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 dramatic -Fool- and Carrie Vaughn's
romantic -Origin Story.- Some are somber, ponderous works, where our
heroes consider their impact on the world, like Lavie Tidhar's
regret-tinged -Heroes- and Nathan Crowder's resonant -Madjack.- Others
tread more light-hearted waters, with heroes adjusting to the
sometimes-comical, sometimes-stressful life in the public eye, like
Seanan McGuire's entertaining -Pedestal- and Patrick Flanagan's lively
-Quintessential Justice.- And then there are the softer, quieter moments
between heroes, as they navigate their extraordinary lives in their own
unique ways, such as Ziggy Schutz's tender -Eggshells- and, of course,
Kelly Link's captivating -Origin Story.-
