* Ian Whates' "The Gift of Joy" (short story, science fiction)

A human shape shifter, but he transforms himself to other's bodies by technology rather than magic! Technology itself is a variation on Cory Doctorow's "0wnz0red". He has spent a lifetime living other people's lives - sometimes after killing the original, other times by playing the dead so the world doesn't know original is gone. He used to do this work for a security agency of local government.

Sick with living someone else's life, he escaped & has been living the life of a supposedly nameless male prostitute in some town. Only, his services involve sex after he transforms himself to a celebrity of the client's fantasy - from among a menu of celebrities whose profiles he has in his database!

Now his old boss has caught up with him, & wants him to live the life of country's President. President has recently died, & the security racketeers want to keep him alive!

Fact sheet.

First published: TQR.
Rating: B
Download full text.
Was among finalists in BSFA Awards 2007 in short fiction category.

Note: Why is this post so short?