The Holovid Hero

Cinematographer Ian Mac MacIntyre needs to revive a sinking career. His new job involves directing and recording a reality show, The Adventures of Captain Charisma. This B-list adventure series will feature Joseph Drake as Captain Charisma, and ex-military adrenaline junkie. The episodes will portray Captain Charima's exploits as he visits the farthest reaches of the galaxy. When the producer sends Captain Charisma to smash a dangerous alien bug aboard a space station and milk the ratings, Mac sweats over his own safety. As a paunchy, balding guy approaching middle age, Mac isn't built for heroics. However, the producer insists on exciting footage. The show's rating success is thrown into question when Mac's ex-wife, Rose, appears as a director for a rival show. Despite power failing on the damaged station, Mac must put Captain Charisma (and himself) into the monster's path to create unforgettable scenes and to prove he is a better director than Rose. A wrong step and he might lose a ratings war and his reality show. Worse, he and Captain Charisma could end up as bug food. In 2018, the Holovid Hero won a Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association for unpublished science fiction novels.