Behind the Mask: A Superhero Anthology: An Anthology of Heroic Proportions - Softcover

Kelly Link

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0996626263 ISBN 13: 9780996626262

Publisher: Meerkat Press LLC, 2017

Synopsis

This 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 humour, 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 sombre, 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 .

About this title

About the Authors

Kelly Link is the author of four short story collections: Get in Trouble, a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, Pretty Monsters, Magic for Beginners, and Stranger Things Happen. She lives with her husband and daughter in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Cat Rambo lives, writes, and teaches atop a hill in the Pacific Northwest. Her 200+ fiction publications include stories in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld Magazine, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is an Endeavour, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee. Her second novel, Hearts of Tabat, appears in early 2017 from Wordfire Press. She is the current President of the Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of America. For more about her, as well as links to her fiction, see www.kittywumpus.net

Carrie Vaughn is best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty, who hosts a talk radio show for the supernaturally disadvantaged, the fourteenth installment of which is Kitty Saves the World. She's written several other contemporary fantasy and young adult novels, as well as upwards of 80 short stories. She's a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R. R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop. An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado. Visit her at ww.carrievaughn.com.

Seanan McGuire watches too much television, which does not explain how she also writes three books a year (as two different people, no less - she's also Mira Grant), dozens of short stories, and endless blog posts. It has been posited that she may be a Time Lady herself, or possibly an alien pod plant. Both seem equally likely. Seanan has been nominated for a variety of genre awards, and won the 2011 Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Lavie Tidhar is the author of the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize winning and Premio Roma nominee A Man Lies Dreaming (2014), the World Fantasy Award winning Osama (2011) and of the critically-acclaimed The Violent Century (2013). His latest novel is Central Station (2016). He is the author of many other novels, novellas and short stories.

Edition details

• Publisher: Meerkat Press LLC
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0996626263
• ISBN 13: 9780996626262
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290