Cool Things for Cool People: September 2025

Cool Things for Cool People: September 2025

Hey folks! I feel like I just sent you a batch of cool things, but these days it feels like I blink and two weeks dash right on by. Can you believe it’s almost the spooky season, and then after that it’s the season-we-don’t-name? This year has flown by. I can’t even believe that summer is basically over.

Anyway, I have an exciting little batch for you this month, including some fun freebies and a bunch of upcoming stuff. You ready? Let’s go!

Focus Friend by Hank Green helps you keep from using your phone by power of bean

A small hand drawn bean character inside of a cozy cluttered room.

By harvesting the power of a small digital bean guy who is just trying to knit, Focus Friend helps you put down your phone and do something else. The gimmick is that the bean can only finish if you don’t disturb him, otherwise all his knitting comes undone. It’s quite cute. Best of all, it doesn’t gather any data to data mine you. Unheard of! Available on both Google Play and Apple app store. 

Ever seen someone tie flies for fly fishing?

This is an ASMR video so the sounds can be annoying, but just watching this tiny lil guy made out of feathers come to life is soooo satisfying.

Piracy is back?

I mean, it’s never really gone away, but we’re seeing a resurgence of piracy… I suppose. I would say there’s more of a wave of individuals who would like to own their own purchases, and not simply rely on content being there on streaming services forever. It’s why some of us are over at BandCamp trying to pre-order the new album from The Midnight, or who jumped on the CD options from GUNSHIP. Many of us have had purchases ripped out of our hands from the likes of Sony, so this is no surprise. Add into that the fracturing of streaming services, lack of account sharing, and many people are questioning why they’d ever pay for a streaming service to begin with. Easy math, people.

Get a load of free short stories until September 22nd

Multiple images promoting all kinds of short stories and all of their cover art overlaid a red and orange background. Text over top reads “Free Short Story Bundle. September 15th-22nd” and “20+ Stories”.

Right now, you can get 24 short stories for free until September 22nd as part of this Itch free short story bundle. Stories range from sci-fi, to fantasy, to horror, to poetry, and beyond. Tips are appreciated and are split evenly among the participating authors!

New Worlds, New Adventures – 22 stories for $25

A warm wooden background with text: "New Worlds, New Adventures A Bundle of Sci Fi and Fantasy Set in Secondary Worlds 22 books, 22 authors, $25 only! September 17 to 21" and 22 book covers in filmreel type frames.

The covers are for:

The Kalista Chronicles: A Brave Sacrifice
The Spider's Friend
Shadows Dark and Deadly
War Heart
A Light for the Dead to Follow
The Dragon Next Door
Undine's Blessing
Love Tales from the Borun-Ma
First Snow
Usurper
Thief, Acolyte, Consort
The Warm Machine
The Star-Crossed Empire 
Structural Integrity
Inarora's Excursion
Song of the Wolf
Hallowed
1# Cosmonaut
In Spite of the Inevitable
The Healer: Tales of Pern Coen 
The Sarcophagus of Lamia
The Flame of the Dragon's Oath

Looking for a new adventure? Check out this new itch bundle that gives you 22 ebooks for just $25 (that’s a little over $1 a book!), all focusing on worlds that differ from ours in some significant manner. Grab it now and make an indie author happy! Bundle sale runs until September 22nd.

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