In Time Voyager, the third in his afterlife series, Australian author Christopher Holcroft has hit his writing straps.

The writing is fluent and not overly repetitive while, as the story romps along, the words sail off the page like spray from a Manly Ferry’s bow.

Holcroft gives the story’s premise great plausibility by anchoring it to the historical fact of the Royal Australian Navy’s worst peacetime naval accident: the sinking of HMAS Voyager off Jervis Bay, on the New South Wales south coast, in 1964 with the loss of 82 lives.

The Voyager incident is etched in the mind of many Australians who were alive at the time. Holcroft cleverly uses this widespread knowledge of the incident to bring a genuine feeling of reality to Time Voyager’s story. He strengthens this by giving Time Voyager a modern day setting in and around Sydney and its harbour. The use of locations and activities familiar to Sydneysiders and visitors gives further life to the story.

The story begins as our central character, Connor McBride, struggles to understand the reasons for his recurring nightmares during his transition from school to his chosen vocation of working on Sydney ferries.

As the story begins Connor searches within himself to decide what course he should set to uncover the reason for his nightmares. With the support of his parents and his close friend Darren, Connor seeks professional assistance to unlock his nightmares. Under hypnosis, Connor regresses to a past life as a sailor. When he learns that the nightmares are anchored in the reality of the Voyager incident Connor reaches out to Voyager survivors for assistance. As the story unfolds and evolves, we discover that two lives, one past and one present, appear to have been merged into one. As the story progresses, nightmares are replaced by dreams and fond recollections of an earlier short, but well lived, life.

With a sense of clarity emerging Connor determines to set the story straight for those left behind and those who were yet to be born at the time of the Voyager incident.

In Time Voyager, Holcroft sails a steady course as he gives us an afterlife story that is thought provoking, challenging, and ultimately very satisfying.

Robert Hodge

Sydney, NSW

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