Five novelettes, 23 short stories, 16 poems!—the best of Bruce Boston's fiction collected through 2001!

The masques of 17th century Europe presented dramatic entertainments based on mythic themes and enhanced by lavish costumes and sets. The entertainments in Masque of Dreams fashion myths of their own and are enhanced by the voice of a poet, often lyric and at times pyrotechnic. Journey to the depths of a mutated rain forest that strikes back against civilization. Join a Victorian stage magician in his search for real magic. Descend to the depths of an omnivorous singularity where everything is everything. Meet a true gentleman farmer and stand with vorpal sword in hand.

Explore these masques of illusion and identity that entertain as they mine the limits of reality and dreams.

"[the] latest comes from poet Bruce Boston, whose prose sings like a mix of E. T. A. Hoffman and Hawthorne, Borges and Bierce. His Masque of Dreams collects nearly thirty brilliant stories, ranging across all emotional and narrative terrains."
—Paul Di Filippo, The Washington Post

"...from gentle and gritty realism through science fiction to simple and complex fantasy...in quality from good to excellent....If Bruce Boston has written a poor story...I have yet to read it. Masque of Dreams is truly a pleasure...and I recommend it highly."
—Lee Becker, Fantasy Commentator

"...a great talent for richly evoking a place in time...a gift for creating memorable characters....The stories and poems have in common Boston's well-trained poet's eye for detail, his beautifully crafted language, and his unfailing compassion for his characters... sure to leave readers dazzled by the depth and range of his talents."
—Tim Pratt, Locus

"Ranging from hold-your-breath horrific to laugh-out-loud humorous, each entry in this book of marvels seizes the reader's consciousness and heart at the same moment with the truths that form the core of our shared experience."
—Judy Comeau, Creature Feature Reviews