Not Wanted on the Voyage

Not Wanted on the Voyage is a 1984 novel set prior to and during the event known as “the Flood”. However, the setting is not in accordance with the traditional Judeo-Christian telling. Instead, it is heavily steeped in magical realism, including unconventional interpretations of mythical creatures, oblique references to alchemy and arcane magic, and a plethora of conflicting anachronisms that lead the reader to frequently revise their understanding of the world. However unusual the world may be to the reader, the Noyes family are comfortably set up in their routines, though recent unnatural events have been alarming.

When Dr. Noah Noyes receives a distressing message from Yaweh himself, he knows that his world is about to change. He has no idea how right he his. His dysfunctional family soon plays host to a depressed God, who is fixated on the evils of humanity and shows a worrying level of interest in the idea of water making unwanted things disappear.

The novel follows the family members in their struggles to make sense of the changing world around them, and one another’s behavior. Dr. Noyes is a violent narcissist desperate to maintain control over his family through the use of force and dogma.