Behind the Mask : An Anthology of Heroic Proportions

Kelly Link
Behind the Mask : An Anthology of Heroic Proportions

Behind the Mask : An Anthology of Heroic Proportions
ISBN: 9780996626262
Publication Date: 16 May 2017

Behind the Mask is a multi-author collection with stories by award-winning authors Kelly Link, Cat Rambo, Carrie Vaughn, Seanan McGuire, Lavie Tidhar, Sarah Pinsker, Keith Rosson, Kate Marshall, Chris Large and others. It is partially a prose nod to the comic world--the bombast, the larger-than-life, the save-the-worlds and the calls-to-adventure. But it's also a spotlight on the more intimate side of the genre. The hopes and dreams of our cape-clad heroes. The regrets and longings of our cowled villains. That poignant, solitary view of the world that can only be experienced from behind the mask.

The authors in this collection, both established and new, are all dexterous and wonderfully imaginative, each deserving of their own form-fitting uniforms and capes. Some of the stories pulse with social commentary, like Cat Rambo's whimsical and deft -Ms. Liberty Gets a Haircut- and Keith Rosson's haunting -Torch Songs.- Others twist the genre into strange and new territories, like Stuart Suffel's atmospheric -Birthright, - Kate Marhsall's moving -Destroy the City with Me Tonight, - and Adam Shannon's reality-bending -Over an Embattled City.- Some punch with heart and humor, like Matt Mikalatos's satisfying -The Beard of Truth- and Chris Large's adventurous -Salt City Blue, - while others punch with bite and grit, such as Michael Milne's evocative -Inheritance, - Aimee Ogden's poignant -As I Fall Asleep, - and Jennifer Pullen's heartfelt -Meeting Someone in the 22nd Century.- Some of the stories feature characters who might not be superheroes in the traditional sense, yet are heroic nonetheless, such as Sarah Pinsker's imaginative -The Smoke Means It's Working- and Stephanie Lai's majestic -The Fall of the Jade Sword.- Some shine a unique, captivating spotlight on supervillains, like Keith Frady's dram...