The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Bender, Aimee. The Color Master. New York: Doubleday, 2013.

The Color Master consists of 15 short stories.

The story “Appleless” follows an unnamed girl who refuses to eat apples. The unnamed member of her community is unnerved by her refusal, and they eat nothing but apples to compensate. One day, they feel an irresistible urge to kiss the girl’s body, and they do so, forcibly. Afterward, the girl flees, never to return.

“The Red Ribbon” follows a married couple named Janet and Daniel. Their sex life has grown stale, and one day, Daniel admits to having an idle sexual fantasy about sex workers. Janet suggests that they do a roleplay, in which Daniel will have to pay her for sex. Janet becomes fixated on the roleplay, and she begins demanding payment from Daniel every time they have sex. Eventually, Janet realizes that the problems in their marriage have not been solely in their sex life, but rather in the increasing difficulty they have been having in emotionally connecting.

“Tiger Mending” follows two adult sisters. One of the sisters is a manager at a fast food restaurant, and the other sister is an extremely talented seamstress and embroiderer. The seamstress is hired for a job in Malaysia, and she insists that her sister accompany her. In Malaysia, they find that the job entails sewing the skin of tigers that has mysteriously torn. The sisters investigate the cause and see that the tigers are causing the tearing by struggling against the apparent discomfort of their own skin.

“Faces” follows a 12-year-old boy named William. One day, his parents realize that he has much difficulty distinguishing between people. William’s mother takes him to a doctor, who determines that he lacks the ability to distinguish between people based on physical appearance. William is sent to treatment, which is ineffective. However, to appease his mother, he finds deceptive ways of making it seem like he is now able to distinguish between people.

“On a Saturday Afternoon” follows an unnamed narrator who is newly single. She invites two men to her apartment, and she coaxes them into kissing each other while she watches. She enjoys the experience, but afterward, she still feels a sense of loneliness.

“The Fake Nazi” takes place in modern-day Germany. An old man named Hans Hoefler goes to a courtroom and claims to have been a Nazi leader during World War Two. He demands to be tried and punished for his crimes. However, a quick investigation reveals that the man is delusional, as he was only a child during the war. Hans later kills himself. The court’s secretary decides to investigate Hans’ life. She speaks with his brother, who says that Hans was always very empathetic, and that he was deeply traumatized by the news and events during the war.

“Lemonade” follows a teenage girl named Louanne, who lives in Los Angeles. One day, a classmate named Sylv asks Louanne to drive her to the mall. However, after they arrive at the mall, Sylv soon abandons Louanne and spends time with other classmates of theirs. Louanne is not oblivious to the fact that her school acquaintances treat her poorly. However, she holds no resentment, as one of her primary traits is simply trying to treat other people with kindness.

“Bad Return” follows Claire, an undergraduate student at a college in Ohio. She is jealous of her friend/roommate Arlene, who is more outgoing, has a more active love life, and has more passionate interests. One day, due to boredom, Claire knocks on the door of a stranger’s house. After an enigmatic series of conversations with the old man who lives there, the man urges Claire to treasure her friendship with Arlene.

In “Origin Lessons,” a teacher enthusiastically attempts to explain theories of the origin of the universe to a group of students. The teacher includes the fact that there are many things humans still do not know about the origins of the universe.

In “The Doctor and the Rabbi,” a male doctor befriends a female rabbi. He feels drawn to her, but not in a lustful way. He feels, in a seemingly indefinable way, like he is more alive when he is with her. The doctor is an atheist, but he listens with curiosity as the rabbi speaks of religion. He feels sometimes flustered or confused by her comments, but he ultimately feels a strange new awareness that might be similar to a spiritual awakening.

In “Wordkeepers,” a junior high school history teacher finds that he has become more forgetful. He especially has begun to forget various words. He is friends with Susan, a woman who lives in his apartment building, and who loves words. There rapport is sometimes playfully antagonistic. There is romantic tension between them, but the narrator is wary about dating a neighbor. One day, he goes to her apartment, potentially with the intention of asking her on a date, but he then forgets what he meant to do.

“The Color Master” follows an unnamed narrator, who works as an assistant to a woman referred to only as the Color Master. The Color Master has seemingly preternatural abilities to create clothing with vivid and beautiful colors. Unfortunately, the Color Master is old and ill. She believes she will die soon, and she asks the narrator to take over for her. They receive orders for clothing for the king’s daughter. The Color Master disapproves of the king’s apparent intention to marry his daughter. At the Color Master’s request, the apprentice incorporates the emotion of anger into one of the garments, so that the princess has the strength to leave her father.

“A State of Variance” follows a man with a perfectly symmetrical face. Although the symmetry should supposedly make him attractive, it is actually unnerving to people. One day, after failed attempts to disrupt this symmetry, he accidentally cuts the outside of one cheek with a knife. He then meets and falls in mutual love with a woman who has a highly asymmetrical face.

In “Americca,” a suburban family notices household items inexplicably beginning to appear in their home. They never see anyone bring the items in, and they never see the items materialize. They simply find the items in their house. The items are mostly food and home goods. The family is too unnerved by the inexplicable origins of the items to feel grateful for them. One day, the appearances cease as suddenly and mysteriously as they began.

“The Devourings” takes place in a fantastical world where ogres exist. The protagonist is an unnamed woman who is married to an ogre. One day, due to a confusion, the ogre eats their children. Their marriage gradually declines over the following five years, and the woman eventually decides to leave the ogre. She lives in the woods and watches from afar as the humans make war against the ogres. The ogres retaliate in self-defense. At a moment where it seems the conflict might cease—at least temporarily—the woman decides to return to the ogre.