This World and That Other, by John Howard and Mark Valentine

This collection of two novellas, one by John Howard and one by Mark Valentine, is another shared volume taking inspiration from the writings of Charles Williams, who is known for his supernatural thrillers, esoteric poems, and theological studies. It follows on the pair's similar previous volume, Powers and Presences (2020), which had one story by Howard and two by Valentine, also written in homage to Williams. In This World and That Other, the first novella, "All the Times of the City" by John Howard, is the more ambitious, and the more deeply-rooted in Williams' thought, particularly in his concept of co-inherence (in which mankind's essential relationship is compared with the unity of God and the Trinity), and with his use of the City in his final novel, All Hallow's Eve. Howard's story has two branches, one set in the mid-1940s just after the end of the War, and the other set somewhat contemporaneously, with one recurring character (a young man in one, a very old man in the other), and a setting around St. Paul's in London (an alternate St. Paul's in the contemporary strand). Howard manages the two strands skillfully, and the result is among the best of his stories that I have read, though I admit I would have understood it better if I were more up on the life and thought of Charles Williams (who appears in slightly distorted form). Valentine's novella, "Armed for a Day of Glory," unveils how some force is attempting to gather a number of ancient relics or talismans of Britain, for apparent sinister purpose, and how this might be thwarted. Both novellas are well-done in their aims and achievements.