Unmasked: Tales of Risk and Revelation

by Kevin J. Anderson (Editor), Seanan McGuire, Eric James Stone

Overview

When the mask comes off, can you handle what's underneath?

When your secret identity is revealed ...

When the monster is unleashed ...

When the superhero's child has no power ...

When Death himself is caught unawares ...

Pull back the mask to reveal 21 tales from seasoned and award-winning authors, of magical masks, gas masks, death masks, superheroes, secret identities, disguised robots, alien symbionts, a Napoleonic thief, a swindling demon-even a hidden clown.

Who will take the risk?

Explore the masks we wear, the mysteries they conceal, and the price we pay when they're stripped away.

Join us in our unmasquerade as we revel in-revelation!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680572261
Publisher:	Wordfire Press
Publication date:	07/07/2021
Pages:	340
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Born in 1962 in Racine, Wisconsin, Kevin J. Anderson is a science fiction author with over 50 bestselling books. In additional to his original works—the Saga of Seven Suns series & the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity—he has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E. and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequel series.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Taking off the Mask-Kevin J. Anderson

Pygmalion-Seanan McGuire

I Have No Name-Andi Christopher

Speakeasy-Keltie Zubko

Framing Marta-James Romag

The Green Gas-Liam Hogan

Death by Misadventure-John M. Olsen

The Fog of War-Edward J. Knight

Faces of Death-Ed Burkley

The Quota-Tom Howard

La Marionnette-Alicia Cay

Masque-JL Curtis

Beauty is Lifted from Its Face As a Mask-Eric James Stone

Pagliacci's Joke-Travis Heermann

A New Purpose-Rebecca M. Senese

Eyeless-Gama Ray Martinez

In Defiance of Death-Rebecca E. Treasure

Qualia-Russell Davis

Shot in the Dark-Brennen Hankins

The Hibakusha-Michael Scott Bricker

Mope Not for the Mighty-Michael Nethercott

Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast-Eugie Foster

For title page, use

Kevin J. Anderson, Executive Editor

Editorial Team: Kelly Adams, Erekson Holt, Deborah Kevin, Melissa Dalton Martinez, Constanza Ontaneda, Dale Sprague, Amanda Montandon, and Matt Wright

Editorial Reviews

"It's fun, easy reading ... a varied assortment of adventurous tales to journey with"-Publishers Weekly

"An appropriate short fiction collection for a pandemic era."-Kaye Lynne Booth, Writing to Be Read

From the Publisher

04/26/2021

Anderson (editor, Monsters, Movies, & Mayhem) and his graduate students at Western Colorado University bring together 21 speculative shorts that share the timely, if at times belabored, theme of masks. Some of these masks take literal form—as in Seanan McGuire’s “Pygmalion,” in which the daughter of a superhero confronts her family’s legacy—while other stories adopt a more metaphorical approach, including “Masque” by J.L. Curtis, about an 18-year-old Native American boy enlisted in the U.S. Army who uses his ability to transform into a wolf to spy on enemy troops. These fantasies are positioned alongside science fiction pieces like “The Green Gas” by Liam Hogan, which takes readers into a postapocalyptic world where an orphaned girl learns the consequences of being caught in chemical-infested air without a gas mask. Though the emphasis on masks can feel a bit cheesy, the stories offer a wide range of genre and setting, giving readers a varied assortment of adventurous tales to journey with. It’s fun, easy reading best taken in small doses. (July)

Publishers Weekly