Series 2 of the Daniel’s Nemesis Podcast looks at X, Squared, the first writing post Masters Degree. And it appears vaguely competent …
I came back ...
A fractured mind. A living reflection. Two collapsing realities.
Crunchy is trapped in a war against Bateman—an entity born from his own darkest thoughts, now loose and threatening to destroy everything. As reality splinters and a shrinking “bubble” closes in, he must navigate violence, guilt, and his own unraveling identity to find a way to stop what may be unstoppable.
But killing Bateman might mean killing himself.
And even if he wins… there may be no way back.
Yes, the podcast is back. And our Host has to relive his former experience again in this other fictional world of his creation.
The Daniel’s Nemesis Podcast is back, and with a difference. This episode is a dedicated episode to the origins of both my first ever story, and the last novel I wrote - X, Squared.
X, Squared is the novel this second series is dedicated to, and the first chapter of the new audiobook has been released with this episode. Analysing has now been relegated to separate episodes such as this one. Chapters will be narration only.
Today, I go through the tale of the first real story I ever wrote, how it evolved into XBook, and then got rebooted back into its own novel.
AND NOTHING WILL GO WRONG!!!! (This blurb has been written before recording)
A HAPPY PODCAST FOR HAPPY PEOPLE
***Contains strong language from the start***
Catch Up 0 - Introduction
X, Squared - PROLOGUE + Chapter 1
X, Squared - Chapter 2
X, Squared - Chapter 3
S, Squared - Chapter 4
X, Squared - Chapter 5
Catch Up 1 (Chapters 1 - 5)
X, Squared - Chapter 6
X, Squared - Chapter 7
X, Squared - Chapter 8
X, Squared - Chapter 9
X, Squared - Chapter 10
Midterm Exam
From XBook to X, Squared and Back Again - An Origin Story. (X, Squared Catch-Up 0 - Introduction)
In this introductory episode, we dive into the origin story of the novel X, Squared — a strange, layered narrative that began as a teenage parody and evolved into a fully realised (and still evolving) book.
PROLOGUE + Chapter 1
Crunchy, a socially awkward young man from Bridgend, begins a secretive government placement in London, but a disturbing encounter and a chaotic journey lead to a tense, gunpoint confrontation at a hidden headquarters.
Chapter 2
Undervalued F.I.B. agent Mitsuko Nakagawa navigates a tense, darkly comic partnership as her colleague’s disturbing fascinations hint at a deeper threat.
Chapter 3
New unstable recruit, Crunchy makes his first impressions on his new colleagues - the dysfunctional F.I.B. team investigating mirror-linked deaths - while battling hallucinations. Crunchy is bound to the agency by a deadly tracking collar.
Chapter 4
Rejected by his team, Crunchy’s disturbing hallucinations and possible reality distortions in the field hint at dangerous powers linked to the mirror deaths.
Chapter 5
Crunchy’s violent outburst and impossible survival expose terrifying powers as self-destruction deepens, while Hemmingway secretly harbours a blood-dependent partner, escalating the threat.
Catch-Up 1 (Chapters 1 - 5)
In this catch-up episode, we break down Chapters 1–5 of X, Squared (plus the prologue), analysing:
Story structure and pacing
Character introductions
World-building techniques
Early themes and narrative direction
And, of course… things spiral out of control when Crunchy decides to weigh in.
Chapter 6
As Crunchy battles a manipulative mirror reflection and encounters intensifying supernatural forces, the case escalates with a confirmed ghostly threat and a desperate escape.
Chapter 7
As the team confirms a mirror-based supernatural entity driving victims to suicide, they race to stop the threat while Hemmingway returns and Crunchy goes missing.
Chapter 8
After a chaotic confrontation with a gunman in London boosts his confidence, Crunchy returns determined to confront both his fears and the growing supernatural threat.
Chapter 9
Crunchy confronts his sinister mirror double in a brutal psychological battle, gaining newfound confidence while the true supernatural threat may still survive.
Chapter 10
A disastrous mission to destroy mirrors ends in arrests and public chaos, while Bunuel secretly prepares a ghost-guided trap to defeat the deadly mirror entity.
Midterm Exam
Daniel’s Nemesis is unavailable this week and next but will be back soon with a Catch-Up episode and then the following week with a chapter. Instead, it is I, Mouldy, from the original X2 + Y Files. So, I thought that we’d do something different, and as you may be able to tell by the music, that’s a quiz.
The Daniel’s Nemesis Midterm Exam!