exactly how many books you sold and exactly how much money you're going to get. I have only very rarely seen traditional publishing royalty statements that are as clear and have as much data in them as a spreadsheet from Google Play or Amazon. A fourth advantage is you don't have to worry about publishers abandoning you mid-series. In traditional publishing, there is what's called the Publishing Death Spiral where let's say an author is contracted to write a series of five books. The author writes the first book and it sells well. Then the author publishes the second book and it doesn't sell quite as well, but the publisher is annoyed enough by the decrease in sales that they drop the writer entirely and don't finish the series. This happens quite a bit in the traditional publishing world, and you don't have to worry about that in indie publishing because you can just publish as often as you want. If you're not happy with the sales of the first few books in the series, you can change the covers, try ad campaigns, and other strategies.   Finally, you can publish as often as you want and when you want. In traditional publishing, there is often a rule of thumb that an author should only publish one book a year under their name. Considering that last year I published 10 books under my name, that seems somewhat ridiculous, but that's a function of the fact that traditional publishing has only so much capacity and the pieces of the machine involved there are slow and not very responsive. Whereas with self-publishing, you have much more freedom and everything involved with it is much more responsive. There's no artificial deadlines, so you can take as long as you want to prepare it and if the book is ready, you don't have to wait a year to put it out because it would mess up the publisher's schedule.   So what to do instead of chasing traditional publishing? Learn about self-publishing, especially about scams and bad deals related to it. Publish your own works by a platform such as KDP, Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life, Apple Books, Google Play, Smashwords, and possibly your own Payhip and/or Shopify store.   Conquer your fear of marketing and advertising. Even traditionally published authors are shouldering more of this work and paying out of their own pocket to hire someone to do it, and if you are paying your own marketing costs, you might as well self-publish and keep a greater share of the profits. The second half of our main topic, another potential risk of prestige, is getting on The New York Times Bestseller List. I should note that I suppose someone could accuse me of sour grapes here saying, oh, Jonathan Moeller, you've never been on The New York Times Bestseller List. You must just be bitter about it. That is not true. I do not want to be on The New York Times Bestseller List. What I would like to be is a number one Amazon bestseller. Admittedly though, that's unlikely, but a number one Amazon bestseller would make a lot more money than a number one New York Times Bestseller List, though because of the way it works, if you are a number one Amazon bestseller, you might be a New York Times Bestseller, but you might not. Let's get into that now.   Many writers have the dream of seeing their name on the New York Times Bestseller List. One self-help guru wrote about “manifesting” this milestone for herself by writing out the words “My book is number one on The New York Times Bestseller List” every day until it happened. Such is the mystique of this milestone that many authors crave it as a necessity. However, this list has seen challenges to its prestige in recent years. The one thing that shocks most people when they dig into the topic is that the list is not an objective list based on the raw number of books sold. The list is “editorial content” and The New York Times can exclude, include, or rank the books on the list however they choose.   What it does not capture is perennial sellers or classics. For example, the Bible and the Quran are obviously some of the bestselling books of all time, but you won't see editions of the Bible or the Quran on the New York Times Bestseller List. Textbooks and classroom materials, I guarantee there are some textbooks that are standards in their field that would be on the bestseller list every year, but they're not because The New York Times doesn't track them. Ebooks available only from a single vendor such as Kindle Unlimited books, ebook sales from not reporting vendors such as Shopify or Payhip. Reference Works including test prep guides (because I guarantee when test season comes around the ACT and SAT prep guides or the GRE prep guides sell a lot of copies) and coloring books or puzzle books.  It would be quite a blow to the authors on the list to realize that if these excluded works were included on the list, they would in all likelihood be consistently below To Kill a Mockingbird, SAT prep books, citation manuals, Bibles/other religious works, and coloring books about The Eras Tour.   Publishers, political figures, religious groups, and anyone with enough money can buy their way into the rank by purchasing their books in enormous quantities. In fact, it's widely acknowledged in the United States that this is essentially a legal form of bribery and a bit of money laundering too, where a publisher will give a truly enormous advance to a public figure or politician that they like, and that advance will essentially be a payment to that public figure in the totally legal form of an enormous book advance that isn't going to pay out. Because this is happening with such frequency, The New York Times gave into the pressure to acknowledge titles suspected of this strategy with a special mark next to it on the list. However, these books remain on the list and can still be called a New York Times Bestseller.   Since the list is not an objective marker of sales and certainly not some guarantee of quality, why focus on making it there? I think trying to get your book on The New York Times Bestseller List would be an enormous waste of time, since the list is fundamentally an artificial construction that doesn't reflect sales reality very well.   So what can you do instead? Focus on raw sales numbers and revenue, not lists. Even Amazon's bestseller category lists have a certain amount of non-quantitative factors. In the indie author community, there's a saying called Bank not Rank, which means you should focus on how much revenue your books are actually generating instead of whatever sales rank they are on whatever platform. I think that's a wiser approach to focus your efforts.   You can use lists like those from Publishers Weekly instead if you're interested in what's selling or trends in the industry, although that too can be manipulated and these use only a fairly small subset of data that favors retail booksellers, but it's still more objective in measuring than The New York Times.   I suppose in the end, you should try and focus on ebook and writing activities that'll bring you actual revenue or satisfaction rather than chasing the hollow prestige of things like traditional publishing, agents, MFAs, and The New York Times Bestseller List.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

​​Welcome to You Haven't Blanked That! It's Modern Fairy Tales month. We watched A.I. Artificial Intelligence. We talk about Spielberg finishing the movie for Stanley Kubrick, the ending make sense, robot love, imprinting, Martin is an asshole, robostroke, Ministry, Haddonfield, Indiana Jones 4 and 5, Pinocchio movies, Haley Joel Osment, Sixth Sense, Jackass, Kubrick's career path, A Clockwork Orange (book), Ready Player One, Who Would Corey Feldman play? What We Are Blanking: Juror #2, Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Traitors, Clear Cut, Marvel Rivals, Shrinking, Grifter's Game, Jurassic Park (book), Wake Up And Open Your Eyes, ​​Opening theme by the Assassins ​​Closing theme by Lucas Perea ​​ For more info, click the link bio or below. https://linktr.ee/yhblankthat Email: Yhblankthat@gmail.com

