Survival Of The Fittest

Hello everyone,

Today staff were told about the passing of Bryan aka Cyco on New Year's Day.

We know that Bryan hasn't been around the site as a whole for some time, but he was an important and influential writer and member of the site who will be sorely missed.

We don't know any further details at this time, so please respect the privacy of his friends and family as they process this tragic event.

If anyone wants to leave a message in memory of Bryan or in support of his family and friends in this thread please feel free, we'll be leaving it open for you all.

Look after each other.

Sincerely,

SOTF Staff

While I hadn't seen nor spoken with Bryan for a number of years due to the pandemic, the times that I did see him in person, he was always very much the life of the party (sometimes too much so). With that being said, he was always really kind to me and was just a genuinely nice guy, to the point where I decided to drive four hours up the road to meet some people from an Internet writing website. He was a good dude on the Internet but he was an even better guy in real life, which kept me coming back all of those years.

Bryan had his difficulties and challenges over the years, but I was always happy to see him at a party or chat with him on Facebook. He was a hell of a talented writer and his contributions to what SOTF is can never be understated. I know that his family and those who were close to him will be acutely feeling his absence and I send all of my love and condolence to them. He will be missed.

Rest in Peace, old friend.

Bryan played a huge part in shaping our community and was one of the most soulful writers to contribute to the story of SOTF.

I remember reading his work, which still remains as some of my favorite in this medium and any other, and being floored – feeling, crying, hoping for the characters he created and imbued with remarkable humanity.

I’m so grateful that I was able to write with him upon his return. I didn’t know him well, but I frequently look back on our collaboration and feel it pull at my heart.

I’d like to offer all of the condolences and love I can to Bryan’s friends, family, and loved ones.

And my greatest hope that he’s resting peacefully.

As a site member, I never had the opportunity to meet Bryan; I joined long past the days when he was active. I never knew him in the ways that others knew him. However, I know this: he left an indelible mark on this site. His name is etched forever in the history of the community—and not just because one of our most illustrious characters bears his name. His writing left its impression on our community and helped pave the way for our modern understanding of what this site is. This site means a lot to many of us, and it wouldn't be the same if it weren't for Bryan Calvert—both the character he wrote and the person he was. I wish the best for his loved ones, and I hope that his rest is peaceful.

The first piece of writing I ever read on SOTF was written by Bryan. So was the first character I went out of my way to follow. By that time, in 2009, he was already around a lot less, but his presence was felt throughout the community, and those interactions I did have with him were always positive. Throughout the years, I often spent time trying to reinvent the wheel of some aspect of the game or another only to discover in some old OOC thread that Bryan had figured it out years beforehand.

He was one of the most iconic figures in the site's history, both for lending his name and likeness to his best-known character and for his general activity and direction during the formative years of the community. He was funny and kind, and he knew how to hype people up in incredible ways (when he posted the V2 Promo photoshoot, the site went wild). His work has spanned the years and touched lives in many ways.

I'm sending my condoelnces to his family and friends, those who've been part of this community over the years and those who haven't.