Locked On!
Ever wondered what it’s like to feel so strongly about an issue that you’ll go to jail for it? This novel, based on real-life environmental blockades but set within a humorous sci-fi universe, is a journey to the centre of nonviolent civil disobedience by an author who has been there repeatedly over decades. In a hilarious romp through the universe we meet eco-pirates, space heroines, Indigenous people and farmers united against corporate greed, corrupt governments and environmental destruction. With our world plagued by wars and global warming, its insights into the possibilities of nonviolence action bring hope and inspiration. With incisive social/political commentary, witty dialogue and some laugh-out-loud moments, it’s ultimately a love story: love for each other, for place and for doing what you believe in. It’s been described as ‘a masterpiece’, ‘a clever critique of contemporary issues’, ‘terrific stuff’ and ‘very very funny’. So stick out your thumb, strap yourself in and get ready for a wild ride.
Chrisbookdeity (verified owner) –
I recently came across Locked On and wanted to leave a quick note after spending time with its delightfully unruly universe.
What really stood out is how confidently the book blends laugh-out-loud sci-fi comedy with lived experience of nonviolent action. The eco-pirates, space heroines, and anarchic energy are wildly entertaining, but there’s also a surprising depth underneath it all. The way humour carries serious ideas about activism, power, and care for place makes the commentary feel inviting rather than heavy-handed.
I especially enjoyed how the story never loses its heart. Beneath the Adams-esque playfulness and sharp one-liners, it’s very clearly a love story — for people, for land, and for standing up for what matters. That combination of warmth, wit, and political bite feels rare and very effective.
I mainly wanted to say I’m glad I stumbled across the book. It’s smart, funny, hopeful, and generous in spirit — the kind of novel that entertains first and then quietly lingers in your thoughts.
Wishing you all the best with Locked On and your continuing work.
Edward Allnutt (verified owner) –
Marty Branagan’s Locked On is a rip-roaring, rollicking rip-off of the venerable Douglas Adams universe–and all the froodier for it. Adams was anything but precious and actively encouraged fanfic. If the Hitchhiker’s author chose such an in-venerable, vulnerable stance for his opus, what more fitting way for a pen-hungry fan to tenderly manhandle it than with an ode to non-violent demonstration?
Branagan, apparently no stranger to the songs, campfires and occasional rubber bullets of peace protests, lets his activist credentials shine. The novel toys joyfully with Adamsian tropes, building to a fantastically silly crescendo of sci-fi intertextuality. Yet while it does this aptly it is also, quietly, a detailed cross-section of the forces at play during a mass nonviolent action. Meanwhile, it fits in more one-liners than Oscar Wilde’s deathbed and even manages a romantic intrigue or two. You might learn something–you’ll hardly even notice.
Karl Kruszelnicki (verified owner) –
Thanks for the program and the lovely book – it’s quite irrepressible.
Wilko (verified owner) –
I am more than half way through book and really enjoying it – there are many funny bits! … I really liked it and smiled and chuckled a lot!
Ariel (verified owner) –
This book is zarking-amazing.
Where did all that stuff come from in your head !! The crazy names, new words.
I think you might be related to Spike Milligan way back …
So please definitely submit it for the Booker Prize.
Not to mention the next Sydney Book Fest.
Kazuyo (verified owner) –
It would be great if a film could be made because it will be interesting and educational!
It would be interesting if a film/movie is made based on your book in the future!
Best wishes,
Kazuyo
Andy Paine (verified owner) –
i just read your book “Locked On” and it was great!
Lindsay Mell (verified owner) –
it really is a fabulous work !!
Lindsay mell (verified owner) –
what an astounding creation this is !
The utterly extensive range of basic yet substantial Life Philosophy you’ve compounded into this little volume is truly exceptional !
So far, I think I’ve been able to disentangle the relevant threads of most of the referential innuendo and skulduggery which seems to live on in multi-colour out there in the inter-galactic multiverse !
Paradoxically – of course – it’s both an incredible yet immensely believable read, and I’m looking forward so much to your delayed book launch to consider further its such pertinent considerations.
There is such beautiful resonance for me through your work in this respect.
Dr Janine Joyce (verified owner) –
Your book, ‘Locked On’ arrived safely and I have been reading it slowly😊
Enjoying it….
At the stage where the character has reached the top of the waterfall, scree etc rock climb😊 Really enjoyed the detail in this section especially as a back-in-the-day rock climber and low level alp climber…
Lindsay (verified owner) –
While I’m at it, can I have a moment to plug your ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide’-styled satirical critique entitled ‘Locked On!’, Marty.
This is a breathtakingly paradoxical review of so many aspects of resistance resilience and solidarity couched in multi-dimensional interplanetary relational journeys !
There is much both ebullient and subtle anarchy evident in these pages, guided by something of a Universal Sense of Purpose – and it’s All Good Food for Reflection !
Well Done, Marty, on a Fabulous Read !
Dearest Wishes Always to You All from Lindsay.