Gus Ryer
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Gus Ryer
@gusryer.bsky.social
130 followers 77 following 520 posts
Reader, writer, tinkerer. Querying CASCADE- far-future SF w/ nanotech, ancient gods, & hidden history. Also LIFT, space elevator derring-do. gusryer.com

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#AmQuerying
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gusryer.bsky.social
Gus Ryer @gusryer.bsky.social · 26d
ASHES OF THE SUN ➕ HORIZON ZERO DAWN

When a machine god severs the world from ancient nanotech, two engineer priests, a blademaster & her warrior-poet twin must hunt it for a cure—and revenge.

Failure will doom the world to divine wrath. Success will be deadly.

#QuestPit #Q #A #SF #F
A giant spaceship hovers over a dusty, walled fantasy cityscape. In the foreground, two figures stand in shadow looking out over the scene. The words "An Agent's Guide to CASCADE, by Gus Ryer" is along the top. His website, gusryer.com, is below. A slide with metadata and story elements for CASCADE: Genre: Science Fiction with Fantasy Elements Wordcount: +-130,000 It shows the book covers for the following: ASHES OF THE SUN, Django Wexler THE ARCHIVE UNDYING, Emma Mieko Candon ELDER RACE, Adrian Tchaikovsky NOTES FROM THE BURNING AGE, Claire North Ps5's Horizon Zero Dawn Below that are the following phrases: Found family Failed terraforming A vast, hidden history Nanotech magic system Epic fantasy quest in a sci-fi world Ancient mechanical gods Arachnid mammals & guard drones Sword (1) vs. Railguns (lots) A warrior woman with a winged helmet, armor, cape, and spear is along the right side of the image, fractured into triangles. Part of the following pitch is along the left: 2,000 years in the future, a galactic human empire fell, severing TRAPPIST-1e from other inhabited worlds before its terraforming could be completed. Wild nanotechnology ravaged the land, and civilization fell into a dark age. Eventually, the God Keepers—engineer priests who restored ancient nanotech—rose to power. While Lendi dreams of life outside the God Keepers, Falder is desperate to keep his best friend from abandoning their order—and him. But, when an ancient machine god crash-lands in a ball of fire and gray death, it severs Keepers from nanotech, plunging the world back into chaos. Meanwhile, Sedna and Renfrik have little patience for Keeper rules or mysticism. But, when a flood of nanites in the god’s wake consumes their home, they’re left with nothing to protect but each other... Chapter 1 THE RUSH IS ON! This Tuesday, Planetfall, Inc. announced it would join the rash of megacorps racing to deploy terraforming infrastructure through the newly stabilized Taurine Strait. Previously dominated by New World Corporation, the franchised development of pseudoterra worlds is slated to be the hot market sector of the twenty-fifth century. -Excerpt from InvestSyder: Stellar Ed., June 15, 2398 The streets of Mahyan never fully slept. Night’s darkness, not yet broken by either the sun’s rise or the blinding, baleful Eye of Toros, wrapped Lendi more completely than her robes. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on her. She wanted nothing more than to run. An eager vendor barred her way with his stringy arm. “A fine morning calls for a fine meal, miss.” He smiled and fanned out a selection of skewered mutton and whalemeat wrapped in sea grass. Pungent, spiced oil dripped onto the dusty street. Lendi glared at him, her legs practically vibrating with the..
gusryer.bsky.social
Wrapped up a marathon evening of edits: only two chapters, but they were doozies at over 8,600 words total.

Just two chapters left, and one’s the epilogue. I might finish this month after all!

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
November 26, 2025 at 4:28 AM
gusryer.bsky.social
Is there a better setting to knock out some edits? Only four chapters left on this book!

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
It is late sundown. A laptop with an open word processor sits, brightly on a lap. A roaring fire, glowing orange and trailing flame, burns in the middle ground.
November 25, 2025 at 12:38 AM
gusryer.bsky.social
Wood splitting break! If only my wordcount cut so easily…

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
A yellow and black splitting maul rests against a small pile of split wood in a yard.
November 24, 2025 at 11:29 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
Things are going very poorly for my characters right now, but I’m a different story: another wicked good editing session. Three chapters this time, 5,500 words.

Almost ready to bring this tub in for a landing!

#WritingCommunity #AnWriting
a plane is flying through a cloudy sky over mountains
Alt: A bulbous, chrome spaceship glides in for a landing through a duststorm
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November 20, 2025 at 1:42 AM
gusryer.bsky.social
Frying a turkey? Check your equipment! This could’ve gone up in a nice little fireball

#Cooking
A silver pot sits on a counter near a sink and streams water from a pinhole leak.
November 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
Awesome day of editing: 4 chapters, 8,400 words.

Rocketing toward the end of this first round of revisions - getting close to beta-reader time!

