to alternate timelines in the other) which is taken up by the world's Great Powers and fundamentally shapes later history. Though having a completely different historical origin, the 20th Century of "Times Without Number" has many similarities with that of Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series. In both there is a Catholic Empire based in London and ruling the British Islands, France and the entire Western Hemisphere (with Christianized Native Americans accepted into its aristocracy). And in both works the Empire depicted is monarchial and conservative, without any trace of democracy, but still relatively benevolent; locked in a decades-long cold war with an Eastern European rival; technologically backward compared to our world, but still possessing a key field of knowledge (time travel, magic) unknown to our 20th Century. References Brunner, John (1969) Times Without Number. Ace Books. (US edition) External links Review by Phil Gold Review by Jo Walton Review by Rich Horton See also Pavane Ruled Britannia 1969 British novels 1969 science fiction novels British alternative history novels British science fiction novels Novels by John Brunner Novels about time travel Spanish Armada Ace Books books Catholicism in fiction