Az űrutazás első ötletétől az utolsó esélyt jelentő misszióigAndy Weir harmadik kötetével foglalkozik a Kello Könyvkultúra Magazin podcast-sorozatának új epizódja. Müllner Nándor kutúrakutató és Rácz András, a magazin főszerkesztője persze nem csak a regényről beszélget, sőt – a spoilerezés elkerülése érdekében –, arról a legkevesebbet. Szóba kerül viszont a scifi-irodalom születése, Andy Weir két korábbi regénye, A marsi – Mentőexpedíció és az Artemis, a gimnáziumi tanárok és a tudományos karrier viszonya, valamint a megvalósulással fenyegető disztópiákhoz, illetve a megvalósulás lehetőségével kecsegtető utópiákhoz sok (vagy akár minden) esetben kapcsolódó totális uralom kérdése is. De azért a legfontosabb kérdések A Hail Mary küldetésről is kiderülnek: kellően tudományos és szórakoztatóan fantasztikus, jó dramaturgiával építkező, izgalmasan kibontott cselekményt kínál, okos kérdéseket vet föl, magával ragadó, olvasmányos, fordulatos, sőt már-már letehetetlen… Egyszóval minden-scifi-kedvelő, kalandkereső, gondolkodni vágyó olvasónak jó szívvel ajánlja Andy Weir harmadik könyvét a SAPERE AUDE PODCAST.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock are built around one key piece of technology which may or may not have real world implications.“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!”Admiral James Tiberius Kirk, 2285There are countless reasons why fans love Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Up until that point, it was the most action-packed installment of Star Trek ever put on screen, so that certainly has something to do with it. William Shatner delivers an all-time great career performance in this one as Admiral James T. Kirk, full of downright Shakespearean drama with his old enemy, the diabolical Khan Noonien Singh. It's got at least one of the most memorable, shocking, and poignant moments in franchise history. Or maybe it's just Ricardo Montalban's magnificent chest. Who's to say?But possibly lost amidst all that magnificence is the fact that The Wrath of Khan is built around a truly great piece of science fiction with the Genesis Device. A project designed to help Starfleet terraform barren worlds is also potentially the ultimate weapon in the galaxy, given that in creating new life it first has to wipe out anything else that's there. Of course the wrong people want to get their grubby mitts on it!In this episode we're diving into just what it would take to truly terraform an alien world, and whether the Genesis Device follows its own rules in the Star Trek universe. Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…SUGGESTED VIEWING Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanYou mean to tell us you're watching or listening to a Roddenberry podcast and you somehow haven't seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? We sure hope you watched it before this episode spoiled the absolute hell out of it for you! But in all seriousness, there's a reason this is the most critically acclaimed and beloved Star Trek movie of all time and why we chose it for this week's topic. Star Trek III: The Search for SpockBut also, you can't watch The Wrath of Khan (or get a full picture of the scope of the Genesis Device's implications) without also watching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Forget that even number/odd number nonsense about the Star Trek movies, this one is just as essential!Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 22 “Space Seed”And just in case you've never done this, we also highly recommend “Space Seed” which first introduced Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh. It doesn't have anything to do with terraforming in space, but it's a classic bit of Star Trek lore, nonetheless!The Evolution of Planet EarthWant a real life taste of what the Genesis Device does…except over the course of millions/billions of years instead of minutes/hours? This video is pretty cool.FURTHER READING Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today's episode? Of course you do! TerraformingWhile still primarily a science fiction concept, the idea of using terraforming to make a planet or moon into something that can support life as we know it is gaining considerable steam as we look to our nearest neighbor, Mars. See also: Bionengineering“Is there life on…Venus?”Wait, that's not how the song goes! But the key here is that while Mars gets all the attention as the planet in our solar system with the most potential to support life, there's also a chance that Venus could, as well. Key to that is the presence of phosphine in the atmosphere, which scientists have gone back and forth on, but recently found new evidence that it may be present.“PIXAAAAAAR!”Read more about that funny connection between a beloved animation studio and these beloved Trek movies here.“Colonized by earth bacteria”It doesn't take long, just to give you an idea of how quickly “life finds a way.”The Mars TrilogyTamara brings up Kim Stanley Robinson's acclaimed trilogy about terraforming our nearest planetary neighbor, Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. There's also the follow-up The Martians which is a collection of short stories that expands this universe further.Project Hail MaryAnother Tamara recommendation this week is the Hugo Award-nominated Project Hail Mary from sci-fi author Andy Weir. You might also recognize Weir's name as the author of The Martian, which was adapted into a beloved film from director Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon.The Wrath of Khan: The Novel!Even if you've seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan dozens of times, Vonda N. McIntyre's superb novelization of the film is full of surprises that will enrich your understanding of the story and your love of Trek in general. For extra credit, follow it up with her equally great (possibly better than the film it's based on!) novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock!WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?Go back to the very beginning with the first ever episode of Does it Fly? which tackled another iconic Star Trek concept: the transporter. Watch it right here!We're not particularly big on the whole Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate around these parts, so for those folks who love ‘em both, check out our episode on lightsabers right here!FOLLOW US!Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think! And don't forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial Facebook: RoddenberryBlueky: @Roddenberry  For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.comCheck out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!

Well it is official, this is the most hyped book I have ever listened to. But does Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter live up to all that hype? Stay tuned to find out! Support us: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kotplpod Join us: https://www.facebook.com/KnightOfThePagelessLibrary/ Critisize us: kotpl.pod@gmail.com

This month, Annie revisits Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which was also the book chosen by Dave for their Family Book Club!   Many thanks, as ever, to Cambo for our theme music. Contact us - willyoustillloveit@gmail.com  

 This week we are diving into our favorite books of 2024! Throughout the episode we share why these books really hit home for us, and why a few might be complete surprises to anyone that knows our usual tastes. There are some classics on the list that you may already know of, but if you are looking for good recommendations to start the new year off with some amazing reads, then this is the episode for you!  Check below for the links to the books mentioned!  --------------------------------- https://theheartuniversity.com/imposter --------------------------------- “PODCAST10” for 10% off anything from The Shop! www.theheartuniversity.com/shop --------------------------------- Primally Pure https://primallypure.com/?rfsn=5649435.725fd3 Use HEARTANDHUSTLE for 10% OFF. --------------------------------- Check Out The Books Mentioned In The Episode: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis: https://amzn.to/4ft8Obu All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot: https://amzn.to/41PwAv5 Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: https://amzn.to/407HOcY Project Hail Mary (Audiobook version specifically) by Andy Weir: https://amzn.to/4gSzDXL Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: https://amzn.to/4gQTTJ6 Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose: https://amzn.to/4iTbeD2 Powerless by Lauren Roberts: https://amzn.to/3DpG3is Glory on Your House by Jack Hayford: https://amzn.to/4iO27Ud Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiwosaki: https://amzn.to/3Dr0XOq The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom: https://amzn.to/49STALG --------------------------------- Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@theheartuniversitychannel?si=33lzxpBA9UxKlgTE --------------------------------- If you want to connect with us and other listeners in the Heart and Hustle community join our Facebook group here. --------------------------------- Follow along: www.instagram.com/mrslindseyroman www.instagram.com/evierupp www.instagram.com/theheartuniversity  

The brothers discuss Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens. Drew absolutely loves this movie, Eric likes it, and Jason was unimpressed. Along the way they discuss Burton Cummings from the Guess Who and Eric Van Lustbader's treachery to Robert Ludlum.   Housekeeping begins at 1:00:25 during which they discuss Rian Johnson, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski, Will and Harper, and VR Batman.   File length 1:14:14 File Size 52.6 MB   Theme by Jul Big Green via SongFinch Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts Listen to us on Stitcher Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Send your comments to show@notinacreepyway.com Visit the show website at Not In A Creepy Way

