Like most internet FAQ pages, this document defines "frequently asked" as "asked at least once, including questions I've asked myself." It will be continually updated as questions are actually frequently asked. If you have a question that is not addressed here, email me.
Last update: July 4, 2007
• General Questions
• Questions about Caster's Blog
• Questions about The Oblivion Society
• Questions about Walkin' on Sunshine
• Questions about misinformer.com
General Questions:
Q. Why is this website sometimes written in the first person and sometimes in the third?
A. I, Marcus, write everything that appears on this site. Some pages are written in the third person to create the tenuous illusion of having a support staff.
Q. What's the deal with "Outpost 132"? Outpost132.com and MarcusAlexanderHart.com are exactly the same.
A. Outpost 132 is a company on the grow! Right now we have one employee. I don't want to drop names, but he's been known to speak in the third person and occasionally in the plural.
Questions about Caster's Blog:
Q. Why did you create a fake online journal?
A. Ray Caster's journal was created as a writing exercise. I wanted to see if I could create an online persona ordinary enough to be taken as a real person, but extraordinary enough to keep the interest of an audience. I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to whether or not I was successful.
Q. How much of the story was based on the comments of Caster's friends, and how much was planned in advance?
A. I started the project with a general outline of where the story would go, but most of the specific details were directly influenced by the advice given by his friends. This is especially evident toward the beginning of the story. As the blog drew to an end, Caster's increasing reluctance to take advice was both a product of his growth as a character, and of the necessity to direct the story to a logical conclusion.
Q. You mention four accomplices who helped you. Who were they and what did they do?
A. The four accomplices were LiveJournal users greatbiggary, timb, twentyafter7, and webgodd_s. When unpopular advice had to be given in order to keep the story on track, these were the brave souls who gave it. I would also like to thank greatbiggary and twentyafter7 for posting several weeks worth of pre-written entries at scheduled intervals while I was on long ocean voyages or international expeditions.
Q. Why did Ray Caster "friend" me on LiveJournal? For that matter, why did I friend him back?
A. When I first started Caster's journal I had him friend random people through LiveJournal interest searches. Most of those people friended him back, and a surprising number of them got involved in his life. If you can't remember otherwise, this is probably the process by which you became a part of Caster's circle of friends.
Q. Hey, I was one of Caster's LiveJournal friends! Why aren't any of my comments in the book?
A. For the sake of narrative focus I condensed Caster's extensive friend list down to the top contributors by number of comments. If you were not included in the book it does not mean that your comments were any less valid or appreciated, but only that you did not post as frequently as some of his other friends did. Your exclusion should not be taken as an insult in any way.
Q. How did Caster's friends react when they found out his true nature?
A. I decided to let them answer this question in their own words at Caster's LiveJournal.
Q. How many conversations did you have with yourself as LiveJournal user marcus132?
A. More than was absolutely necessary, that's for sure. Sometimes I did it to throw the audience off of my trail, other times for the sake of comedy, and others because I just can't resist the allure of dramatic irony.
Q. So who wrote the awful articles on misinformer.com that are credited to Ray Caster?
A. You know the answer. Don't make me say it out loud.
Q. Did the name "Ray Caster" originate from your background with computer graphics?
A. It did! Very astute. Back in the day, Alias PowerAnimator had two default rendering options: "ray tracer" and "ray caster." One night after I had been working too long I thought that "Ray Caster" sounded like a guy's name. And the rest is history.
Q. Why did you pick Sarasota, Florida for the location?
A. I used to live in Sarasota, so I knew the area well enough to write about it. It also helped to explain how I knew Ray Caster but didn't ever see him in person. In December '05 I went back to Sarasota and (WARNING: This short pictorial contains many spoilers!) photographed some of the locations from the book.
Q. (WARNING: This link is also a spoiler!) Who drew the illustration on the last entry?
A. It was drawn by a caricature artist on the Santa Monica Pier by the name of Walt Davis. Unfortunately the illustration does not appear in the book, as I was unable to contact Mr. Davis for his permission to print it.
Questions about The Oblivion Society:
Q. You keep saying "ObSoc." What does "ObSoc" mean?
A. "ObSoc" is the official abbreviation for The Oblivion Society (Oblivion Society). The term was coined by Timb, and is a play on "InSoc," the abbreviation for the band Information Society.
Q. Why does Amazon list this book twice with two different covers?
A. The one with Vivian sitting on the bomb is the new, revised second edition from Permuted Press. The one with the mushroom cloud is the discontinued Outpost 132 first edition. Amazon does not remove listings for out-of-print books because they may still be sold used. In short: Buy the one with Vivian on the bomb.
Q. Speaking of which, who does all of your awesome artwork?
A. That would be Michael Greenholt. If you want to see some of the process involved in getting the first edition cover from an idea to a finished piece, check out his Making the Cover feature.
Q. So, is this a graphic novel?
A. No. It's a real novel with real words and no pictures. Don't be scared, you can make the pictures with your own imagination. It's fun.
Q. Don't you think The Oblivion Society would make a great movie or graphic novel?
A. I totally do, and I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone who wants to help make that happen.
Q. Can I get a signed copy of The Oblivion Society?
A. Marcus is no longer selling signed copies through the Internet, but he'll be more than happy to sign for you if you catch up with him at a personal appearance.
Questions about Walkin' on Sunshine:
Q. Where can I see a performance of Walkin' on Sunshine?
A. There's a free Google Video of an entire performance at StopTheStarlons.com.
Q. How can my theater troupe perform Walkin' on Sunshine?
A. Just send me an email and I'll give you all the details!
Q. How can I get a copy of the script to Walkin' on Sunshine?
A. You can get your very own copy from Lulu.com for only $7.99.
Q. Didn't this thing used to be called Walkin' on Sunshine: Tenth Orbit?
A. Yes. The current script is the tenth-anniversary rewrite of a show first produced in 1996. In order to differentiate them, the new production's working title was Walkin' on Sunshine: Tenth Orbit (as in, ten orbits around the sun). The subtitle was ultimately changed to the more titillating, "A Quantum Physics Sex Farce."
Questions about misinformer.com:
Q. UPDATE BITCH!
A. I commend you for your loyalty to the cause, but misinformer.com is on a permanent hiatus. No bitches will be updating it in the forseeable future.
Q. Wait wait, if Ray Caster isn't real, then why does your misinformer.com page say that you were "five guys and two chicks posting comedy online and trying to figure out how to get paid for it"?
A. I sincerely apologize for any misinformation that my misinformer.com page may contain.
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