Punchline or Perish
When an emotionless alien armada demands one human make their joyless Emperor laugh within seven days—or Earth gets dismantled for spare parts—a washed-up, chronically unfunny stand-up comic is mistakenly chosen as humanity's last hope. Armed with terrible jokes, a deadpan alien handler forbidden to smile, and absolutely no idea what he's doing, he has one week to discover that saving the world might cost him every punchline he's ever hidden behind.
Main characters
Miles Ferro
POVSelf-deprecating, desperate for validation, secretly kind-hearted beneath the sarcasm
Nix-Aria
Rigid rule-follower, deadpan sarcastic wit, hides a growing fascination with human emotion
Emperor Thessaly Vorn
Stoic and commanding, secretly grieving, terrified of losing control of his own people