Host a Podcast and Be a Podcast Guest!John Kremer: Every author should have a podcast. I still believe that. I've been promoting it for a long, long time.I still really believe that because I think podcasting is one of the most powerful tools you have for getting the word out about yourself.The neat thing in today's world, it's easy to create a combined audio-video podcast that you can syndicate on 40 or 50 platforms.Judith Briles: How many people come in and start a podcast with absolutely amazing intentions? Kind of like when people are going to do a blog and then within six months the blog is dead. Is there any stats on the startup for podcasts that start petering out?John Kremer: I don't know of any specific stats, but I do know from my own anecdotal experience that probably 80 or 90% of podcasters give up on their podcasts within six months. It becomes too much work. It's too hard. It's every week. But the thing is, you don't always have to do a podcast that's going to be a forever podcast. You could do a limited edition 10-episode podcast.Some of the most popular podcasts in the world are limited podcasts. They cover a true crime case, and then once you're done covering it, the podcast is done. But the podcast lives on in all the podcast syndication sites. It lives on in Audible. It lives on in Amazon. It lives on in lots of places.Judith Briles: Some of the news shows I'll pick up once in a while, they have both the ongoing, like in perpetuity, like ours has been, and we're seven years old now. But they also have limited edition episodes, almost like a serial book and then it's over. And then maybe they'll come back again when they have a new serial to start up.John Kremer: Even a limited podcast series still gives you the benefits of a podcast, especially the power of syndication.One of the incredibly powerful things about podcasts is that it puts you on 30, 40, or even 50 of the major websites on the Internet, including Apple, Amazon, Audible, Google Play, Spotify, Pandora, and more!You know the power of a podcast because you built up a listenership for your podcast, and you've had millions and millions of listens and possibly views because I know you also put it up on YouTube.Podcasts not only allow you to syndicate it to all these powerful websites, but it also gives you the opportunity to exchange views and podcast episodes with other podcasters.Ask key influencers and authors this question: I'd love to interview you for my podcast, but I would really like it if you would also interview me for your podcast. I think we have complimentary audiences that would like to hear both of us talk on each other's podcasts.The Book of the Month ClubJohn Kremer: I'm going to talk about the Book of the Month Club. Now, this isn't the old line Book of the Month Club, which died a sad death.Judith Briles: So, how do we create our own Book of the Month Club?John Kremer: I met somebody once at one of your seminars, and I'm still trying to track down his name now because I seem to have misplaced it in my move to Arizona.But he offered a book of the month club. He was a business speaker and consultant to corporations. What he did is he wrote 12 short books. I'm talking about short books, 96 to 128 pages, somewhere in there.Then whenever he'd go out and speak or whenever he attended a convention, whenever he met somebody that might be a potential client or customer or speaking agent, he added them to his book of the month club.Once a month, he mailed out real books to his prospect list, a list of about 500 potential customers. He kept adding people to the list as he spoke in different venues and met people on planes, in hotels, or at convention sites.His book of the month bluc not only justified him printing hundreds or thousands of copies of his books but it also impacted his speaking engagements and his corporate consultations.From a business standpoint, his book of the month club made perfect sense for him because he picked up all kinds of coaching clients, speaking engagements, and corporate programs that he would do.To be successful with such a club, first you have to write 12 books. And you can't produce junk. You have to produce real content worth reading, something that would showcase your experience and help to sell people on other products and services you have to offer.The neat thing is that at the end of every book, of course, he included a pitch for his coaching and his speaking and his corporate programs.His book of the month club was designed for a business audience. But the thing is, novelists, memoir writers, cookbook authors, and other writers could release five to 10 pages per week instead of releasing a book a month.One chapter per month, a recipe per week, something like that. They could email it out. Or they could podcast out episodes. They could even do YouTube videos.I just ran across an old friend of mine, Peggy Glenn, who's now doing videos under the name Grandma Potty Mouth where she shares fun recipes. She's a little spicy in her videos. They're entertaining and fun. She obviously enjoys it. And she actually got a book deal with a New York publisher to publish a cookbook.It wouldn't be that hard for any author, regardless of what kind of book they're writing, to offer a book of the month club or pages per week club or something like that.As you share, be sure to collect listener email address so you can email out the episodes or posts or videos to your list.It means that you don't have to invent new content for your email every week. You can simply be podcasting a book. Or email out a book a few pages at a time.The classic case of this is the novel, The Martian, which the author originally released as a series of blog posts. The story became so popular that Andy Weir ended up self-publishing his book before he got a contract offer from a major publisher to publish the book. Of course, it got made into a movie. He ended up making millions of dollars on what began as a simple blog.Judith Briles: Many authors sell their ebooks on Amazon, but they don't go any further.John Kremer: The neat thing is now with Amazon Kindle, you can do a paperback and a hardcover as well. And they actually encourage you to do those now. And an audio, an AI-generated audio that's actually not bad.Give Away Your BookJudith Briles: Yeah, it really can make a powerful difference to have different versions of your book.Authors are too often afraid to give away their book. I really think it's important to get rid of that mindset because I think in some ways giving away pieces of your book.John Kremer: For novelists, I recommend giving away your first book because I know you got three more books in you. I don't know any novelist other than Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell that don't have a dozen novels in their heart and soul.One of the best ways to market the second novel is to give the first novel away.Offer the 1st Book in a Series to Sell the 2nd BookJudith Briles: Here's a little trick I found when I've been in bookstores. I have a historical fantasy fiction book called The Secret Journey. Book two is The Secret Hamlet and book three, The Secret Rise.When people meet you for the first time, they usually want to start with book one. If they like it, they'll come back to the trough. I typically tell a bookstore to order 20 to 25 copies of my book. I've learned to ask booksellers to order 20 to 25 of the 1st novel in a series and a dozen of the 2nd novel.In one instance, I asked readers, “How would you like to read book one for free if you buy book two?” That got their attention.So I said, “Do you ever read e-books? Are you on Amazon's Kindle? Let me sign book two for you and you can go up on Kindle Unlimited and download book one for free.” Within five minutes, I sold another five books of book two.Reach Out to InfluencersJohn Kremer: The first step to marketing your books is to reach out to influencers in your topic area.Judith Briles:; How do we find the influencers?John Kremer: It should be easy for you to find influencers in your topic area. If you don't know who they are, you're probably not writing on the right topic— because you should be a fan of that topic if you're writing in it.For example, I think it's terrible to write science fiction if you've never read science fiction. It's terrible to write a business book if you don't read business books.That's a crucial element in researching your audience, researching your topic, and making your book 10 times better.Work with Your CompetitorsJudith Briles: Many times I talk with authors and I ask them, who are their competitors? One author told me, “Well, I don't have any competitors.”I said, what BS? She just looked at me startled.That is total BS. We all have competitors. Ask yourself, what are the names of authors who are comparable to what you write? Or, who is competing for your services? Who is competing for your wisdom? Who's out there trying to get people to buy their books that have storylines in your genre? Those are your competitors.So I don't actually call them competitors. I call them friends or potential friends. And they can become friends, right?John Kremer: Back when I started out, Dan Poynter had written The Self-Publishing Manual. We partnered together, and he sold thousands of copies of my 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. And I sold thousands of copies of his self-publishing manual. I did the same for Tom and Marilyn Ross with their Complete Guide to Self-Publishing.I didn't see them as competitors at all. I saw them as people who were offering great content, and I could sell their content. So one of the first things you should do is ask your competitors is: “Can I sell your books?”Via the Amazon affiliate program, you can easily sell competitor or compatible books.You can also publish a catalog that you send out to customers when they order your books direct from you. That's how I created my first catalog. If you create a catalog to send out to customers who order your book direct from you, you can generate lots of extra orders. With my catalog, I ended up selling thousands of other authors' books that I stocked in-house.Potential competitors should be cooperating with each other. One of the best things that writers can do is work together with other people writing similar books to reach out to their audiences and expand each author's audience.The Audience as Super FansJudith Briles: You're talking about the audience as super fans. Who are these unique animals out there? Number one, they're mostly women, but they devour anything in the genre because they're always on the prowl looking for new things. So, why not create a cooperative collective of other authors like you?Or you can create a collection of related author books on Amazon and collect referral fees for encouraging such sales.Earlier when we were talking about the Book-of-the-Month Club, we both said we miss them because they were curating books. And there's still room for curators.John Kremer: I could see you doing a science fiction podcast that interviews your favorite SF authors and promotes their books. Any author can do that.When authors tell me that they can't think of anything to podcast about, I'm going, duh. All you have to do is interview people. Just interview your favorite authors.If you started interviewing a few famous authors, you can also start to become famous by associating and interviewing those celebrated authors. You start to become well-known. Their audience starts to seek you out because they say, wow, this person seems to know what they're talking about.Back in the day, I would have loved to interview Isaac Asimov or Jerry Pournelle or other science fiction authors. I went to a couple of world science fiction conventions and actually got to sit down with some authors and talk to them. In today's world you could easily go to the next world science fiction convention and record a whole year's worth of podcasts.And that's just the first half hour of the podcast. Listen in for even more great ideas!Book Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.ResourcesThe I-Don't-Have-Any-Time Hour-a-Day Book Marketing Plan: https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/the-i-dont-have-any-time-hour-a-day-book-marketing-plan51 Ways to Help a Book Author You Love: https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/36-ways-to-help-a-book-author-you-loveThe Ultimate Guide to Social Media Hashtags for Book Authors (439 author hashtags): https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/423-social-media-hashtags-for-book-authorsBook Marketing Success is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookmarketing.substack.com/subscribe

