A three-novel anthology that wallows in dark, twisted humour, sexual obsession and the latent violence of the male animal. Book 1: Looking For Sarah Jane Smith Marty's living in a Welsh town he hates, doing a job he's lost interest in and so bored he can't even be bothered with sex. But a new life beckons in Australia. It's also a chance to get away from his stupid mates, the loveable loser John and the ultra-macho Wasp Boy. Maybe he'll even meet an exquisite girl like his Doctor Who heroine, Sarah Jane Smith, and live happily ever after… Looking for Sarah Jane Smith – For anyone who suspects life's a bit rubbish. Part road trip and part celebration of idiotic male friendship, Looking for Sarah Jane Smith is sure to strike a chord with those who appreciate Withnail & I, Peep Show and Bill Hicks. '...if there's one thing that stands out about this, it's how bloody funny it is. I actually packed Looking for Sarah Jane Smith for a long-haul flight and such a page-turner did it prove to be that I finished it within a couple of hours.' - Living Abroad Magazine '...A bitter, crude, but funny book... These boys are not particularly likeable, but their story is raw, honest, unsophisticated and rooted in bittersweet reality.' - Post Newspapers 'An agreeably raucous novel that touches on Dr Who and men behaving badly. Its strong language and adult scenes make it the perfect Christmas gift for that impressionable nephew.' - The West Australian Book 2: Girls Like Funny Boys Part coming of age story, part exploration of the maddening nature of dreams, Girls Like Funny Boys is a potent mix of sexual obsession, guilt and fame. "Gina crouched, resting on her haunches to continue the conversation. Her legs were too far apart. There was a hole in her black tights just above the left knee. Johnny felt a hot urge to poke a finger in it. He wished she'd leave him alone. He wished she wasn't wearing tights. He stared at her lopsided mouth and the way her fat lower lip jutted out. It was so red it bordered on purple, the colour of strawberries on the turn." Meet Johnny Goodwin. He's grown up in a quiet Brisbane suburb with loving parents, a faithful dog and an unrequited yearning for his teenage sweetheart, Angie Everson. Now in his last year at school, he's finally caught her eye by starring in a teacher-baiting pantomime. Dreams are already taking shape of a career in entertainment, perhaps with Angie by his side. All he's got to do is pass his exams, get to uni and keep away from Gina Wood, that weird girl who once let him touch her… 'Girls Like Funny Boys wasn't what I expected - and that's simply not fair as Dave Franklin's not meant to be writing to a formula. But I really didn't expect to find this as engaging, involving and quite as emotional as I did. I loved Johnny, rode the waves of his life every step of the way. Most of all I just loved this book.' - Australian Crime Fiction Book 3: To Dare A Future A van driver with abduction and murder on his mind. An eleven-year-old girl snatched on her way home from ballet. A tortured reporter, happy to use her death and the terrifying reign of a child killer to help make his name… To Dare A Future – We all have black thoughts. It's just some of us act on them. 'Don't let the rather bland title put you off – this is an impressive read, spiced with ethical dilemmas as well as earthy dialogue and humour.' – Sunday Times

Chick flicks. Brokeback Mountain. Bollywood. Superhero movies. Sophie’s Choice. Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. Avant-garde musicals... If this sort of stuff is your cup of tea, then this isn’t the book for you. Blokey film enthusiast Dave Franklin instead concentrates on the politically incorrect delights of Coffy, Magnum Force and Boogie Nights while paying tribute to the likes of Christopher Walken, Paul Schrader, 70’s disaster movies and Brian De Palma. There’s even some tongue-in-cheek appreciation of the God-like Steven Seagal. So settle back, forget about identity politics and the prevailing lefty narrative, and immerse yourself in a book that values celluloid entertainment above all else. Or as Rob Reiner says at the start of the immortal Spinal Tap: “Enough of my yakking. Let’s boogie.”

“You like movies because you’re one of life’s great watchers.” So says Woody Allen’s irked, soon-to-be-ex-wife in Play It Again, Sam, obviously having had enough of his sedentary lifestyle. Hmm, I think she would have left me, too. But, hey, do a female’s myriad charms really stack up against the corny delights of Cocktail, the vicious cynicism of The Sweet Smell of Success, the dark ferocity of The Thing, the fantastic imagination of Westworld, the perverted milieu of Happiness or the heartbreak of Kes? For these are just some of the films covered in the fifth part of this lewd, politically incorrect guide to the treasures of twentieth century cinema. Author Dave Franklin also throws in a bevy of bitches, the worst-ever holidays and a tribute to old men feasting on teenage flesh.

I have of late, wherefore I know not, lost all of my mirth… Man delights not me; no, nor women neither. In my dreams (and increasingly during my more whimsical waking moments) I wander through Movieland. Sometimes I chat to Kelly McGillis about being in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28 while a strung-out Withnail stands close by complaining about going on holiday by mistake. At others a xenomorph near the bus stop rips off Forrest Gump’s head before being machine-gunned by the ED-209. I close my eyes, take a contented breath, and reopen them to see Frau Blücher upsetting the horses again as Tony Montana snorts coke and tells the permanently agitated Don Logan that this town is like one giant pussy waiting to get fucked. I wander and I wander and I never want to leave… Some movies, you see, contain magic. Magic that seeps into your soul and becomes a part of you. I mean, why waste your time travelling the world, having a career, nurturing dreams or taking a woman seriously? Such pursuits involve a great deal of effort and invariably end in disappointment. Surely it’s better to stay invisible at home while exploring a rich cinematic odyssey alongside the likes of Marty McFly, Jessica 6, the Black Knight, Bill Kilgore and a Stepford wife or two? Come now. Partake in the madness. Let me hold your hand and lead you nowhere.

Glenn Tillman runs a successful business, has a beautiful girlfriend and is about to take a well-earned overseas holiday with her. So why is he so scared?

Ancient forces guarding a walled African city have been disrupted. People are getting sick, crops are failing and disaster looms. Is it connected to the arrival of a mysterious child? This story can also be found in the anthology A Promise of Pain: A Collection of Dark Psychological Writing.

How many Blue Oyster Cult references can you spot? Set in the Australian outback, this elegiac novella can also be found in the dark fiction anthologies Riders on the Storm and Other Killer Songs & Begin The Madness: The Straitjacket Blues Trilogy.