Masque

By: Brian Barr

Narrated by: Rick Gregory

Shun Isagawa couldn't hide his amused smile or the fact he was quite impressed.

"Excellent costume, Dr. Hashimoto. I can tell you really put your time into creating this one."

"Don't I for all the masks I make?" Dr. Hashimoto pressed the button on the side of his mask. Instantly, the fibernetics, silicone, and mechanized shell within the artificial skin recoiled, showing his true 55-year-old face once again.

Milliseconds ago, he was John Wayne, and now he was that respectable robotics scientist once again. The electrodes were still attached to his forehead and the sides of his face, graying hair resting along his temples.

"Why, thank you, Shun. I put a lot of thought into that particular disguise."

Masque is a cyberpunk science thriller written by Brian Barr and edited by Jeff O'Brien. Masque is also included in Brian Barr's short story collection, Daemensions.

©2018 Brian Barr (P)2018 Brian Barr

Don't borrow money, Pilgrim

Brian Barr is a master at stuffing a big story in to a short snippet. This one is no different.and is quite a unique techno thriller. It is exciting from the get go and only gains speed from there. This story is fun, completely out there, and totally worth listening to. His stories suck you in immediately and don’t let go even after it ends. If you like any of the old TV horror anthologies this is exactly that. The twist is exactly what TFTC had every time.
Rick Gregory is in my top list for narrators and I’m glad Barr has him on his team. The clown and Yakuza phone voice Gregory did was fantastic. I loved every minute of it and if I had to do it I probably would have done the same. Super crazy but exactly what this story needed.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher

Cool short technothriller!

Very cool technothriller. Very short but enjoyable. I'd love to see the author expand on this story a bit. A robotics company is making huge technological advances in their field only to have their work stolen and used by the Yakuza. Excellent narration by Rick Gregory!

Interesting idea.

This is a very short book but boy was it good!!! Dr. Hashimoto and Shun, two roboticists from Ashita Institute have created something special. They've created some Masks that can change your physical appearance to look like anyone, they also have body suits to go with it. They have created it for fun, but other people want them for nefarious purposes.

It's such a short book that there isn't much I can say about it other than it was an entertaining and well written story and I thoroughly enjoyed this! I would love to see this expanded into a longer book. The idea of the masks and body suits was fascinating and I want to know more!!.

Rick Gregory read this really well. He gave each character their own tone and held my attention till the end.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts

short but really enjoyable

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was a short but highly entertaining story of cutting edge tech going wrong. It is very short but so worth listening to. The narration is fantastic and the story is just plain entertaining.

Killer Clowns from Office Space!!!

Welcome to a world in which you can create virtual bodies, kind of in the vein of Darkman, where you completely look like someone else to such an extent that your mother wouldn't recognize you. Now imagine what that kind of tech would do if it fell into the wrong hands. Hands that tend to be missing segments of fingers. . . .

Barr is pretty slick creating a couple of scientists who are in over their heads so deeply that they have no idea that they are drowning. They like to play a game where they go to parties in disguise and reveal themselves before the night is over. Tonight, they are attending a party where they plan on welcoming back a team that had been in the U.S. for some time, and things get . . .strange.

Barr isn't afraid to completely shift the gears and tone of his story without warning, which is exactly what happens. He throws rapid shifts in tempo and tone so that the tale you end with is not what you started with, nor is it what you expected. I enjoyed this, but I have to warn you even though it is self contained it almost feels like a set up for a bigger more all encompassing story. All the better then. Bring it on, Brian! I'll happily see what happens next!! So will you, since this is an awesome short story.

Gregory has returned as the narrator for this tale, and I have to admit that I did laugh at his clown voice, it was so funny and high pitched. He's a gifted narrator, and can get you through a story before you realize it is ending. He makes listening fun, and he is certainly pleasant to listen too. Can't ask for more from the guy. He always does a great job. Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.

If this review helped, please press the YES below. Thank you immensely!!!

Cool Story

I received this audio book for free in exchange for my honest review. I went into this with low expectations due to the length of the story, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I think you'll like it.

Technological Intrigue is Afoot

I didn't really know what to expect with Masque, but I was pleasantly surprised with an interesting tale of new technology and the potential for its misuse. The story tells of a near future world of almost perfect robotic masks that allow their wearers to look and sound like someone else.

I won't give too much away, but this is a well written and performed story. I'll look forward to more from Barr!

No Hiding

The narrator did an awesome job with this story. I’ve read the story before but the audio let me avoid struggling over pronouncing foreign words.

warped and creepy!

This story was short, but intensely creepy and fully fleshed out. I don't think it would have benefited from being any longer, and it was highly entertaining. Brilliant science meets bloody massacre!