Masque

By F. Paul Wilson

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446519774
• ISBN13: 9780446519779
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Aspect
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Dynamic plot and characters

I remember this plot and characters long after I've forgotten many of the others I've read. It goes to the "heart" of what it means to be human. This book deals not only in a great storyline, but it helps the reader to examine what it means to be human in a very real way. It is both entertaining and thought-provoking, a satisfying combination.

A fully created new world

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.

Fun, and exciting read.

Masque has a strong storyline. The book kept moving till the very last page. The ideas portrayed in the book are among the most original I've read in a long time. I'd rate this book as a must read for all Sci-Fi fans.

Got Paul Wilson figured out yet? Impossible.

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.

What does it mean to be human?

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.