‘If I wasn’t dead, I would sue.’—Bram StokerThis is the origin story of the first real vampyre (not Dracula).The trouble with immortality is that eventually you get sick to death of it, and so to soothe his sickened soul, the Comte De’Ath decides to take a trip. From psychoanalysis in Vienna to blood transfusions in London, the Comte learns that a holiday is as good as a change. On the way, he meets the Queen, brings her husband back to lif...

From Shaun Micallef, beloved host of ABC TV’s news satire Mad as Hell, comes Tripping Over Myself – an insightful and funny memoir about comedy and life that takes us through uncharted waters to unexpected places.Comedy has been Shaun’s escape, his guiding light, his refuge, his passport, his lifebuoy, his drug, his mask, his means, his end, his lingua franca, his Self. But it’s not everything.From his early years as a gangly, bespectacled nerd in ...

This indefinitive collection brings together under one cover the very best comic writing - parody, poetry, prose, plays, philosophy and political treatise - by Australia's greatest living television host. From 'I Was Scott Morrison's Schnoodle' and 'Around the World in One Pair of Underpants' to the deliciously decadent recipe for 'Satyricon Surprise', SHAUN MICALLEF's sublime anthology has it all.

Once upon a time being, forever and ever ago, there lived a forest tall of tales ...When an innocent princess wanders into the forest, she finds herself trapped between a wolf with a ravenous appetite and a sweet little house with a secret. Meanwhile, a desperate fisherman enters into a very bad bargain with a power-hungry monkey. And meanerwhile still, a tiny tricksy tailor promises a promise that not even the most magic of beanstalks can help him escape.I...

Shaun Micallef is without doubt Australia's premier comedian, writer, producer, presenter, actor, author, broadcaster, bon vivant, gadfly, troubadour, dancer, impresario, acrobat, lion tamer, poet and elite sportsman. But did you know that he is also an internationally renowned playwright? No? Typical. It really is a stain on our national character that this doyen of theatre doesn't get the credit he deserves or attention he craves in this country - mute testimony to Australia's cultural c...

Feel that War and Peace went on a bit? Wish there were more laughs in Catcher in the Rye? Very cross that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had no references to three-time world hotdog-eating champion, Joey Chestnut? Then ***Smithereens***is for you. At only 300 pages you can knock it off during one of the ad breaks on Shaun's hit show, Talkin' 'bout Your Generation.And laughs? What about them? Well, does it have any? Of course it ...

Caspar Jolley is a thrillseeker with a gift for always staying one step ahead. Doctor Evelyn Flowers is a woman of science – and sensuality. Brought together by an off-street speedboat-racing catastrophe, will they be able to overcome a bizarre and confounding injury?Hilarious, inventive and ultimately moving, Ahead of the Game is a brilliant new story from one of Australia's most unique comic voices.

A wildly funny and meticulously researched reexamination of the life of explorer Matthew Flinders, as Shaun Micallef charts the chaos, comedy and contradictions behind the founding of Australia.Who was Matthew Flinders? A pioneer who gave Australia its name but chose to name nothing after himself. A dreamer obsessed with Robinson Crusoe who wound up imprisoned on an island for six years. A leader who captained a stout and loyal crew but preferred spending time with...

A smart, satirical and deliciously silly follow-up to Shaun Micallef’s award-winning Tales from a Tall Forest.The Queen of Tancred and her royal retinue are on a mission: to ensure all the citizens of Tancred are happy. But that's a lot harder than it sounds - especially when the Happiness Tour accidentally stumbles into the neighbouring region of Hamelin. Oops. Soon, Queen Mathilde smells a rat. A whole kingdom of them, in fact … because Hamelin has been overrun with rode...

Feel that War and Peace went on a bit? Wish there were more laughs in Catcher in the Rye? Then A Selection of Smithereens is for you. These pieces from one of Australia's funniest men (no, not John Clarke) feature the Borgias, Winston Churchill and the history behind cornflakes – and so much more!Fresh from the updated 2011 edition of Smithereens, these six short essays are small, perfectly formed and easily digestible pieces of Shaun Micallef.

Comedy has been Shaun Micallef’s guiding light, his refuge, his passport, his lifebuoy, his drug, his mask, his means, his end, his lingua franca, his Self. But it’s not everything. Join Shaun on a journey from his earliest days as a gangly, bespectacled comedy nerd growing up on the mean streets of Adelaide to his rightful place today as a glittering star in Australia’s TV firmament. Though his road to success has not been without its failures – in fact, many, MANY failures – only a few o...

'Happy slumbers', whispered Father as he left, but soon they started hearing other sounds – like creaks, a crack, a crunch, and then ... a SHRIEK! Tucked up inside their tree-trunk house, two small snails are too scared to sleep – and their father is running out of patience! But is it just the wind spooking them ... or is there something lurking outside?