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity
a light shines brightly in the dark
Alt: A blocky spaceship hurtles through streaky hyperspace with glowing blue engines.
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November 18, 2025 at 9:17 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
Had way too much fun in Canva when I should have been editing. Gonna have a blast when this things ready for prime time

#WritingCommunity #SciFi #Writing
A doughnut-shaped space station hangs above a fiery black hole in space. The words ALWAYS ACCORD in streaked, gold lettering, sandwich the station. Below it is the phrase "by M. Augustus Ryer." In glowing gold letters within the black hole is the following: "Orvin--that sycophantic, waste-brained, leech of a man--was finally going to fire Dez."
November 13, 2025 at 11:14 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
Gotta say, I’m absolutely stoked to introduce the querying world to Dez and her crew. The heist’s a hoot, and every character’s a disaster, but they’ve got so much heart

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting
November 12, 2025 at 1:14 AM
gusryer.bsky.social
Been a minute since I gave a progress update, but Space Heist WIP’s writing is coming along! Just wrapped Part III edits, and I have only a dozen chapters left. The end is in sight!*

*but then it goes to beta readers**

**then more editing***

***then more readers****

****then yet m
a cartoon scene from spongebob squarepants with the words " almost there " on the bottom
Alt: An orange fish from SpongeBob SquarePants crawls, exhausted, into a building. The text ‘almost…there’ is overlaid atop the gif.
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November 11, 2025 at 10:04 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
Lots of new faces around here after the last couple weeks & pitch events- hey friends!

To introduce myself, I’m Gus, and I write mostly sci-fi mashed up with fantasy along with some horror. I also like to share a cocktail recipe every now and then.

Good to meet ya!
#WritingCommunity #AmWriting
Me, a white man in his mid-thirties with a reddish-brown beard and short brown hair. I’m standing in front of a lake with wooded hills in the background, and I’m wearing a light blue shirt and a small trekking backpack.
November 7, 2025 at 5:44 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
It’s been fun, but I’m winding down on #QuestPit. Sincere thanks all who supported me, and I’m simply in awe of all these amazing stories.

And so, cheers to the writers!

The Red Hook:
1.66 oz rye
0.5 oz Punt e Mes
0.33 oz maraschino

Stir over ice, add a cherry, and enjoy!
#WritingCommunity
A hand holds a small cocktail glass filled with a garnet liquid and a cherry in the stem. Bookshelves are in the background.
November 6, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
sadisticaurthor.bsky.social
SINNERS X HANNIBAL X I FEED HER TO THE BEAST When Virginia Bulle kills her ex-boyfriend, she decides to open a restaurant to serve his remains. This leads her to Calypso Raines' doorstep, which opens up a new recipe of the prices we pay to protect family.

#Questpit #Q #A #H
November 5, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
johnwgant.bsky.social
Robin Hood robs the Prez in ‘25

#QuestPit 82K

He needs his dad, a retired thief w Alzheimer’s, for the score or his foster home will be foreclosed.

#Q #A #T satire/crime/upmarket

*How best to stand up to a bully than to mock them? Help me ridicule the orange menace. Support my manuscript.*
How I stole from the President while saving a foster home Agent’s Guide Themes/tropes for the agent’s guide Writing snip for the agent’s guide An image of a hand drawn map of mar-a-lago is shown The pitch For the agent’s guide 4 comps shown
November 5, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
chrismichael797.bsky.social
SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN

A crew of mountaineers attempts to summit the last 8,000 m peak. Sherpa Takato, needing money, goes against his better judgment. It's not the sheer cliffs and unstable icefalls that leave this mountain unconquered; it's something else.
#QuestPit #W #A #H
Image of concept art for my adventure thriller/horror called Kokushinsan: Shadow of the Mountain.
November 5, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
jmorgynwhite.bsky.social
🏆 Cheshire Novel Prize HC

💍 1950s NY High Society
💀Murdered Husband
👗Couture Gowns
🫦Noir Romance
🍸Sexy Bartender
💰Handsome Rich Widower
📖Family Secrets
🔫Mob Boss w/a Promise

#questpit #A #S #T #HF #Q
a group of women in evening dresses are standing around a woman in a black dress .
ALT: a group of women in evening dresses are standing around a woman in a black dress .
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November 5, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
chrismichael797.bsky.social
Under the Whispering Door X Ghosts

👻Haunter, the best Ghost-for-Hire around, can't scare Alice Espinoza from her crummy apartment. Alice, stubborn, heartbroken, and broke, instead hires him to haunt her cheating ex. What ensues is madness... and dangerous.

