Journalist Anon: Philosophy Theater Interview

Today I’m interviewing the famous anonymous author, Jester Teller, about his new series “Philosophy Theater.” So what is Philosophy Theater exactly, Jester?

Well, first off, let me explain that Philosophy Theater is an idea created by me and my group. Our goal is to create content that’s entertaining but also thought provoking. The story takes place on an alternative Earth where three main factions fight for control over the future.

Can you tell me about the three factions?

First there is the Jester Gang, lead by Jester Teller. We want to create a world where everyone, machine and human, can coexist. By creating a system where people’s interactions with each other are controlled we can create a perfect society. There would be no wars, crime or economic collapse. And, since we’re using artificial intelligence, we won’t have any dictatorship problems either. We want freedom but not chaos.

I see, sounds very interesting. Then what about the second faction, the Temple of S?

They’re a cult lead by Chaos Jester. They’re theistic nihilists who believe in an all-powerful “God of Evil” named S. They believe that humanity is doomed to destroy itself eventually and our only hope is to control human nature by creating a new race using AI. It would be a world where the individual could have what they desire without suffering existing. Chaos Jester plans to wipe away all human civilization, except for a handful of the smartest people left to be preserved. Then he’ll begin to recreate the world.

That sounds insane! And what about the last group?

The Church of Salvation is a Christian church that believes in tradition and keeping AI beneath humanity. They develop AI to serve the Church but never create anything at or above human level. The Church believes that if everyone had faith in the Bible it would solve the world’s problems. To them the solution is in changing people’s minds not their nature or society. Mechtild Jager, the commander of the Church’s paladins, is the lead character in their story.

Those groups seem quite radical… and different.

Yes, their beliefs are quite opposite from each other and, yet, they all believe that they’re doing what is best for the future of the world. How will humanity deal with the changes that AI will bring? Does life have a purpose and if not how do we deal with that? Can a perfect world be created? These are questions that these light novels aims to explore.

These look like some heavy topics for a book. Are there any good jokes in there?

This series includes many satirical elements and plenty of comic relief. The whole idea of the characters fighting using meme magic and the existence of meme monsters is just a bit of fun that was created as a joke originally. I don’t think it’s irrelevant to the story though since we’ve seen the power of internet memes at play in recent years. Memes have made an impact on political discourse, they influence our pop culture, they influence people’s lives.

The most exciting part will be watching to see how Chaos Jester’s plan turns out. Will he really be able to win the meme war and create a better world?

There’s certainly a lot of mystery surrounding his character. There will be unexpected twists in his version of the story. As a powerful meme warlock with an army of robots and demons and advanced technology at his disposal, he has a good chance at winning. I suppose if you’re a nihilist you could see his point, but who knows if his plan is really a solution.

Are you saying you’d lose in a meme duel with Chaos Jester?

Nah, I’d win. No one could beat the Master of Memes.

Well now that we’ve got the introduction done we should begin. Do you have a short description or teaser you can give of what this first chapter is about?

The audience plays a role in the story as the one only known as Anon. You pick who you want to side with and read that version of the series. In part one each faction will be fighting against on of the smaller factions within the story. The first chapter will introduce you to the leader and right hand of each faction as well as the world.

What happens next?

You’ll be introduced to more characters while the team goes on side adventures. Eventually there will be a showdown with the antagonist of part one. In the second half of the series is where the conflict with the other major factions really gets going. This part is an all out memetic war.

That’s an exciting setup, what else will the audience be experiencing?

We’ll be writing side stories as well that focuses on different characters. There will also be a fourth secret story path that is only avaible if you read the other three. That path is a special twist for those that have read all of the stories and see the clues that will come along. We also plan on eventually adapting all these stories into a video series.

That sounds very ambitious.

It is, but I believe we can pull it off. It’s the most exciting story project I’ve worked on so far.

So let me make sure I understand this: We pick a side and that decides which part of the series we read?

That’s correct. There’s one short introduction chapter no matter who you pick, but after that point you’ll be going down the path of whichever leader you’ve chosen to follow.

Got it, that’s a great concept.

Yeah, it should really give the audience a way to see things from each faction’s perspective, but it also gives them a sense of investment in the story that helps them get attached to the characters. We want you to choose your side.

Choosing sides can be tricky though, I bet that causes a lot of inter-reader disagreements, right?

Probably, that’s part of the fun. You’ll all just have to wait and see where your own choices lead you.

Nice evasive answer! How did you come up with this story concept anyway?

It started a bit different than it is now. The story was going to be just Mechtild versus Chaos Jester and even more of a comedy, but over time the story grew more complex and fleshed out. Now there’s multiple factions fighting each other in a large scale meme war, and a bunch of other subplots too. It’s really a different story than what the initial plans were.

How did Mechtild start playing such an important role?