Content - We open the show talking about the recent US Election, if you don't want to hear our opinion on politics, jump to the Agenda at 00:08:51. This week on PodQuest we sit down to chat about the Terrifier movie series (Spoilers for movies 1 and 2). Then Walnut talks about his early impressions of Monster Hunter Wilds from their recent Beta test. Then Chris talks (And spoils) Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary. We also talk a bit about Claire's route in Resident Evil 2 Hardcore, Walnuts upcoming second attempt at Mega Man X8, and what we've got coming up next week. Our next book club will be the 2020 film Friendsgiving, as we start on a two month Holiday theme round of picks. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro - We talk about the election and politics 00:08:51 - Agenda 00:09:14 - Terrifier 1 and Terrifier 2 *SPOILERS* 00:21:08 - Monster Hunter Wilds Beta 00:40:50 - Project Hail Mary (novel) *SPOILERS* 00:55:08 - Resident Evil Hardcore - Claire 01:03:32 - Mega Man X8 is coming 01:05:49 - Next week 01:07:13 - Outro Support One-Quest https://www.Patreon.com/OneQuest Follow Us Email - Social@one-quest.com Twitter - @One_Quest Instagram - @One_Quest Facebook - OneQuestOnline Follow Chris on Twitter - @Just_Cobb Follow Richie on Twitter - @B_Walnuts Follow Drootin on Twitter - @IamDroot Check out Richie's streaming and videos! Twitch b_walnuts YouTube BWalnuts TikTok b_walnuts Intro and Outro music Mega Man 2 'Project X2 - Title Screen' OC ReMix courtesy of Project X over at OCRemix

Content - We open the show talking about the recent US Election, if you don't want to hear our opinion on politics, jump to the Agenda at 00:08:51. This week on PodQuest we sit down to chat about the Terrifier movie series (Spoilers for movies 1 and 2). Then Walnut talks about his early impressions of Monster Hunter Wilds from their recent Beta test. Then Chris talks (And spoils) Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary. We also talk a bit about Claire's route in Resident Evil 2 Hardcore, Walnuts upcoming second attempt at Mega Man X8, and what we've got coming up next week.

Meaning of life

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Dr. Asha M. George, and Research Principal, J.T. O'Brien, discuss the novel Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir. Premise: Set in the near future, it centers on school-teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace, who wakes up from a coma afflicted with amnesia. He gradually remembers that he was sent to the Tau Ceti solar system, 12 light-years from Earth, to find a means of reversing a solar dimming event that could cause the extinction of humanity. The story follows two storylines, each told chronologically, starting with the story on board the spacecraft Hail Mary where Ryland Grace regains his memory in bursts. This story is frequently intercut with flashbacks revealing earlier events leading up to the launch of the Hail Mary Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here. Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates. Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org  Project Hail Mary Ratings: Relevance to Commission Recs: 4.5/5 Scientific Accuracy: 4.5/5 Scenario Development: 5/5 Entertainment Value: 4.5/5 Success of the Imagination or Creativity: 5/5 Shock/Surprise Value: 4/5 Government Policy: 3.5/5 Portrayal by Actors: 4.5/5 Direction: 4.5/5 Production: 4/5 Overall Average Score: 4.4/5    

Alex asked for 3 recommendations, one from each of the co-hosts, to get to this year and to have one-on-one talks to go over his experience with each experience. He never experienced any of these recommendations before so how will he react? Are these solid recommendations or old news? Found out in this special episode of the RXP Podcast! Episode 88: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-gk2dt-1560293    Time Stamps: (00:00) Introduction including spoiler warning (00:45) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (35:46) Virginia developed by Variable State (01:18:53) The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan (01:57:27) Outro   Find us on X: @rxp_podcast Music: Grandmaster Doug

¡Vótame en los Premios iVoox 2024! En La Órbita de Endor continuamos con nuestra tradición de desmenuzar todo lo que nos va llegando de STAR WARS, y ahora toca examinar a conciencia el TRAILER de EL DESPERTAR DE LA FUERZA. El Episodio VII está cada vez más cerca y ya hay muchas pistas que nos pueden orientar sobre lo que vamos a encontrarnos en la ansiada película dirigida por JJ Abrams. Estarán ejerciendo un dominio de la Fuerza durante 110 minutos el Coronel Kurtz, Halcón Maltés, Antonio Monfort y Antonio Runa. Pero el bloque principal comenzará en las 1:50 horas de programa, y será nuestro Libro + Película de MARTE (THE MARTIAN), donde analizaremos tanto el film de Ridley Scott como la novela de Andy Weir titulada EL MARCIANO, donde encontraremos mucha ciencia y mucha ficción. Caminarán por la superficie del planeta rojo los astronautas Jaime Angulo, Nathan Kurtz y Antonio Runa. ATENCIÓN, HABRÁ MUCHOS SPOILERS Toda la fantasía y todo el realismo que puede otorgarnos el espacio en un programa sideral. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

We wrap up our thoughts on A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. Tom lays down some very obscure hints about the next pick. And why we're glad Andy Weir got fired.

