Crowley's collection of shorter fiction shows an impressive range of characters. From the mythic first man and woman to the contemporary novelist paralyzed by his inability to turn creativity into concrete work, Crowley presents characters who seek happiness within the uncompromising framework of time. His characters chafe under the bonds of social institutions. Intent on making some change in their society, they are invariably confronted by the results of their actions in history. In "The Nightingale Sings at Night" the first man and woman discover time and consequently, death. In "Great Work of Time," Denys Winterset's attempt to bring peace and prosperity through the actions of the Otherhood distort the fabric of the world. Hare's rediscovery of history in a world that has erased the past in "In Blue" and the alcoholic novelist's refusal to enter any future in "Novelty" place both characters in painful isolation outside of...