Deus ex machina

Deus ex machina by Andrew Foster Altschul 205 pgs.

An absurd novel about a reality TV show ala "Survivor" this book focuses on the producer who came up with the genre and his latest season which includes an ex marine, a hairdresser, a lawyer, a dental hygienist, etc. When the producer starts questioning what he has done and how unreal "reality" can be on television, he also starts getting paranoid about his crew and their activities behind his back. He seems to fall in love with the dental hygienist who refuses to "play" and doesn't really engage with the other contestants. In flash back, we see his marriage to an earlier contestant on a house rebuilding show disintegrate. Seems like the reality tv guy can't tell reality from an act and that doesn't just include those around him but himself. All of these questions lead to a bit of a breakdown where he wants the final contestants to answer a question about love to win the show. Instead the crew puts him under "house arrest" and then ties him to a chair for the finale they have rigged up that includes kidnap, torture & a grand escape including parachutes...the audience loves it! - Christa