#questpit #A #Q #PR
Moodboard for my 88K adult paranormal fantasy, Haunter: Ghost-for-Hire. A wild rom-com and horror-lite romp between the veil of life and death.
November 5, 2025 at 7:13 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
SPACE SWEEPERS ❌ LOGAN LUCKY

When an AI-piloted freighter threatens her home station, aging & indebted traffic controller Dez decides to rob the hell out of it

Shes got a plan, mobsters on her tail & a crew w/ baggage. But when things aboard aren’t as expected, all bets are off
#QuestPit #W #A #SF
A collage of images around a central glowing circle, within which is a sci-fi rendition of the Vitruvian Man and the words: ALWAYS ACCORD Around it is an image of a space station; a mobster with a poorly-edited VR visor; an elderly woman standing against a sci-fi cityscape squinting while she shoots a laser pistol at the space station; and an elderly man astronaut with an uncertain expression.
November 5, 2025 at 7:15 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
What do you mean, you don’t take a bacon break during pitch events?
About a dozen thick slices of bacon cook on a flat top grill.
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
philipavdey.bsky.social
SIX OF CROWS x HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

A drunk wizard, a shadowy assassin, a disgraced elf warrior, a scheming cowboy, and a hapless farm boy decide to steal and then sell the king's beloved pet dragon.

But how do you deal with the creature once you've stolen it?

#questpit #Q #SFF #F
Collage depicting gothic/medieval cities, Western environments, and dragons.
November 5, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
revolita.bsky.social
MUSE = A queer speculative #LF Dark Academia in Mexico City

Art destroys.

Dámaso's as obsessed with his art as with his muse. When their art kills their law school's president, they hide in plain sight on opposite sides of the case, drowning & drowning & drowning in joint insanity

#QuestPit #W #S
November 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
ASHES OF THE SUN ➕ THE BOOK THAT WOULDN'T BURN

When a machine god severs the world from ancient nanotech, two engineer priests, a blademaster & her warrior-poet twin must hunt it for a cure—and revenge

Failure will doom the world to divine wrath. Success may be deadly.

#QuestPit #Q #A #SF #F #SFF
An enormous space ship descends on an ancient-looking walled city in the desert. In the foreground, two rural figures in robes watch it's arrival as a smaller spaceship flits about the large one. The novel's title, CASCADE, runs down the left-side of the image. In the middle are the following words: THEIR WORLD IS CRUMBLING THEIR GODS ARE FALSE BUT NOW THEY HAVE THE POWER TO FIGHT BACK
November 5, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Gus Ryer
ctian.bsky.social
Celestial Feast ☄️
A team of offworld scientists investigate alien "whale falls" to save their planet from a great flood. By me & @imagine2create.bsky.social & @ryanresolute92.bsky.social

Full of:
👾 #Jellarks
🧑‍🚀 Divers
🦠 Virus
🌀 Storms
🕸️ Food Webs
☄️Celestial Events
🧊 Jelly

#Questpit #W #Sci-fi #H
Project logo and poster of celestial feast Jellgrove cocnept art by Christian Ochoa showing alien jellyfish with a tree inside of it. Jellark concept art by Ryan McCowan showing alien jellyfish designs Jellopod concept art by Christian Ochoa showing an alien jellyfish/squid design
November 5, 2025 at 1:55 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
ARCHIVE UNDYING ➕ ASHES OF THE SUN

When a machine god severs the world from ancient nanotech, two engineer priests, a blademaster & her warrior-poet twin must hunt it for a cure—and revenge.

Failure will doom the world to divine wrath. Success could be deadly.

#QuestPit #Q #A #SF #F #SFF
A giant spaceship hovers over a dusty, walled fantasy cityscape. In the foreground, two figures stand in shadow looking out over the scene. The words "An Agent's Guide to CASCADE, by Gus Ryer" is along the top. His website, gusryer.com, is below. A slide with metadata and story elements for CASCADE: Genre: Science Fiction with Fantasy Elements Wordcount: +-130,000 It shows the book covers for the following: ASHES OF THE SUN, Django Wexler THE ARCHIVE UNDYING, Emma Mieko Candon ELDER RACE, Adrian Tchaikovsky NOTES FROM THE BURNING AGE, Claire North Ps5's Horizon Zero Dawn Below that are the following phrases: Found family Failed terraforming A vast, hidden history Nanotech magic system Epic fantasy quest in a sci-fi world Ancient mechanical gods Arachnid mammals & guard drones Sword (1) vs. Railguns (lots) A warrior woman with a winged helmet, armor, cape, and spear is along the right side of the image, fractured into triangles. Part of the following pitch is along the left: 2,000 years in the future, a galactic human empire fell, severing TRAPPIST-1e from other inhabited worlds before its terraforming could be completed. Wild nanotechnology ravaged the land, and civilization fell into a dark age. Eventually, the God Keepers—engineer priests who restored ancient nanotech—rose to power. While Lendi dreams of life outside the God Keepers, Falder is desperate to keep his best friend from abandoning their order—and him. But, when an ancient machine god crash-lands in a ball of fire and gray death, it severs Keepers from nanotech, plunging the world back into chaos. Meanwhile, Sedna and Renfrik have little patience for Keeper rules or mysticism. But, when a flood of nanites in the god’s wake consumes their home, they’re left with nothing to protect but each other... Chapter 1 THE RUSH IS ON! This Tuesday, Planetfall, Inc. announced it would join the rash of megacorps racing to deploy terraforming infrastructure through the newly stabilized Taurine Strait. Previously dominated by New World Corporation, the franchised development of pseudoterra worlds is slated to be the hot market sector of the twenty-fifth century. -Excerpt from InvestSyder: Stellar Ed., June 15, 2398 The streets of Mahyan never fully slept. Night’s darkness, not yet broken by either the sun’s rise or the blinding, baleful Eye of Toros, wrapped Lendi more completely than her robes. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on her. She wanted nothing more than to run. An eager vendor barred her way with his stringy arm. “A fine morning calls for a fine meal, miss.” He smiled and fanned out a selection of skewered mutton and whalemeat wrapped in sea grass. Pungent, spiced oil dripped onto the dusty street. Lendi glared at him, her legs practically vibrating with the..
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
gusryer.bsky.social
ASHES OF THE SUN ➕ HORIZON ZERO DAWN

