Coming Attraction by Fritz Leiber

"Coming Attraction" by Fritz Leiber is a science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. Set in a dystopian future where societal norms have skewed dramatically due to the aftermath of World War III, the story explores themes of gender dynamics, identity, and the impacts of war on human relationships. The narrative delves into a world where women often wear masks as a form of fashion driven by fame, safety, and societal pressure, while men grapple with their roles in a shifting social landscape. The plot revolves around Wysten Turner, an Englishman in New York who saves a masked woman from a reckless car, leading him into a complex web of danger and intrigue. He becomes entangled with the frightened woman, who is surrounded by ruthless individuals involved in underground wrestling. As the story unfolds, Wysten learns of her fears concerning violent gangs and the wrestlers who degrade and prey upon women. The tension escalates when Wysten confronts these threats, raising questions about courage, vulnerability, and the perilous dance of attraction in a world where identities can be as deceptive as the masks people wear. Ultimately, Leiber crafts a thought-provoking tale that examines the darker elements of desire and societal pressures in a tumultuous setting. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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About this eBook

Author Leiber, Fritz, 1910-1992
Illustrator Calle, Paul, 1928-2010
Title Coming Attraction
Series Title Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction November 1950
Credits Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net
Reading Level Reading ease score: 85.6 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Science fiction
Subject Short stories
Subject New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
Subject British -- United States -- Fiction
Subject Masks -- Fiction
Category Text
eBook-No. 51082
Release Date
Last Update Oct 22, 2024
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
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