Subject
Masks -- Fiction Books
Best books
Fritz Leiber
Coming Attraction
"Coming Attraction" by Fritz Leiber is a science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. Set in a dystopian future where societal norms have skewed dramatically due to the aftermath of World War III, the story explores themes of gender dynamics, identity, and the impacts of war on human relationships. The narrative delves into a world where women often wear masks as a form of fashion driven by fame, safety, and societal pressure, while men grapple with their roles in a shifting social landscape. The plot revolves around Wysten Turner, an Englishman in New York who saves a masked woman from a reckless car, leading him into a complex web of danger and intrigue. He becomes entangled with the frightened woman, who is surrounded by ruthless individuals involved in underground wrestling. As the story unfolds, Wysten learns of her fears concerning violent gangs and the wrestlers who degrade and prey upon women. The tension escalates when Wysten confronts these threats, raising questions about courage, vulnerability, and the perilous dance of attraction in a world where identities can be as deceptive as the masks people wear. Ultimately, Leiber crafts a thought-provoking tale that examines the darker elements of desire and societal pressures in a tumultuous setting.
Max Beerbohm
The Happy Hypocrite: A Fairy Tale for Tired Men
"The Happy Hypocrite: A Fairy Tale for Tired Men" by Sir Max Beerbohm is a short story first published in 1896. A lighter, more humorous response to Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," it follows Lord George Hell, a worldly dandy who falls desperately in love with an innocent dancer. When she refuses to marry anyone without a saint's face, he makes a bold decision involving deception and disguise. What follows is an unexpected journey of transformation that questions whether true love can change a person from the inside out.
Edgar Daniel Kramer
Murder mask
Murder mask by Edgar Daniel Kramer is a short piece of weird/crime fiction written in the late 1930s. Centered on a cursed medieval-style silk mask, it explores how jealousy, inheritance, and a high-society masquerade collide when the wearer is fated to kill the one they love before dawn. Antonio Colletti, embittered after Nita Tosca marries his cousin Tomaso Romani, returns with the ominous mask and a warning verse, secretly prepared to use poison if needed. At their all-night masque, Romani dons the mask and grows violently jealous, dragging Nita into an alcove where, in a frenzy, he stabs her. Horrified, he forces Colletti to put on the mask; compelled to slay whom he loves best—himself—Colletti drinks his own poison and dies. Romani then kills himself beside Nita as the revelry ends and morning breaks.
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