Great Work of Time by John Crowley

In 1990, Great Work of Time won the World Fantasy Award for best novella. I’m surprised someone hasn’t snapped up John Crowley’s short book, given it a glossy steampunk cover, and re-released it. Of course it isn’t steampunk. John Crowley’s work doesn’t fit easily into any sub-genre except Things John Crowley Has Written. Still, Great Work of Time has enough of the British Empire, airships, alternate histories, train terminals, misty London cityscapes, and men with bowler hats and tightly furled umbrellas to justify a steampunk cover, which might introduce a whole new generation of readers to this unusual and powerful writer… Crowley’s roots are in fantasy but his more recent works have been literary without much of the fantastical. What a joy it is to go back to a piece like Great Work of Time… this story has plenty to say to readers who love the “what-if” game of history. Perhaps it is time to bring this slender book back. Read the rest.