618 ratings | 17 reviews | avg rating:4.41

Joseph’s Year In Books

Joseph’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Joseph’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Joseph Matheny’s Followers (53)

Joseph’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (1)
read (645)

Joseph’s Friends (125)

Gary Clemenceau

2 books | 82 friends

keith b

478 books | 4 friends

Joseph Aleo

888 books | 17 friends

Nico

3,501 books | 307 friends

Daniel Jun Kim

897 books | 230 friends

Henry

17 books | 226 friends

Michelle Senderhauf

460 books | 27 friends

Per

1,981 books | 245 friends

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Joseph Matheny

Goodreads Author

Born

in Chicago, IL, The United States

December 24

Website

https://josephmatheny.com

Twitter

Ongshat1

Genre

Fiction, Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers

Influences

William S. Burroughs, Hakim Bey, Brion Gysin, Jack Kerouac, Jorge Luis ...more

Member Since

October 2007

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jmatheny

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As an inventor, creator, product manager, CEO, CTO, writer, and artist, I’ve contributed to establishing and promoting standards and practices like PDF, DVD, podcasting, ARGs, and digital video. I’ve designed apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android platforms [1] [2] [3] and authored screenplays, white papers, and books on technology, sci-fi, marketing, and gaming.

Since the mid-80s, I’ve staged and managed large-scale Alternate Reality Game (ARG)/transmedia projects using diverse media, including print, phone, email, video, film, and digital platforms. My work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, LA Times, CNN, PBS, BBC, Audible Original (named the best of 2024), and many other outlets. (Links to articles available.)

M ...more

345 posts
Joseph Matheny's Blog

Ong’s Hat: How did the First ARG Spiral out of Control?

For a long time, Ong’s Hat, an abandoned ghost town in New Jersey, has been the subject of many urban legends and local folk tales, but it was also the … Continue reading Ong’s Hat: How did the First ARG Spiral out of Control?

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Published on September 10, 2025 09:01

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Joseph Matheny’s books

Average rating: 4.21 · 405 ratings · 34 reviews · 27 distinct works • Similar authors

	Reality Is What You Can Get Away With by Robert Anton Wilson, Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author) (introduction) 3.83 avg rating — 469 ratings — published 1992 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Art of Memetics by Wes Unruh, Edward O. Wilson, Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.59 avg rating — 78 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ong's Hat: The Beginning: Authorized Version 4.09 avg rating — 76 ratings — published 1999 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Statio Numero by Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author), Jason Nunes (Illustrator) 4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Statio Numero by Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author), Jason Nunes (Illustrator) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ong's Hat: COMPLEAT by Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author), Sequoyah Kennedy it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Game Over? it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2002	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Exquisite Language by Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Tiffany Lee Brown it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Why Dvd?: A Meat and Potatoes Guide for the Uninitiated really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What Would Bill Hicks Say? by Ben Mack (Editor), Kristin Pulkkinen (Editor) (30-Mar-2007) Paperback by Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by Joseph Matheny

Ong's Hat Series (2 books)
by

Joseph Matheny (Goodreads Author),

Sequoyah Kennedy

4.14 avg rating — 80 ratings

Joseph is Currently Reading

Joseph Matheny is currently reading

A Hut at the Edge of the Village: The Beauty and Trouble of John Moriarty

by John Moriarty

bookshelves: currently-reading

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20 hours, 41 min ago

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Joseph Matheny wrote a new blog post Ong’s Hat: How did the First ARG Spiral out of Control? For a long time, Ong’s Hat, an abandoned ghost town in New Jersey, has been the subject of many urban legends and local folk tales, but it was also th Read more of this blog post »
15 hours, 55 min ago · like
Joseph Matheny started reading A Hut at the Edge of the Village: The Beauty and Trouble of John Moriarty by John Moriarty	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 hours, 41 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Hut at the Edge of the Village by John Moriarty. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Hut at the Edge of the Village by John Moriarty <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Joseph Matheny rated a book it was amazing Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art by Phoebe Hoban	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 hours, 41 min ago · like
Joseph Matheny is now following Vicki Stoic's reviews
20 hours, 43 min ago · like
Joseph Matheny wants to read I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 08, 2025 10:05AM · like
Joseph Matheny wants to read Pink Beams of Light from the God in the Gutter: The Science-Fictional Religion of Philip K. Dick by Gabriel Mckee (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 06, 2025 07:16AM · like
Joseph Matheny is currently reading Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art by Phoebe Hoban	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 26, 2025 01:01PM · like
Joseph Matheny rated a book liked it Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 17, 2025 09:10AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Joseph Matheny liked Joseph Aleo's status update Joseph Aleo is 53% done with The Technological Society
Aug 12, 2025 01:00PM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Joseph Matheny is currently reading Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2025 01:09PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Shadowboxing With Bukowski by Darrell Kastin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Joseph Matheny (?)

“To see the universe as it truly is, is to see what we call chaos. That which we call order is merely our own apophenia at work.”
― Joseph Matheny, Game Over?

tags: game-over, incunabula, joseph-matheny, ong-s-hat

4 likes

“Most people hammer your mind with Thesis>Antithesis>Synthesis or as my old friend, the late Robert Anton Wilson, said: "Here's what it is, here's what it isn't, now here's why you need to go tell everyone how smart I am." I can't tell you how much that tired old formula skeeves me. When I do see people brave enough to (god forbid!) put the onus of drawing a conclusion back on the reader (heresy!), I am not only relived (what, me have to think?), my faith in humanity has it's execution stayed another day.”
― Joseph Matheny

2 likes

Joseph’s Quotes

“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can't be any large-scale revolution until there's a personal revolution, on an individual level. It's got to happen inside first.”
― Jim MORRISON

tags: freedom, individuality, inspirational, mask, personality, revolution, truth

4876 likes

“Where's your will to be weird?”
― Jim Morrison

tags: individuality, musicians, weirdness, wierd

1276 likes

“I like people who shake other people up and make them feel uncomfortable.”
― Jim Morrison, Eyes: Poetry, 1967-1971

575 likes

“That's what real love amounts to - letting a person be what he really is. Most people love you for who you pretend to be. To keep their love, you keep pretending - performing. You get to love your pretence. It's true, we're locked in an image, an act - and the sad thing is, people get so used to their image, they grow attached to their masks. They love their chains. They forget all about who they really are. And if you try to remind them, they hate you for it, they feel like you're trying to steal their most precious possession.”
― Jim Morrison

tags: love, pretense, self-esteem, self-image, wisdom

1831 likes

“I don't want to be overly dramatic about it, but I think people more and more wonder, is this living, or are we just going through the motions? What's happening? Is everything being leached out of life? Is the whole texture and values and everything kind of draining away?”
― John Zerzan

27 likes

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Joseph Matheny

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345 posts
Joseph Matheny's Blog

Ong’s Hat: How did the First ARG Spiral out of Control?

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