When a machine god severs the world from ancient nanotech, two engineer priests, a blademaster & her warrior-poet twin must hunt it for a cure—and revenge.

Failure will doom the world to divine wrath. Success will be deadly.

#QuestPit #Q #A #SF #F
A giant spaceship hovers over a dusty, walled fantasy cityscape. In the foreground, two figures stand in shadow looking out over the scene. The words "An Agent's Guide to CASCADE, by Gus Ryer" is along the top. His website, gusryer.com, is below. A slide with metadata and story elements for CASCADE: Genre: Science Fiction with Fantasy Elements Wordcount: +-130,000 It shows the book covers for the following: ASHES OF THE SUN, Django Wexler THE ARCHIVE UNDYING, Emma Mieko Candon ELDER RACE, Adrian Tchaikovsky NOTES FROM THE BURNING AGE, Claire North Ps5's Horizon Zero Dawn Below that are the following phrases: Found family Failed terraforming A vast, hidden history Nanotech magic system Epic fantasy quest in a sci-fi world Ancient mechanical gods Arachnid mammals & guard drones Sword (1) vs. Railguns (lots) A warrior woman with a winged helmet, armor, cape, and spear is along the right side of the image, fractured into triangles. Part of the following pitch is along the left: 2,000 years in the future, a galactic human empire fell, severing TRAPPIST-1e from other inhabited worlds before its terraforming could be completed. Wild nanotechnology ravaged the land, and civilization fell into a dark age. Eventually, the God Keepers—engineer priests who restored ancient nanotech—rose to power. While Lendi dreams of life outside the God Keepers, Falder is desperate to keep his best friend from abandoning their order—and him. But, when an ancient machine god crash-lands in a ball of fire and gray death, it severs Keepers from nanotech, plunging the world back into chaos. Meanwhile, Sedna and Renfrik have little patience for Keeper rules or mysticism. But, when a flood of nanites in the god’s wake consumes their home, they’re left with nothing to protect but each other... Chapter 1 THE RUSH IS ON! This Tuesday, Planetfall, Inc. announced it would join the rash of megacorps racing to deploy terraforming infrastructure through the newly stabilized Taurine Strait. Previously dominated by New World Corporation, the franchised development of pseudoterra worlds is slated to be the hot market sector of the twenty-fifth century. -Excerpt from InvestSyder: Stellar Ed., June 15, 2398 The streets of Mahyan never fully slept. Night’s darkness, not yet broken by either the sun’s rise or the blinding, baleful Eye of Toros, wrapped Lendi more completely than her robes. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on her. She wanted nothing more than to run. An eager vendor barred her way with his stringy arm. “A fine morning calls for a fine meal, miss.” He smiled and fanned out a selection of skewered mutton and whalemeat wrapped in sea grass. Pungent, spiced oil dripped onto the dusty street. Lendi glared at him, her legs practically vibrating with the..
November 5, 2025 at 5:01 AM
gusryer.bsky.social
Stoked for #QuestPit tomorrow! Have my posts scheduled everywhere and ready to rock!

Wish I could do a support list, but I don't know how much I can be online tomorrow. Still, I can't wait to check in when I can, see your stories, and boost!

#WritingCommunity #AmQuerying #AmWriting
a man in a suit and tie says i just want to tell you all good luck
Alt: Leslie Nielsen enters an airplane cockpit and says, "Good luck, we're all counting on you."
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November 4, 2025 at 8:15 PM