Customer Reviews

Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story

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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.

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.

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.

Marcus Alexander Hart uses his keen sense of geekery and pop culture that we so adored at Misinformer.com to good effect in Caster's Blog.

Hart manages to juggle the competing demand of a clear consistent narrative with the seemingly random and trivial nature of typical blog entries to craft a believable, surprising and compelling story while at the same time maintaining the appearance of an unscripted internet diary. He also had to contend with the uncontrolled input of his readers, in effect, collaborating with the whole of the internet community.

All in all a tall order.

Hart's demonstrates his skill as a writer, and his knowledge of the classic of English literature, Japanese Haiku, and '80's sit coms in this very entertaining volume.

In an age where nothing is real, one thing is: a blog. Envision a blog that could draw an audience so vast, it makes Oprah's Book Club seem like a grade school reading group. Imagine updating a blog page every 5 minutes while you're at work to get the next part of the story. Picture telling all of your friends and every cashier who breaks your Hamiltons about what's new in that journal.

This is Caster's Blog.

For one year it captured the hearts and minds of its audience and grew a faithful reader base. A whirlwind story of romance, revenge, deception, ups and downs became so unbelievable that it just had to be true. This book captures the best elements of what makes a good story so great.

Looking back over the story, at some points it may seem too incredible to be believable. This is in part because the book edits a substantial amount of unimportant posts and comments from the real journal. It was largely because of those same details that the audience was so hooked into the underlying story. At the same time though, the reader wants to believe the story. We cheer him on in the good times and come together to lift him in the bad times.

You might think you read all of the great blogs, but have you read an interesting one?

Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story rocks my world in ways unnatural to this dimension. It is certainly one of Marcus A. Harts best books.

Casters Blog shows that the impossible is possible.. in a fictional story. Although the general plot might seem like a cliché, the novel is written very freshly and witty.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about <u>Caster's Blog</u>?

How about "When I get my copy, the Boyfriend is sleeping on the couch and it gets his pillow."

"Caster's Blog" is certainly one of the most *unique* love stories I've ever read. Through "online journal entries," Marcus Alexander Hart throws the standard "chapter" format to the wind and creates an interesting narrative pacing unlike any other.

As with "The Oblivion Society," I was impressed with how Hart tied everything together. Elements that seem to be unrelated subplots turn out to have more impact on the main story than one might suspect. And since it is all told as "a year in the life of Caster," the notions of plots and subplots are *already* blurred to great effect.

Curiously, now that I have finished the book, I find myself *missing* Caster -- I got used to reading his "blogs" over the days that I was reading the book, and now I feel strangely cut off from my new geeky friend.

Since I am also a fan of Hart's other novel, "The Oblivion Society," it naturally begs the question: "Which book did I enjoy more?" At the risk of sounding evasive, I can honestly say that "Caster's Blog" and "The Oblivion Society" are *so* different, it would be hopeless (and unfair) to compare the two. They both share Hart's sharp and clever wit, and frequent references to pop-culture, but beyond that ... they are exceedingly different novels. Which, in itself, is yet *another* compliment to Hart as an author.

I highly recommend "Caster's Blog" as a quick, humorous, and pleasantly engaging read.

I was there man. In the trenches, taking the blows as they happened. As one of the hapless saps that was taken in by this hoax, I have to say.. prepare to be amused. Terribly so, in fact. Marcus spun us a blog so compelling, even our friends who didn't have access to the web hammered me for updates to Castor's life.

When I found out there was to be a book and that, in fact, Ray wasn't *REAL*, I was shocked. The story was just too weird and interesting to not be real, but I got over it after realizing just how much entertainment Castor had provided me over the past year.

I got my copy as quickly as possible, read it, relived the whole thing all over again, and you know what? It was just as funny the second time around. Marcus has a flair for, as they say, taking several thousand words and arranging them in a cunning order.

Go grab this book and one for your friends to borrow because you won't want to let *your* copy go.

I never fully understood the term laugh riot until I read Caster's Blog : A Geek Love Story. This book is off the chain like a rabid bear at the fair. Smart, witty and entirely entertaining - one of those books that you read all the way through in one sitting (and you stay up until four am accidentally and work SUCKS in the morning). Read this book! You'll feel better.