Pavane (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: John Kingston
- First Published: 1968
- Type of Work: Stories
- Type of Plot: Science fiction—alternate history
- Time of Work: 1968 and later in the twentieth century
- Setting: Southern England
- Genres: Short fiction, Science fiction, Alternate history
- Subjects: 1960’s, Twentieth century, England or English people, Assassination, Catholics or Catholic Church, Spanish Armada
- Locales: England
The Plot
Rearranging four centuries of history, Pavane postulates a successful invasion of England by the Spanish Armada and the subsequent suppression of social and technological change by the Catholic church. It is a beautifully haunting evocation of a quasi-medieval England preserved as well as transformed by this historical detour.
Pavane takes its title from a stately court dance of the sixteenth century; appropriately, the book is divided into six distinctive “measures” and a brief “coda.” In the opening section, “The Lady Margaret,” Jesse...
[The entire page is 1043 words long]
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