Life, Death, and the Bits In Between That No One Talks About
by Ian M. Harvey
Life Support and Other Weird Stories is a darkly funny, sharply observed memoir by Ian Harvey, blending hospital misadventures with life’s more ridiculous moments. Each story offers a dose of humour, heart, and the occasional visit from the irrepressible Dr. Fritz Heckler. It’s a collection of true tales where survival meets satire—and laughter is the best medicine.
When Ian Harvey landed in the ICU, he didn’t expect it to come with a plot twist, a minor identity crisis, and a front-row seat to the absurdity of modern medicine. But this is just one chapter in a life that seems to veer between the poignant and the preposterous.
In Life Support and Other Weird Stories, Ian invites readers into a series of sharply observed, often hilarious reflections on what it means to be human—especially when that humanity is hooked up to a beeping machine or served tea in a cardboard cup.
From the surgical bed to a late birthday party, from a schoolyard epiphany to the delicate business of public speaking while wearing the wrong pants, each story balances misadventure with insight, and humour with heart. And of course, no collection would be complete without the occasional cameo from Dr. Fritz Heckler—Austria’s least qualified (and most confident) medical advisor.
This isn’t just a memoir. It’s a guided tour through a life full of unexpected detours, with one foot in the hospital and the other in the ridiculous.
Come for the life support. Stay for the weird stories.
“Great story, enjoyed the tale, as always. ”
Mike O'Hagan
“Goodness. Just saw Mission Impossible 8 - you make that look like a walk in the park! ”
Anne Riches
“Nature’s cruel…but seeing it through comic eyes is a gift. ”
Kevin Ryan
Cunningly disguised as a responsible adult, uniquley maladjusted, but fun. Ian is a seventy something retiree with nothing more to do than create a legacy that will make you wonder how he even lived this long
Ian started writing serious reference material in the 1990's—think business wisdom, tech jargon, and the kind of stuff that makes you sound clever at dinner parties. But these days, he's swapped spreadsheets for short stories, travel logs, and compilations of things he probably should’ve kept to himself. You’ll find them all here in this very store. If you’re after the musings of a nondescript Antipodean with a foggy memory and just enough brainpower to operate a kettle, you’re in luck—Ian's books are entertaining, occasionally enlightening, and 100% typo-tested (by someone else, hopefully). But if you were hoping to dine at the intellectual table of a world-renowned Austrian psychologist... well, Ian can fake the accent. Check out his stuff—you might laugh, learn, or at the very least, wonder how it ever got published.
What to do in Rome when your wife is in hospital and there are no English language TV channels
by Ian M Harvey
When your dream cruise ends with an Italian hospital stay, what could possibly go wrong?
Join Ranine and Ian—seasoned travellers and accidental medical tourists—as a post-cruise holiday turns into a survival saga. With no local currency, zero Italian, and one very sick wife, Ian must navigate foreign hospitals, cultural confusion, and the existential crisis of Italian daytime television. Hilarious, heartfelt, and surprisingly informative, this is a travel tale where disaster meets devotion—and humour is the real life support.
How the emergent cyclical double helix model of adult human bio psycho-social behaviour juxtaposes with new age thinking
by Dr Fritz Heckler
How one small shift in thinking can change everything
by Ian M Harvey
How the emergent cyclical double helix model of adult human bio-psycho-social behaviour confirms the current understanding of Einstein's theory of general relativity
by Dr Fritz Heckler