Welcome to a world where the past, present, and future all echo each other, the paranormal is the only way to understand the normal, and everything happens for a reason. Elizabeth Crowens’ page turner creates wonder and intrigue into the mystical possibilities of everyday life and the ways that decisions shape the future.

The protagonist of The Time Traveler Professor, John Patrick Scott, a talented musician and time traveler, teams up with Arthur Conan Doyle in this fun exploration into music, writing, and the occult. The novel traces the life of Scott from his days as a student through his work after his studies. As a youth, Scott’s time in school is reminiscent of the Harry Potter series with magic education, and his adult self brings new twists, turns, and possibilities.

Crowens takes us into a variety of settings all across the world and throughout time. Scott is such a unique and intriguing character due to his variety of talents. He is a skilled musician and writer. He invents a time machine and develops a talent for astral projection and telepathy. Scott also has to face plenty of challenges that impede success despite his skills. He juggles the real world with the mystical world and tries to learn and understand and create balance. Scott isn’t really sure of himself or what reality is at times, but he is passionate, eager, and never seems to waver. His character seems like an everyday person just trying to make some sense of himself and of the world.

Scott’s grounded reality takes place at the end of the 19th century and into the beginning of the 20th century, which was a time for questions about science and the possibilities of the paranormal. HG Wells, especially, was famous for his fictional exploration into the possibilities of time travel. Despite Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories being founded on logic and science, in his personal life, Doyle was fascinated by Spiritualism. Crowens takes Doyle’s interest in the occult and brings it to life in her novel. The novel also contains interactions with other literary, philosophical, and psychological geniuses from the turn of the century. Crowens beautifully interweaves these brilliant voices throughout her novel, allowing the reader to feel as though the tale is grounded in our own history. This lets us think about the factors that shape history and the impact of every decision and every relationship.

I found The Time Traveler Professor to be a pleasurable ride through time and space. The possibilities of telepathy, telekinesis, and astral projection allow for the occult to interweave itself seamlessly into the real world. I appreciate Crowens’ focus on human relationships and how they develop, thrive, and evolve. This novel is a journey of self-discovery for Scott, and along the way, we get to experience so many fascinating mystical elements. Crowens has captured the spirit of the literature and thinking of the late 19th and early 20th centuries but also positioned the readers as seers. We know the historical fates of England, Scotland, and Germany, and we can read Scott’s life story in anticipation of our own history while still eager to see his place within it all.


Creative Team: Elizabeth Crowens (writer)
Publisher: Atomic Alchemist Productions LLC.