Published: Feb. 13, 2012
Words: 28,609 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781465823731

Short description

‘Idiot’ is the street name of a thief who has been drafted into a revolutionary army fighting a war between worlds. When he is put in charge of a beautiful hostage during a brutal battle he is forced to question his loyalties, and the consequences of that choice will steer the fate of two planets...and reveal an even deeper mystery.

Extended description

Chester Burton Brown's famous dark wit and striking imagery come to the forefront again in this gripping tale of two young lovers who are neither of them what they seem. IDIOT'S MASK is a layered story in which the voice of the narrator itself is a clue to the final mystery penetrated by the book's charismatic and unique characters, who live caught between two clashing cultures in a far distant future.

Tags

crime, robotics, revolution, robots, revolutionary, criminal, idiot, planets, culture clash, far future, coup detat

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Reviews

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Review by: Alex Friedman on April 20, 2013 :
Cheesburger Brown’s novella Idiot’s Mask is a strange and tragic romance set in alien worlds. The first thing I noticed about this book was how tight the prose was, and (as is characteristic of Mr. Brown) how little the author sacrifices his prose for the lengthy world building exposition of other science fiction writers. Mr. Brown’s worlds are vibrant, fantastic, and alien while at the same time remaining relatable and wholly embedded within the character’s perception.
The narrating character, Idiot, is compelling– a young man dragged into a revolution by happenstance. He finds himself a grifter, a terrorist, and even a fully socialized citizen as the conflict between Marxist classes threatens him at very personal levels. In many ways, this story is a reversal of 1984, as the libertine seeks stable ground to stand on in society. Mr. Brown writes more sincerely than those stories do about what actually motivates people trapped in these sorts of situations, though.
The only complaint I had with the book was the opening line to the final major action scene. Mr. Brown’s usual deftness in handling action scenes fails him for about a sentence. It speaks to the overall quality of this novella, though, that this was my only major complaint with it. It certainly was not anything major enough to mar my overall perception of this work.
Given the option, I’d rate this at an 8.5/10, but Smashwords is limiting.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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