The Trip Into Milky Way

by Gary Paul Corcoran

It is the end of the sixties, a decade marred by the Vietnam War, assassinations, student protests and the civil rights struggle, but a decade equally distinguished by peace and love, a celebration of newfound freedoms and great achievements, like mankind’s first landing on the moon.

For Clay Matthews, the quixotic hero of The Trip Into Milky Way , these shifting tides of history come to a head when a draft notice arrives in the mail, the destiny of his life irreversibly altered when he decides not to report for induction, the tale of his life transformed into the ‘other side of Vietnam’ and what happens to a young man who refuses to die for his country. Just as a generation was forever defined by that misguided war, Clay's solitary journey into manhood is hurtled down an alternative path by his principled decision to avoid it.

From the enchanted shores of Hawaii to a sojourn along the deserted beaches of Mexico to a star-crossed love affair and ultimate incarceration in a Mexican prison, a host of colorful sixties characters join Clay along the way, like Stan, the world weary ‘Nam chopper pilot, Faith, an expatriate slumming in sleepy San Blas, Jijiwa, a Papago shaman and Eric, a Bhagavad-Gita toting friend from Clay's past, each of them playing a role in his ongoing quest for enlightenment. The Trip Into Milky Way . An epic adventure and haunting romance that together lead to a heartfelt conclusion.

622 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2014

About the author

The product of an Irish/Italian family, Mr. Corcoran was transplanted as a boy from the clapboard New England of his youth to the cookie cutter, stucco subdivisions that began to litter the disappearing ranches and orange groves south of Los Angeles in the 1960s.

True to his rebellious nature and the folk music/coffee house idealism that helped shape his early worldview, Mr. Corcoran chose to resist the Vietnam War, was a man without a country for several years and can count incarceration in a Mexican prison as one of his many colorful experiences during that era.

Having pursued a love of reading and writing in various forms all his life, Mr. Corcoran finally took this passion seriously around the turn of the millennium and has dedicated the remainder of his days to authorship.

The author of eight previous novels, Mr. Corcoran’s rough and tumble early experiences animate all of his literary works, from his Michael Devlin crime series to his special forces adventures to his tales of romance. Mr. Corcoran is currently working on a sequel to Afghan’s Lipstick Warriors and expects to publish it by the end of 2021.

In completing the karmic circle, the author recently returned to the New England of his youth and now resides along the coast of Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Tinny]

I have been reading novels, but this one surpasses all. The story is neatly arranged though with suspense not like the watery ones that the end would have been known before reading page 5 of the book.Great job you put up in the book.I will surely buy another book in your series.

[Rebecca Long]

Such an amazing read. Got me so captivated that i found myself relating to the characters, I was so curious to find out what's going to happen next that i kept flipping the pages and yet never wanted the book to end. Great job i must say, very vivid and realistic character description.