Diane and Sean discuss one of the most scientifically accurate space movies ever, Ridley Scott's, The Martian. Episode music is, "Starman", by David Bowie as featured in the movie.-  Our theme song is by Brushy One String-  Artwork by Marlaine LePage-  Why Do We Own This DVD?  Merch available at Teepublic-  Follow the show on social media:-  IG: @whydoweownthisdvd- Tumblr: WhyDoWeOwnThisDVD-  Follow Sean's Plants on IG: @lookitmahplants- Watch Sean be bad at video games on TwitchSupport the show

Here are Kurt Vonnegut's eight rules of writing.  Also, why reading an Andy Weir novel is such a good writing lesson.  And; character descriptions should do double duty.  Here is how, with examples from legendary writers.Support the show

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Catherine Hausman, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, about the costs of not building new electricity transmission lines, particularly in the Midwestern United States. Hausman discusses the benefits of additional electricity transmission for consumer electricity prices, emissions reductions, and electrification of the economy; the companies that may gain or lose revenue if more transmission is built; and how companies that stand to lose revenue from more transmission are preventing the construction of new transmission. References and recommendations: “Power Flows: Transmission Lines, Allocative Efficiency, and Corporate Profits” by Catherine Hausman; https://www.nber.org/papers/w32091 “Transmission Impossible? Prospects for Decarbonizing the US Grid” by Lucas W. Davis, Catherine Hausman, and Nancy L. Rose; https://www.nber.org/papers/w31377 “Dog Man” books; https://pilkey.com/series/dog-man “Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York” by Francis Spufford; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Golden-Hill/Francis-Spufford/9781501163883 “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611060/project-hail-mary-by-andy-weir/

2:00 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 2:26 - @thewilltoread on Instagram 3:55 - Currently Reading Zazzle store 3:58 - Scary Books Are My Jam mug 5:47 - Our Current Reads 6:03 - The Blueprint by Rae Giana Rasha (Bill) 7:30 - Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjeh-Brenyah 8:03 - Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley 8:05 - Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 9:31 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy 11:57 - The Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Meredith) 13:26 - The Novel Neighbor 15:30 - The Girls from Corona Del Mar by Rufi Thorpe (Bill, amazon link)) 16:55 - Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe 18:38 - The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe 19:20 - First Contact by Kim Harrison (Meredith, amazon link) 23:00 - Contact by Carl Sagan 23:59 - The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell (Bill) 27:32 - Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 27:36 - The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell 28:20 - Instructions for a Heat Wave by Maggie O'Farrell 29:22 - The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden (Meredith) 30:33 - Booker Longlist 2024 30:59 - Booth by Karen Joy Fowler 33:13 - Burial Rites by Hannah Kent 33:15 - Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill 33:17 - Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati 34:32 - Deep Dive: Bill's Reading Life 35:42 - Currently Reading Patreon 36:18 - Ms. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien 36:30 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle 38:48 - Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and John Rutherford (translator) 38:48 - The Shining by Stephen King 39:56 - The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 41:17 - Born a Crime by Trevor Noah 41:20 - The Storyteller by Dave Grohl 41:26 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 41:38 - @bookishbetsie on Instagram 47:18 - Dune by Frank Herbert 48:08 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy 48:44 - Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 49:11 - Eye of the World by Robert Jordan 49:41 - Meet Us At The Fountain 49:47 - I wish you'd go into a book blind more often. (Bill) 50:18 I wish that more men would read out loud and find bookish community. (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. September's IPL comes to us from Bright Side Bookshop in Flagstaff, Arizona! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

This episode contains: All three mighty hosts are here this week. Ben discusses an episode of Dear Hank and John podcast where it is theorized that sickness might eventually be a thing of the past. https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dear-hank-john We discuss the statistics of life expectancy. Devon tells us that most humans who have ever been born did not live to be adults. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Mb0cbDenA&t=636s Steven is finally over Covid and has finished Delicious in Dungeon. Ben recommends the show Sunny on Apple TV + https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18070898/   Future or Now? It's longer Than You Think: Ben is speedrunning Lushfoil Photo Sim. This is a tranquil photography experience. Ben found some really cool stuff in the game. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1749860/Lushfoil_Photography_Sim/ Soilent AI is AI!: Researchers from Rice University have identified a significant risk in generative AI when models are trained on synthetic data over multiple generations, leading to a condition called "Model Autophagy Disorder" (MAD). Similar to a feedback loop, this disorder causes AI models to produce increasingly poor-quality outputs, losing diversity and reliability. The phenomenon is compared to mad cow disease, where a self-consuming process degrades the system. The study emphasizes the critical need for fresh, real data to sustain AI integrity and prevent the potential deterioration of internet-based systems. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240730134759.htm Alien: Romulus Devon gives his review of Alien: Romulus. Is it too “key jangly?” Devon notes that Prometheus was made even worse by having the character be scientists, which made their stupidity that much more unforgivable. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18412256/   Book Club We discuss The Egg by Andy Weir. The Egg is a short story written by Andy Weir, his most popular, and follows a nameless 48-year-old man who discovers the "meaning of life" after he dies. The story is about "you" (in the second person), and God, who is "me" (in the first person). God says that you have been reincarnated many times before, and that you are soon to be reincarnated once more, leading to quite a few existential questions. This story did not feel any real revelation from this story. Ben doesn't like reincarnation. https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17563539-the-egg?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=rFr9UzthWP&rank=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI We discuss who everyone is the main character in their own story, which reminds Devon of the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. https://www.thedictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/ Ben tells us about ZEN FLESH, ZEN BONES. https://archive.org/details/ZenFleshZenBones Next week we are reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415459.I_Have_No_Mouth_I_Must_Scream  

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love lettersRockets! Satellites! Asteroids! Let's blast off into the world of space investment with engineer-turned-investor Christian Ziach. He shares insights on Europe's space race, the challenges of refueling satellites in orbit, and why asteroid mining might be trickier than we thought. Also: the Ariane 6 dilemma, space sustainability woes, how to turn scientists into entrepreneurs, the MASCOT mission's nail-biting success, and whether we're really ready to settle on Mars. Grab your space suit and strap in. We're going to the final frontier of finance!Listen via Apple Podcasts  Spotify iHeartRadio Castbox Podcast Addict or wherever you listen to podcasts.Key topics:00:00 Introduction02:33 European space sector challenges13:19 Hot areas for space investment26:58 Space sustainability concerns46:45 The MASCOT asteroid mission53:55 Asteroid mining prospects01:00:55 The future of space industry01:04:40 Mars colonization challengesFollow Christian Ziach on [LinkedIn] ➡️ [European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 6 Program] ➡️ [SpaceX Starship Development] ➡️ [NASA Artemis Program] ➡️ [Blue Origin] ➡️ [United Launch Alliance]➡️ [MASCOT Mission to Asteroid Ryugu] ➡️ [Planetary Resources (defunct asteroid mining company)] ➡️ [Deep Space Industries (defunct asteroid mining company)] ➡️ [Astroforge (current asteroid mining company)]  ➡️ [Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary" and "Artemis" books] ➡️ [Robert Zubrin's "First Landing" book] Other Episodes that might interest youTerhi Vapola - Greencode Ventures, Green Investments, Digital Transformation and the Future of Space TechnologyBianca Lins: Small Nation, You can find us on Spotify and Apple Podcast!Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

