Pavane by Keith Roberts

This book takes the premise that Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated in July 1588, triggering a civil war between protestants and catholics, allowing the Spanish Armada to land unopposed. Phillip II thus becomes the ruler of England, the protestant Netherlands and German city states were suppressed and the Reformation never happened. The Catholic Church with the Pope at its head then ruled supreme over Europe and much of the rest of the world for the next 400 years

After the prologue setting out the premise, the narrative starts in 1968 in the county of Dorset, very different from our own. Dorchester is still known by its Roman name of Durnovaria, technology hasn't advanced much beyond the Industrial Revolution age of steam and society is still feudal in nature with the great castle at Corfe guarding the gateway to the South West. There are whispers of rebellion in the air as the all powerful Inquisition inflicts brutal punishment on anyone suspected of heresy, and even older legends of things dead and best forgotten are stirring in the shadows.

The story is told through six short stories, originally published separately, with a final coda that adds a twist:

The Lady Margaret

In the world of Pavane the church has strict rules against the use of petrol and diesel, so freight is transported by lumbering steam traction engines hauling road trains through the English countryside. The central figure of this story is Jesse Strange, a haulier driving his engine through a chilly winter landscape. He has had an unrequited love for a landlord's daughter called Margaret for as long as he can remember, and she was the inspiration for the name of his engine. She gently rebuffs his advances and so he takes solace in drowning his sorrows with an old friend who offers to accompany him on the road warning of the dangers of attacks from Norman 'routier' bandits. Of course, this leads to a thrilling Mad Max style chase through a dark and frosty night and an explosive conclusion.

The Signaller

How do you send messages when electricity is prohibited and any form of radio communication is heretical? The solution is a network of semaphore towers, as employed across France during the Napoleonic era, using coded signals to transmit messages as far as the eye can see. Knowledge of the signalling codes is restricted to a guild of semaphore operators and this story follows a young boy as he is inducted into the prestigious company and what happens when he is given his first solo watch at a remote tower. There are more hints of the idea of fairies and "old ones" in remote places here.

The White Boat

A young fisher girl sees a mysterious white boat coming and going in a remote cove near her home, and becomes determined to learn its secrets, even though they may reveal things forbidden by the Church. She sails with the boat for a while and returns to face the wrath of her father and the local priest Father Anthony. This story was a later addition to earlier versions of the book and stands alone, but is beautifully written with layers of metaphor.

Brother John

A talented but free thinking monk, who spends his days as a lithographer designing labels for the beer brewed by his monastery, is seconded to illustrate the practices of the inquisition. He is horrified by what he sees, but he faithfully records the tortures and executions in brutal detail before returning to his monastery as a broken man. He becomes the focus of a religious uprising, with his visions of a new age of technology and reason, but he now has a price on his head and army chasing him down.

Lords and Ladies

The niece of Jesse Strange from the first story sits by his death bed, recalling memories of his life and hers, with the events that led to her being courted by Robert, the boorish Lord of Wessex who practically kidnaps her to his residence of Corfe Castle trying to dazzle her with the luxurious life on offer there. At one point she calls on the Old Ones with unexpected results.

Corfe Gate

The narrative skips on by another generation, this time focussing on Eleanor the daughter of Margaret from the previous story and also calls back to the very first story as well. Eleanor is now the lady of the castle and triggers a rebellion that will shake the region, the country and the church to its very roots. 

 Coda

The final story is set many years on, as a descendant of Eleanor's seneschal visits the ruins of Corfe castle, in a world where technology now exceeds our own. He carries an oddly disturbing message about the reasons for which the church held back technology, which undercuts some of the previous narrative. Some reviewers have said that this part is unnecessary but I think it's keeping with Roberts theme of matters not always reaching easy or neat conclusions. I must admit that I'm looking forward to discussing at our next book club!

This is pure science fiction (with a touch of fantasy), examining the effects of technology on society. In this case the technology is suppressed (for reasons that are only referenced in the coda), but steam and semaphore are still significant drivers, and I suspect that Terry Pratchett had this book in mind when he introduced those things into his Discworld novels.