A staple in most SF anthologies, this is a very cool look at a beaten, run-down and paranoid America teetering under insecurities and complexes which have, among other ways, manifested in how women dress: specifically, they have taken to concealing their faces. Misogyny is rampant too, perhaps, as is suggested by Leiber, having been aggravated by such a stance towards women. However, I'm at odds with myself regarding how the story ends. It's written in a way so as to deliberately invoke the kind of ready thrills you would find in a pulp, hard boiled detective yarn, but what might lead you to believe is Leiber's brand of feminism suddenly falls apart and reveals an aspect to the story you didn't see coming. Curious. More on 'What did Leiber mean?!' soon.
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