This episode contains: Steven's out sick with COVID, so you get the other two hosts this week! Devon's a Texan Who Likes Mexican Food, but TexMex is not the same as Californian Mexican food. TexMex loves to toss in queso, y Devon no quiero. Ben was annoyed at an impromptu Trump rally that gathered in the parking lot of the park the junior roller derby team was practicing. Guess it pays to have a killer soundsystem, because you can drown out chants of “FIGHT! FIGHT!” and “USA!” with Lady Gaga. Don't be a drag, just be a queen. Devon reminds us that there is a difference between legitimate free speech and AMPLIFIED speech. Outside of Disneyland, there's some real annoying people shouting obscenities on megaphones, and even though they're there for “religious reasons” they really gotta tone down their harsh language around the children. What jerks. Thanks Renee for your feedback on various topics including cold pizza, glitter, D23, and the Calm app. Devon weighs in on his experience with the Waking Up app and book (by Sam Harris), and he and Ben chat about the intentions behind meditation practices. Future or Now? AI is coming for our jobs: A mayoral candidate's proposal to let an AI bot run Wyoming's capital city. Victor Miller is running for mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming on a platform of letting an AI bot named "VIC" run the city. Miller believes AI would be more objective and efficient than a human mayor. Miller's campaign has faced challenges from state officials and tech companies like OpenAI, who have tried to shut down his use of AI. The implications of an AI bot running a city have raised concerns among experts, but Miller believes it represents the future of government. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/08/19/artificial-intelligence-mayor-cheyenne-vic/ Book Club is on hiatus for the week. Next week: The Egg by Andy Weir https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: utilizing AI and getting back into the library swing of things Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: our most huggable books The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  1:29 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:01 - Lake Travis Community Library 5:52 - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 7:01 - Our Current Reads 7:22 - The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao (Kaytee) 7:35 - The King's English Bookshop 9:28 - The Change by Kirsten Miller 10:21 - The Unrelenting Earth by Kritika H. Rao 11:15 - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Meredith) 13:00 - @thewilltoread on Instagram 15:54 - The Stand by Stephen King 17:13 - Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Kaytee) 19:14 - World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukamatathil 21:25 - The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (Meredith) 22:35 - Final Girls by Riley Sager 24:37 - Currently Reading Patreon 25:22 - Faebound by Saara El-Arifi (Kaytee) 25:32 - The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory 29:16 - Fairyloot 31:26 - We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (Meredith) 35:31 - @booktalketc on Instagram 35:32 - Book Talk, Etc podcast 37:32 - Deep Dive: Our Most Huggable Books 38:28 - All The Only People by Mike Gayle 38:29 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 38:30 - The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 39:12 - Sipsworth by Simon Van Booey 39:25 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 39:51 - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 40:05 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 40:36 - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart 40:38 - Charlotte's Web by E.B White 41:18 - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan 41:28 - The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili 41:53 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 42:35 - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 42:29 - Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 42:56 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 43:28 - Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan 43:56 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 44:14 - Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley 45:06 - We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker 45:19 - The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 45:46 - All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 46:03 - Happy Place by Emily Henry 46:29 - Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff 46:32 - Matrix by Lauren Groff 48:48 - Meet Us At The Fountain 48:55 - I wish that we always live in a world where women are celebrated (Kaytee) 56:37 - I wish everyone would try a book flight (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. August's IPL comes to us from The King's English Bookshop in Utah! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Send us a Text Message.2:34 - Record Of A Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers 10:03 - A Dog Named Mattis by Mark Tappan / K9 Mattis On The Job by Mark Tappan 12:41 - The Martian by Andy Weir 13:26 - State Of Fear by Michael Crichton 17:09 - Timeline by Michael Crichton 17:48 - Jurassic Park/ The Lost World by Michael Crichton 18:28 - Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson 19:10 - The Path Of Daggers / A Crown Of Swords by Robert Jordan 21:05 - Crossroads Of Twilight by Robert Jordan 21:54 - Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire by J K Rowling 25:32 - The Case For Christ by Lee Child 26:36 - Dragonteeth by Michael Crichton 27:20 - Congo, Prey, The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton 28:12 - The Pram by Joe Hill31:48 - Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King32:31 - The Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix 34:23 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/ Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix 34:34 - In Bloom by Paul Tremblay 37:04 - Best Of Luck by Jason Mott 38:54 - Big Bad by Chandler Baker 40:28 - A Closed And Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (2) , The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (1)43:48 - Record Of A Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers 44:51 - The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi 50:06 - The Gun Seller by High Laurie54:22 - Record Of A Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers/ Impact Winter (1) by Travis Beacham58:50 - Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix by J K Rowling 1:00:34 - Middle Of The Night by Riley Sager/ One Of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose 1:00:47 - The Guest List by Lucy Foley 1:01:56 - Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman 1:02:12 - You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose 1:05:03 - The Wolf And The Woodsman by Ava ReidSupport the Show.Be sure to keep yourself Happily Booked! We are Amazon Affiliates, Any link you find available above will redirect you to Amazon. We earn from qualifying purchases with these links. Becky's Homestead Etsy Page: bobwhitehomestead.etsyInstagram/ TikTok - happilybookedpodcastFacebook - Happily Booked PodcastLikewise - BrookeBatesHappilyBookedGoodreads - Brooke Lynn Bates Storygraph - brookebatesratesbooks / magbeck2011 THE Sideways Sheriff - Permanent Sponsor Insta/ TikTok - Sideways_sheriffFacebook - Sideways SheriffYoutube - Sideways Sheriff

Fist my bump! This week Lindsay and Magda gush about Andy Weir's hilarious sci-fi book, Project Hail Mary. It's a feat for two liberal arts majors to dig into a science-heavy plot, but they brave the work, because the book is that good. Join the journey, you'll love it...   Literally Books Website Literally Books, The Podcast Instagram Magda's Instagram Lindsay's Instagram Literally Books YouTube Literally Books TikTok   Intro Song: "Would it Kill You," courtesy of The Solder Thread

