Pavane

In the year 1588, Queen Elizabeth of England was assassinated. As a result, when the Spanish Armada attacked, England went down defeated, changing the history of Europe and the New World as we know it.

Now, in the Twentieth Century, the Church of Rome reigns supreme over a world of pastoral beauty, while technology is held back to the level of the steam locomotive and the primitive radio. Yet science cannot be suppressed forever, and its advocates are becoming more daring as each year passes. A revolution is building—one that will rock the foundations of an empire. An acknowledged classic of alternate history fiction, Pavane will continue to inspire writers and readers for generations . . .

Keith Roberts started his career as an illustrator and cartoon animator. He published his first science fiction short stories in Science Fantasy in 1964, and in 1965 became associate editor of the magazine. His novel Pavane became an instant classic that seems to have found its way into many a modern science fiction and fantasy writer's pantheon of great works. Roberts currently lives in the south of England, where he still writes and illustrates. Interestingly, most of his best fiction is set there.