Masque [Mass Market Paperback]

F. Paul Wilson (Author), Matthew J. Costello (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Tristan has no identity, no face, no family, no rights. He is a perfect spy: an artificially created human whose metamorphic DNA can be programmed with "masques"--genetic copies of anyone--over and over again. Until his body breaks down. But Tristan's masters offer him humanity, citizenship, and a permanent shape in exchange for one last mission. Now, Tristan must play a masquerade that will save--or destroy--an entire people.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Near-future science fiction thriller from the authors of Mirage (1996). ``Mimes'' are artificial humans whose sex chromosomes have been replaced by the Goleman chromosome: Using a template disk, they can ``flux'' into any body shape. Slaves of the predatory corporate-city ``gloms,'' mimes live only to gain Selfhood, freedom, and a permanent body form. Mime Tristan's last mission for his handler, Cyrill of Kaze Glom, is to steal a McGuffin from the heavily defended Citadel of deadly rival Flagge Glom. To gain entry to the Citadel, Tristan must take the body shape of Flagge ``datameister'' Lani Rouge using Kaze's newly invented writable template. Before he steals her appearance, however, Lani recognizes Tristan's current template: Its Trev, Lani's now-dead ex-lover, a bioengineer deeply involved in a secret free-the-mimes resistance group. Tristan, meanwhile, duplicates Lani, steals what be needs, and escapes into the freezone, where he meets Okasan, the legendary leader of Trev's group. Okasan says that mimes remain slaves of the gloms forever, but Tristan doesn't believe heruntil, having reported to Cyrill, he learns that Flagge allowed him to escape after contaminating him with a deadly virus that swiftly wipes out all of Kaze's other mimes. Worse, Flagge then grabs Lani and Okasanshes really Teresa Coleman!so Tristan must make some decisions about who to trust before he embarks on a rescue mission. Impressive visual effects, B-movie plot, and villains that stay mostly off-stage: an unconvincing yarn, with its glowing, vacuous gaze fixed on Hollywood. (Movie rights to Polygram Pictures) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

9 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Aspect (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446606766
• ISBN-13: 978-0446606769
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,265,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What does it mean to be human?, May 4, 1998

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Masque (Hardcover)

Tristan, the perfect spy, has no family, no friends and no identity. He is an artificial being whose metamorphic DNA can be programmed to transform himself into another identity, or "masque". And Tristan is a pawn in a game between warring corporate city-states, with his only goal being "Selfhood" which would allow him citizenship and a permanent form.

The storyline comes off as a "Blade Runner" for the new millenium, filled with lawless, surreal cults and underground organizations standing out against the corporate city states that war for the ultimate monopoly of governing all of the planet. Plots are interwoven with counterplots creating espionage and conspiracies galore; A mythic figure named Okasan transforms from saviour to "mother" to evil and back; Tristan becomes both pawn and player in a game that keeps expanding with every page.

Well written, fast paced and filled with moral issues that confront us with issues about humanity. There is more depth here than first meets the eye, and yet the issues don't bog down the pace of this future thriller. Highly Recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fully created new world, February 16, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Masque (Mass Market Paperback)

This entire book creates a new world, run by conglomerates, where genetically programmable humans and real humans make up the population. From spies to gladiators the imagination is unbounded.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got Paul Wilson figured out yet? Impossible., June 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Masque (Hardcover)

Tristan, YOU ARE THE MAN (oops...I meant to say MIME). From the first time I read "The Keep" to the last word in "Masque", Paul Wilson continues to scare me, amaze me, and impress me with his ability to weave a story line as well as his unpredictabilty. Whenever I'm book browsing, I start in the "W" section to see if there's something new from the good Doctor. When I find a new work by my favorite author, I snatch it up and leave the store, because there's no need to shop further, for I know that for the next few days I'll be hooked on Wilson. Keep up the good work, Doc.