Our lab partner today is Jed Harris, owner of Puretec Industrial Water with over 25 years of experience in the water industry, to delve into the world of Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems. Jed's extensive experience and deep understanding of high-purity water solutions provided a wealth of knowledge, making this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to scale up their water treatment expertise. Below, we highlight some of the best insights Jed shared, aimed at making the complex world of RO systems more accessible and intriguing. Reverse Osmosis: The Industry Workhorse Jed describes reverse osmosis as the workhorse of water treatment, efficiently removing up to 99% of dissolved solids, organics, bacteria, and viruses. This process involves using a high-pressure pump to force water through a semi-permeable membrane, reversing natural osmotic pressure. Whether you're  in power generation, food and beverage, or pharmaceuticals, understanding RO systems is crucial as they play a pivotal role in ensuring water purity. Common RO Applications and Challenges RO systems are ubiquitous across various industries. Jed emphasizes their versatility but also highlights the complexities involved in managing them. He notes that the feedwater chemistry can vary, making it essential for operators to understand and monitor their systems to maintain optimal performance. This is particularly critical as the industry pushes for higher recovery rates, often pushing RO systems to their limits. Key Metrics for Monitoring RO Systems Trace Blackmore posed a crucial question; “What are some of the key things that we should be looking at to tell what's going on within the RO?”. Jed Harris provided valuable insights; “You want to look at your flows, your qualities, your pressures, and last but not least, the feedwater temperature—which has a huge effect on all this stuff. You want to look at your permeate flow, your concentrate flow, your feed pressure, your concentrate pressure, and your permeate pressure if available. And then the qualities would be your feed conductivity and your permeate conductivity.” Practical Tips for RO System Maintenance Jed shared several practical tips for maintaining RO systems. He advises partnering with a company that can conduct water analysis and projection to set the system up correctly. Regularly collecting data—ideally daily—and using normalization software to interpret this data is crucial. He also cautioned against the impact of temperature changes, noting that a decrease in feedwater temperature can lead to a significant drop in permeate flow, potentially misleading operators to think there's a problem when there isn't. Normalizing Data for Accurate Analysis One of the most insightful parts of the discussion was on the importance of data normalization. Jed explained, “By normalizing the data, what you're doing is essentially taking data when you start up the RO system, and then, as you go into the future, you're comparing the current performance to how it should be at the baseline.” This helps accurately assess the system's performance, especially when dealing with variables like temperature fluctuations that can significantly impact the RO system's output. Temperature's Effect on RO Jed Harris explains the critical impact of temperature on RO systems: "Temperature has such a huge effect on the amount of water that will go through a membrane. RO membranes are like the Miami Dolphins; they don't do well in cold weather. The rule of thumb is for every one-degree Fahrenheit drop in water temperature, you're going to lose about 1.5% in permeate flow. You might notice a decrease in permeate flow and think, 'Hey, these membranes are dirty. They're plugged. We need to clean; something's wrong.' But in reality, nothing's wrong. It's just that the feedwater temperature has dropped." Pre-Treatment is Key Jed Harris emphasizes the crucial role of proper pretreatment for RO systems: “Pre-treatment is the key to everything.” Jed also highlights the growing adoption of Ultrafiltration (UF) systems, which offer a more consistent quality level compared to traditional multimedia filters. He outlines three primary objectives: Prevent Oxidizer Damage: Once an RO membrane is damaged by an oxidizer, the damage is irreversible. Inhibit Scale Growth: Delay and inhibit scale growth for as long as possible. Reduce Suspended Solids: Minimizing suspended solids helps achieve the highest possible recovery rate. Biofouling: The Unavoidable Challenge Trace and Jed addressed one of the most persistent issues with RO systems: biofouling. Jed explained, “Biofouling is a huge issue… it's going to happen because we're removing chlorine before the RO system.” As chlorine, an oxidizer, is removed to protect the RO membranes, any bacteria that enter the system will thrive due to the rich nutrient environment. Monitoring normalized data is crucial as it provides early signs of membrane fouling, indicating it's time for cleaning. Jed highlighted a peculiar phenomenon: “When biofouling takes root in these membranes, a lot of times the normalized salt rejection will increase,” which can be misleading. When and How to Clean Membranes Cleaning membranes is both a straightforward and complex task. Jed Harris recommends against cleaning every time there is a 10% drop in normalized permeate flow, calling this practice excessive and potentially harmful to the membranes. Instead, operators should monitor the trends in normalized permeate flow and clean based on site-specific conditions. Typically, cleaning occurs every three months, but this can vary. Jed advises operators to watch for a drop in normalized permeate flow, an increase in normalized pressure differentials, and changes in normalized salt rejection as key indicators that cleaning is needed. Cleaning Methods There are two primary methods for cleaning RO membranes: on-site clean-in-place systems or off-site cleaning facilities. At Pure Tech, membranes are pre- and post-tested to assess their condition and effectiveness after cleaning. “Some membranes are just done… and others are returned to the customer and reinstalled,” Jed explained, highlighting the importance of thorough evaluation during the cleaning process. Real-World RO Membrane Repurposing Jed shared a humorous yet telling story from the pandemic. While visiting Egypt, he discovered that a village was using old RO membranes as the foundation for various structures. This anecdote underscores the importance of proper maintenance and the potential for repurposing equipment in creative ways.  Resources and Contact Information For those interested in learning more, Jed recommended visiting Pure Tech's website, where a wealth of resources is available. “Please visit our website puretechwater.com, and we have a great team here,” Jed said, inviting listeners to reach out for further assistance. Conclusion Jed's insights into RO systems, from biofouling to membrane cleaning and real-world experiences, provide invaluable knowledge for maintaining and optimizing these critical systems. As always, we encourage our listeners to keep learning and implementing best practices to ensure the longevity and efficiency of their water treatment systems. Learn More For those who want to dive deeper, Jed has a comprehensive paper available on Pure Tech's website, detailing how to collect and normalize data for RO systems. We highly recommend checking it out and implementing these best practices in your operations. As always, we encourage you to keep learning and growing in your water treatment knowledge. Remember, as Trace's father wisely said, "The day you stop learning in water treatment is the day you need to find a new career." Stay curious, stay informed, and keep Scaling UP your RO knowledge! Your Scaling UP! H2O Team Timestamps 01:00 - Trace Blackmore encourages you to reach out to someone you admire for help and to make a bucket list 07:00 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals 09:00 - Interview with Jed Harris, owner of Puretec Industrial Water 47:00 - Drop by Drop With James McDonald  Quotes “Biofouling is going to happen because we're removing chlorine before the RO system, and any bacteria or living thing that makes it past into the RO system is just going to thrive. There's a big food source in there, and they're going to grow.” - Jed Harris “If you clean at a 10% drop, you're going to be cleaning nonstop, and if you clean too much, you're going to affect the membrane's ability to reject salts. You can't just clean these membranes every day.” - Jed Harris “Pre-treatment is the key to everything. When an RO membrane is damaged by an oxidizer, it's done, it's irreversible. Delay and inhibit scale growth as long as possible, and reduce the amount of suspended solids to up the recovery to its highest possible level.” - Jed Harris Connect with Jed Harris Phone: 805.340.6190 Email: jed@piw.io Website: puretecwater.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jedharris/ linkedin.com/company/puretec-industrial-water/ Read or Download Jed Harris' Press Release HERE Links Mentioned RO Data Collection and Normalization by Jed Harris Pure Tec Water Resources Ep 371 with Scott Slade Ep 368 with Tim Fulton Ep 35 with Wes Byrne Ep 339 with Jane Kucera The Rising Tide Mastermind Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea Books Mentioned The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 101 So Bad, They're Good Dad Jokes by Elias Hill Reverse Osmosis: A Practical Guide For Users by Wes Byrne Reverse Osmosis: Industrial Processes and Applications 2nd Edition by Jane Kucera Drop By Drop with James In today's episode, I have a “what if.” What if the temperature of the makeup water feeding an RO decreases? How would a lower water temperature impact the RO's performance? Will it impact the quality of the permeate water produced? Will it impact salt passage across the membrane? Will it impact operating pressures? Will it impact dechlorination chemistry, if used? Understanding the impact of temperature on water treatment systems can be important troubleshooting knowledge to have.  2024 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.

