In his illustrious forty-five-year career as a novelist and author of short fiction, Robert Silverberg has belonged in the company of the best writers of the twentieth century. In this extraordinary Nebula Award-winning story, Silverberg builds on a literary allusion from Yeats to create a complex science fiction scenario of worlds lost and dreams fulfilled. It is the fiftieth century on Earth, and ancient historical cities such as Byzantine Constantinople can now be created on a whim for visiting tourists. Charles Philip, a man from the twentieth century struggling to find his way home, finds himself fascinated with this strange new world. But beneath the surface fantasies, things are not as they seem.