Prelude To Eternity — Brian Stableford

In an alternate England in which Cromwell's revolution succeeded, Michael Laurel attends a 19th-century party to witness the demonstration of the first time machine. But Michael comes to realize that the entire future of the world might be at stake--and the past as well--if the machine malfunctions. How can he, a mere artist, possibly make a difference to the ultimate fate of the universe? A grand adventure in the style of A. E. van Vogt and Thomas Love Peacock.