As a satirist, I love poking fun at people’s beliefs. The character of Mechtild was created to represent the religious right in America. She was like the Christ-chan meme mixed with elements of Donald Trump. I originally just wanted her to be the crazy evangelical bible-thumping kind, but she has transformed a lot since the start of the project.

Really? Like how?

When I first conceptualized her, she was supposed to represent only conservatives, but as the story has progressed, the political landscape has become more extreme. Now she’s kind of an embodiment of the extreme Christian right as a whole, a movement that transcends specific parties and ideologies. She has become less satirical and a more thought out character. You’ll either find she has a point or you’ll pity her. Either way she will make you think about your position and whether it really makes sense.

How do you come up with the personalities of your characters?

They are created to represent the type of people in today’s world or be plays on common archetypes, and some of them are based on members of our group. Each of us have different experiences and opinions, so naturally each character reacts differently to what’s happening.

Are there characters in this story you dislike or enjoy writing?

I enjoy writing evil characters that have pure motives. Chaos Jester is a very amoral character, but he does everything he does for a reason. Not to mention he’s self-aware and humorous. The only character I might dislike are Archbishop Leonid Luskin and President Brandon Tiller. They are more driven by self-interest and less self-aware than the other characters. That being said, their position on things is still interesting to consider.

Have the opinions of real-world people affected how the story goes at all?

Certainly, some people have definitely affected it. From opinions of members of our group, to their friends input, interactions with people online, and even real world events. All of that has contributed to the story.

Do any of these characters represent what you believe?

Somewhat, but the Jester Teller in the book isn’t quite the same as me. I propose theories and tear down beliefs I feel are false. I wouldn’t take such a strong stance on things, but I can see merit in both the Jester Gang and the Temple of S’s philosophies.

How close is the world depicted in the series to the real one?

This is an alternative timeline. Many events and memes have been slightly altered. In this timeline there was a breakthrough in AI development in the 70s instead of people getting disillusioned with it. Technology is more advanced than in our world. Not to mention meme magic, meme monsters, and demons exist in this version of Earth.

Is the Temple of S based off of any other real world religions?

It’s based off of “The Book of S” which as I’ve said before takes elements from Christianity, Gnosticism, nihilism, and more. There are six tenants that all followers of S believe in, but outside of that it’s more free form and personalized. There’s no strict commandments or central dogma, only a guiding philosophy.

What do the names of the main characters stand for?

I chose my name because I’m a storyteller that likes to make fun of people’s beliefs. Since the character design is a bit like a magician, it could also be a reference to certain comedy magic duo. Jester Teller is a trickster and chaotic neutral character. Mechtild is named after a Christian mystic, and the name means “strong in battle” which fits for a paladin. Chaos Jester is all about chaos and mockery, and is very playful. He’s a darker yet more carefree and self-indulgent counterpart to Jester Teller.

What do the mechanics and professions mean to you personally?

We’re developing a RPG system to go along with our story. The idea original came from club members being assigned a class based on their role. It’s a bit like a video game party system where we tried to balance out the classes on each team. There is a story reason behind all of this as well that I won’t reveal just.

When is your RPG system going to be released?

We hope to have it released at the same time as the story.

Can you explain the RPG system?

It’s a mix of a card game and a traditional RPG. Characters have a few unique cards in their deck, but the rest of the deck is built from memes they have collected. They have so much MP per turn depending on their level to cast meme magic and summon meme monsters every turn. That’s the basic concept. There is a lot more than that planned to be added like Super Mode and combos.

Will it be free or have a cost?

It will be free and only use a virtual currency for buying cards. No real money will be involved. The only thing we will ever directly charge for would be a videogame based on our story. All of our other projects are funded by donations.

Has this been planned out for a long time, or a just a recent development?

The idea goes back to the very first draft of the story. There have been many ideas on how to do it, and finally we settled on the system we have now.

Are you taking the writing or yourself too seriously?

I only make it seem like I do for acting purposes. I do cover many things I’ve thought about in the story, but ultimately it’s for the sake of fun and creating something we can be happy with. I mean this entire interview is just something I made up. You’re just a character in my story.

You talk about this with an evil smile!

We’ll just see if you ever make it out of my meme dungeon.

Oh please, I know all your memes, none shall faze me.

You sure about that?

Huh? Wh… what’s happening?

I just showed you a bunch of memes.

Please stop, I’m getting sick and need a vomit bag.

As a jester, it is my duty to share memes and teach people their weaknesses.

OK, OK! Enough! I concede to you master of memes. I guess I will have to study more memes, especially the dank kind, in order to understand them and learn more of the knowledge and power you have given me.

The road to enlightenment is one full of pain and dank memes. You must be prepared to face them to become strong.

Indeed I have taken your lesson to heart, Jester!

Go forth my loyal student, and may the memes be with you.

Yes sensei!