(NOTAS Y ENLACES DEL CAPÍTULO AQUÍ: https://www.jaimerodriguezdesantiago.com/kaizen/203-el-misterio-de-la-vida-y-vi-mas-alla-de-la-muerte/)Tenía que pasar, después de toda la temporada hablando del misterio de la vida, de la consciencia y de todas esas cosas, era inevitable que acabáramos llegando aquí: a casi el final de la temporada (nos queda sólo un capítulo más después de éste) y, sobre todo, a qué demonios pasa cuando bajamos el telón de nuestras vidas. Que, a ver, no lo vamos a resolver, te lo digo ya. Pero creo que sí vamos a poder asomarnos a algunas ideas interesantes acerca de ese otro gran misterio de la vida del que no hemos hablado aún: el de qué puede haber más allá de ella. Tal vez, como en el estupendo relato corto de Andy Weir con el que comienza el capítulo, todo lo que nos rodea, una y otra vez a lo largo de los tiempos, no sea más que un huevo esperando a que nazcamos de verdad.Patrocinador del capítulo: Morfeo.com (150€ de descuento con el código KAIZEN) ¡Ya están abiertas las inscripciones para la 2ª edición del programa de desarrollo directivo y liderazgo que dirijo en Tramontana! ¿Te interesa? Toda la info aquí: https://www.tramontana.net/desarrollo-directivo-liderazgo¿Te gusta kaizen? Apoya el podcast uniéndote a la Comunidad y accede a contenidos y ventajas exclusivas: https://www.jaimerodriguezdesantiago.com/comunidad-kaizen/

On this episode of Science Fiction University, we dive into the works of Andy Weir, the author behind the hit novels The Martian and Project Hail Mary.Project Hail Mary, Weir's latest novel takes readers on an epic journey across the cosmos. Like his earlier work, The Martian, PHM showcases Weir's talent for fusing cutting-edge science with an extremely human story of perseverance and hope. We'll analyze how Project Hail Mary embraces the conventions of "hard" science fiction while also delivering an optimistic, even spiritual message about humanity's ability to overcome challenges through cooperation and grace.So join us as we explore the intricate worlds and big ideas contained within Andy Weir's captivating science fiction adventures. More at sciencefictionuniversity.com.Grave InjusticeThe makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court and the cases they are hearing are no...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the Show.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: bookish mail and more tech to help our reading lives Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: what makes an unputdownable book and some examples The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  1:26 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 1:48 - All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 1:50 - The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley 3:15 - Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy 6:35 - The Outsiders by S.E Hinton 8:44 - Our Current Reads 8:54 - Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare (Kaytee) 9:11 - Season 6, Episode 25 w/Knox and Jamie 14:07 - Here Goes Nothing by Steve Toltz (Meredith) 15:16 - Foyles UK 16:08 - The Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz 19:05 - Annie Bot by Sierra Greer (Kaytee) 19:18 - Libro.fm 21:57 - Article About AI Friends 25:10 - The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Meredith) 26:32 - I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir 29:53 - Breathless by Amy McCulloch (Kaytee) 34:10 - Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews (Meredith) 35:55 - The Princess Bride by William Goldman 36:25 - The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews 38:49 - The Most Unputdownable Books 42:03 - Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson 42:15 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 43:39 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 43:51 - The Rook by Daniel O'Malley 44:17 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 45:35 - Confessions by Kenae Minato 45:48 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 45:50 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 45:56 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 46:17 - Cover Story by Susan Rigetti 47:18 - No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister 47:37 - Kaytee mentions Adenrele Ojo being a Recorded Books copyright narrator but it is actually Simon and Schuster! 48:06 - The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf 48:34 - Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet 48:51 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 49:27 - Drowning by T.J. Newman 49:28 - Falling by T.J. Newman 49:41 - Bird Box by Josh Malerman 49:44 - Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips 49:52 - Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell 50:31 - Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 51:49 - Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu 51:51 - Heartsopper by Alice Oseman 51:58 - March: Book One by John Lewis 53:00 - El Deafo by Cece Bell 54:16 - Meet Us At The Fountain 54:24 - I wish more people would give graphic novels a chance. (Kaytee) 55:35 - Currently Reading Patreon 56:28 - I wish I could collect Precious Moments dolls committing all kinds of murder. (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. May's IPL comes to us from Commonplace Books in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: talking podcasting with young people and book to film buzz Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: All kinds of bookish overhype The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  .  :10 - Bite Size Intro 1:36 - Currently Reading Patreon 3:48 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 6:42 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 7:17 - The Martian by Andy Weir 8:46 - Our Current Reads 8:53 - Olivetti by Allie Millington (Kaytee) 10:40 - Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 11:54 - Zorrie by Laird Hunt (Meredith) 13:07 - Storybound Subscription from Fabled Bookshop 14:31 - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry 15:42 - The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May (Kaytee) 16:12 - Wintering by Katherine May 19:31 - No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall (Meredith) 20:21 - What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall 20:23 - Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall 23:17 - James by Percival Everett (Kaytee) 23:36 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 27:01 - Erasure by Percival Everett 27:50 - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (Meredith) 31:12 - @thewilltoread on Instagram 31:47 - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan 32:18 - The Bookish Overhype 34:15 - The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 34:20 - Deacon King Kong by James McBride 34:42 - Zorrie by Laird Hunt 35:51 - James by Percival Everett 36:22 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 36:41 - The Fury by Alex Michaelides 37:28 - End of Story by A.J. Finn 39:11 - The Women by Kristin Hannah 39:21 - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah 41:05 - Middle of the Night by Riley Sager 43:25 - Happy Place by Emily Henry  43:38 - Funny Story by Emily Henry 43:40 - People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry 44:34 - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett 44:47 - Meet Us At The Fountain 44:51 - I wish that books that make you question yourself would give an assessment quiz at the end. (Kaytee) 45:03 - The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May 46:41 - I wish everyone would watch the episode of The Twilight Zone called “Time Enough At Last”. (Meredith) 47:08 - Twilight Zone Season 1: Episode 8 (This is Amazon Prime but you can watch on Paramount + as well!) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. May's IPL comes to us from Commonplace Books in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Trope Thursday with Kaytee and Bunmi - a behind the scenes peek into the publishing industry All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Can we grow food on Mars? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio learn about a new NASA project "Plant Trek" and the challenges of surviving on other planets with astrobiologist Kennda Lynch. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/can-you-terraform-mars-with-kennda-lynch/Thanks to our Patrons Konrad Kalinko, Shawn Allison, Kevin Mitchell, Skylar Gravatt, Terry Sullivan, Carol Anklam, and Chantal for supporting us this week.Photo Credit: NASA/Clouds AO/SEArch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons