This is a very typical John Brunner fragmented writing, some call it postmodernism writing. There are a set of seemingly unrelated short stories with the exception of the (almost) all-powerful Traveler in Black.

We watch the Traveler visit many strange lands, all the while bringing the world out of chaos. To do this, the Traveler must grant wishes; the twist being the old adage "be careful what you wish for".

How are these lands related and who is the Traveler? Some of these questions are answered, some remain a mystery.