(SF) Teenage Bess and Aline go to comfort their friend Vera after a computer virus disabled her online "Face." (3,026 words; Time: 10m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
Recommended By: GDozois:4"Masked," by Rich Larson [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 07|16, published on June 2, 2016 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Bess suspected all along that it was deliberate, and so much of the story is really about her working up the courage to do it herself. Even so, the last scene has a strong feeling of seduction.
Con: It's a little hard to believe that people would run this software and never turn it off--not even to see themselves when they're alone.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 07|16)
Rich Larson Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Con: It's a little hard to believe that people would run this software and never turn it off--not even to see themselves when they're alone.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 07|16)
Rich Larson Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Now available online since it was reprinted in Apex 92 (Jan 2017).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.apex-magazine.com/masked/