Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story [Paperback]

Marcus Alexander Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2006

Ray Caster is a regular guy who drew the short stick on life. He works in a miserable office doing a miserable job. He gets no respect from his co-workers. For that matter, he gets no respect from his friends. Caster's existence is one pathetic downward spiral of TiVo and fast food until the day his life is turned upside-down by a goddess from an auto parts store. With its snappy, conversational writing style, "Caster's Blog" captures the comedy and tragedy of geek life from a first-hand perspective.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Caster's Blog is the first novel by Marcus Alexander Hart, author of The Oblivion Society and Walkin' on Sunshine.

It all started with a simple question: Would it be possible to create an online persona ordinary enough to be taken as a real person, yet extraordinary enough to keep the interest of an audience? To find out, Marcus maintained a weblog under the guise of Ray Caster for one full year.

With the exception of four accomplices, none of Caster's LiveJournal friends were aware of his true nature until the publication of this book.

From the Back Cover

Hi, I'm Ray Caster, and this is my blog. Um... I'm really bad at these bio things. How about this: You can picture me as four parts Harry Kim, three parts the Doctor, two parts Tuvok, one part Tom Paris, and zero parts Neelix.

Screw Neelix.

Anyway, I have a pretty ordinary... okay, *pathetic* sort of life. My TiVo is my best friend. Well, that's not entirely true. Turbo Dan is my best friend. But, as his name might suggest, Turbo Dan can be kind of, you know, *a colossal moron*. But he means well. I think.

I work at the main office of a credit union, which is about a thousand times less thrilling than it sounds. But at least my co-workers keep the day interesting. Between the homophobic loudmouth who sits next to me and the poetry-spewing Vogon in the HR office, every day is a bold new challenge in the field of not *blowing my brains out*.

So life kind of sucked. But then everything changed on the day I met that goddess from the auto parts store...

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com (March 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411674170
• ISBN-13: 978-1411674172
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,343,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marcus Alexander Hart was born in 1976, making him exactly the same age as the VHS recorder.

Marcus is the author of "Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story," the tale of one improbable year told as an online journal; and "Walkin' on Sunshine: A Quantum Physics Sex Farce." His apocalyptic comedy novel "The Oblivion Society" was a 2008 IPPY Award gold medalist.

Marcus also contributed to the book From "Hollywood Experts and Published Authors: Words of Wisdom for Starving Artists," which was a silver medalist in the 2007 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards.

Marcus is the former editor-in-chief of misinformer.com, and is currently a senior editor at Geek Monthly magazine. He enjoys Halloween, tacos, and half-inch video tape with an anti-despooling mechanism.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm still in awe, February 24, 2006

By 

Grant Rydell (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story (Paperback)

There is no review that can possibly come close to summing up the level of awesome contained in this book. Marcus Alexander Hart has managed to convey a story that is so unbelievable, that it has to be real (and oddly enough, that is exactly how this book came to be).

The posts capture your attention, and leave you in dire need to read the next update. What is Ray going to do about Shadoe? Where is Turbo Dan going to show up next? How bad can HR poetry get? These questions sometimes will take months to answer, but the payoff is always well worth it.

The commentaries from Caster's friends give the book a realistic touch that many of us can relate to. So many times a writer will go to any length to make an unrealistic situation pan out, but in this case, Caster's life is guided by the concerns of his friends. They aren't always right, but who is?

In the end, "Caster's Blog" is a brilliant exercise in internet based writing. Comedy, pop culture, and real-life drama mix flawlessly to create one of the most interesting stories of 2006. Pick this book up today, and get ready for a good time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jump on board now, March 1, 2006

By 

Douglas J. Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story (Paperback)

The Marcus Alexander Hart rollercoaster ride is just beginning, and you better hope you're on it when it reaches full steam. His first published novel, Caster's Blog is sharp and witty, touching and emotional, geeky and cool. Whether you maintain a blog, read a blog, or don't know what a blog is, this book will provide entertainment all the way through.

His second novel, The Oblivion Society is even better, but it isn't out yet. I suggest you purchase Caster's Blog now before The Oblivion Society drops and Marcus blows up into a superstar, allowing you to prove that you heard of him first.

I was going to try to work a Church of Oblivion Societology joke into this review somehow, but lack the writing skill to pull it off.

Marcus could have done it though, so buy his book, not mine.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, fun, masterfully written... highly recommended, February 28, 2006

By 

Timb The Ubiquitous "Timb the Ubiquitous" (Universe, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story (Paperback)

Hart proves again that he can weave a story as well as the best and shows us exactly why he is a rising star in his medium. Caster's Blog is about as tightly-woven and engaging as they come, showcasing Hart's distinct Kevin-Smithian knowledge of American pop culture and razor-sharp comedic wit. The author's attention to detail is so precise, you'll swear this is the real thing. Caster's draws you in and keeps you turning pages well past your bedtime.

That Hart has put this book up as a free download is testament to his talent and fortitude. Do yourself a favor and download this book for free. A few pages in, just like me, you will want to own the real thing.

Hart is an undeniable trailblazer in this unique genre. We anxiously await more fine work from this talented author.