A SECURITY guard has become a published author - by delving into the world of zombies and science fiction.

Writer Dan Sears, a fan of horror movies and ghost stories, has had his first book published - a 300-page futuristic thriller called Haemoglobisis: The Blood is the Life.

The 21-year-old author offers readers a story of murder, detectives out for revenge, and the dead coming back to life.

Mr Sears, who works as security guard at Oxfam's head office in Cowley, said: "I have always been very creative and enjoy putting pen to paper.

"You can be as creative as you want without having to consult anybody.

"I have a very wide imagination and have been putting words on paper since the age of 12."

Mr Sears, who lives in Chestnut End, Bicester, studied drama at Cooper School in the town before taking media studies at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College in Oxpens, Oxford.

Haemoglobisis, priced £5.99, is his first novel. It features character Roy Mcayne, a police forensic technician, who has researched a new drug that can reanimate people who have recently died.

If successful, the odds of solving murder cases would improve.

However, unless he gets permission to experiment on a human corpse, the research will be stopped.

The book, which has been published by Author House, based in Milton Keynes, is available from Cole's Bookstore in Crown Walk, Bicester, and through online book retailers, including Amazon.

Mr Sears parents Janet and Bob, who live in Glory Farm, Bicester, have both read the book.

Mr Sears said: "The novel was one of the best things I have read in years."

The young writer is now hoping to capture the attention of a major publisher.

He said: "I want to get my book out there and I hope that a big publisher will get in touch to help me promote it further."

The novel, described as a modern-day Frankenstein fable which constantly redefines good and evil, is one of many novels Mr Sears hopes to write.

Mr Sears said his girlfriend Davina Ellis wasn't happy that the novel ended on a cliffhanger.

He said: "Davina wanted to know how it was going to end, but I thought I would keep readers hanging on."

The Stephen King fan is now working on his second book, which he hopes will be just as good, if not better, than his first.

He said: "I have always been a fan of horror films and got into Stephen King's novels from a very early age.

"I love fast-paced, action packed writing."