PodcastsDocumentaryThe Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
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165 episodes

  • The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

    Nepal Royal Massacre: The Prophecy Behind a Dynasty’s Downfall

    05/05/2026 | 1h 11 mins.
    A prophecy. A royal family already under pressure. A forbidden relationship that nobody wanted to approve. Then, in June 2001, a routine family gathering inside Nepal’s royal complex ended in one of the most shocking palace massacres in modern history.

    In this episode of The Compendium, we trace the Nepal royal massacre through the older forces already tightening around it: the Shah dynasty’s founding legend, the strange grip of court astrology, the long shadow of the Rana family, and the growing conflict over Crown Prince Dipendra’s relationship with Devyani Rana. From there, we follow the royal dinner that turned into slaughter, the surreal decision to proclaim Dipendra king while he lay in a coma, and the public fury that erupted after the palace tried to frame the killings as an accident.

    This is the story of Prince Dipendra, the Nepalese royal massacre, and the night a monarchy stopped looking eternal and started looking breakable.

    Topics Include:

    The Shah dynasty prophecy and the “tenth generation” curse

    Crown Prince Dipendra and Devyani Rana

    Royal astrology, status, and marriage politics

    The June 2001 family gathering inside the palace

    The massacre, the “accident” cover story, and Dipendra’s coma

    Succession, outrage, and the conspiracy theories that followed

    Resources and Further Reading

    Nepalese royal massacre - Wikipedia

    A royal massacre - ABC

    Massacre at the Palace - by Jonathan Gregson

    Nepal Royal Family Massacre - Zero Hour Documentry

    Host & Show Info

    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox

    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland

    Community & Calls to Action

    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast

    Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com

    Support us: Sign up to Patreon

    Certified Freaks: Submit your job Descriptions

    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.
    Host & Show Info
    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland
    Community & Calls to Action
    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus
    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  • The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

    Michael Jackson Allegations, Part 2: Trials, Settlements and Legacy

    28/04/2026 | 1h 36 mins.
    Michael Jackson allegations sit at the centre of one of pop culture’s most disputed true crime stories. This episode follows Jordan Chandler, the civil settlement, the Gavin Arvizo case, Martin Bashir, the 2005 trial and Leaving Neverland as we examine how fame, money, power and uncertainty shaped Michael Jackson’s legacy.

    Topics Include

    jordan chandler and the first allegations

    the civil settlement and why it settled nothing

    martin bashir, neverland, and gavin arvizo

    the 2005 trial and full acquittal

    leaving neverland and the legacy war

    Resources and Further Reading

    Michael Jackson - Encyclopaedia Britannica

    Pop Star Michael Jackson Not Guilty of Child Molestation - PBS NewsHour

    Michael Jackson Acquitted of Child Molestation Charges - ABC News

    Michael Jackson’s Trials and Tribulations - ABC News

    Michael Jackson Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A Timeline - Rolling Stone

    10 Undeniable Facts About the Michael Jackson Sexual Abuse Allegations - Vanity Fair

    Neverland's Lost Boys - Vanity Fair

    Michael Jackson's Legacy Under Microscope in New Sex Abuse Film - Reuters

    Leaving Neverland - Netflix

    Host & Show Info
    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland
    Community & Calls to Action
    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus
    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  • The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

    Michael Jackson, Part 1: From Jackson 5 to King of Pop

    21/04/2026 | 1h 17 mins.
    Michael Jackson became the King of Pop before he was ever allowed to be ordinary. This episode traces his rise from the Jackson 5 and Motown to Off the Wall, Thriller, the moonwalk and Neverland, exploring the family pressure, talent, fame and isolation that shaped one of music’s most remarkable lives.

    Topics Include

    Joe Jackson, childhood pressure, and the Jackson family home

    The Jackson 5, Motown, and Michael’s breakout voice

    Off the Wall, Thriller, MTV, and the moonwalk

    The Pepsi burn, image changes, and Neverland

    Jordan Chandler and the moment everything turns

    Resources and Further Reading

    Michael Jackson - Encyclopaedia Britannica

    The Jackson 5 - Motown Museum

    Michael Jackson - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

    Pepsi fire left Michael Jackson in pain - Los Angeles Times

    Host & Show Info

    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox

    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland

    Community & Calls to Action

    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast

    Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com

    Support us: Sign up to Patreon

    We’re Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus

    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.
    Host & Show Info
    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland
    Community & Calls to Action
    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus
    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  • The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

    Peter the Dolphin: The NASA Experiment That Went Too Far

    14/04/2026 | 49 mins.
    Peter the Dolphin is one of the strangest true stories in science history: a NASA-funded dolphin communication experiment, a flooded Caribbean lab, and researcher Margaret Howe Lovatt living alongside a dolphin named Peter. This episode explores John C. Lilly, animal language research, LSD, Dolphin House and the bizarre experiment that became infamous for all the wrong reasons

    Topics include

    The Dolphin House experiment and its unconventional design

    John C Lilly’s theories on dolphin communication and sensory deprivation

    Margaret Lovatt’s role and the emotional reality of long-term isolation

    Why NASA funded dolphin research during the space race

    What happened to Peter the dolphin after the experiment ended

    Resources and Further Reading

    Margaret Howe Lovatt - Wikipedia

    The dolphin who loved me - the Guardian

    John C. Lilly - Wikipedia

    The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins - BBC Documentry

    Host & Show Info
    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland
    Community & Calls to Action
    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus
    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  • The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

    Julia Child: The Spy, Chef and Making of The French Chef

    07/04/2026 | 1h 22 mins.
    Julia Child was not born a chef. Before Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The French Chef made her a culinary icon, she worked for the OSS, fell in love with Paul Child and discovered French food in post-war Paris. This episode tells the true story of her late-blooming reinvention and remarkable second act.

    Topics include


    Julie & Julia and what the film gets right


    Le Cordon Bleu, French cuisine, and learning late


    Mastering the Art of French Cooking and why it mattered


    OSS shark repellent and the strangest pre-chef CV


    The French Chef, cooking show chaos, and the Dan Aykroyd SNL skit

    Resources and Further Reading

    Julia Child - Wikipedia

    Julie & Julia - by Nora Ephron

    SNL The French Chef - youtube

    Shark Repellant Work - cia.gov

    Julias Kitchen - Smithsonian Museum

    Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Wikipedia

    Host & Show Info
    Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland
    Community & Calls to Action
    Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus
    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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About The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people. Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions, and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?” From infamous crimes and forgotten history to celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment. New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.
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