Fiction rave: Eugie Foster's "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast"

Eugie Foster's novelette, "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast", won a nebula award a couple years ago. I like my fiction with bizarre worlds that warp their tentacles into the characters, into the society, into my mind and leave me savoring them long after the story is over. Eugie Foster delivers on that account. Her story is a world of masks where one dons their mask for the day and becomes that character.

Depending on where you meet me, I'm not the same person. The work me is different than the dancer. And even the dancer is different depending on whether it's Scottish Highland, waltz, or tango. I don't need a mask to go between these worlds, but Eugie's characters go further. They can become the Sinner, the Baker, or anyone else in their world. The story delves into the consequences for the protagonist and its effect on society.

It's beautifully written and available online. I recommend checking out its masks.