The Last Voyage of Aratus and Other Stories

As a witness to the detonation of the first atomic bomb, American theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer reached for the Indian classic the Bhagavad Gita to describe the magnitude of the force he had helped unleash. Now, in an age where nuclear threats are nightly news staples, the spectre of atomic annihilation looms over a new generation. The Last Voyage of Aratus delves into the motivation of a man whose thirst for revenge sees him embark on a journey to a distant locale beyond morality and compassion, to atone for his Great Sin. His companions on this enigmatic voyage across the seas encircling Australia soon learn his attitudes to a vanquished foe are informed by ignorance and hubris; a terrifying combination with deadly consequences. The Last Voyage of Aratus is accompanied by several short, and not-so-short stories, ranging from the whimsical to the poetic and the speculative, stories that transport the reader to Jamaica, Ireland and the deserts of North Africa for a crazed expedition to retrieve stolen gold.