The Treachery of Memory

There are many aspects that make up a person's identity, but there is only one that acts as the glue that holds us together: memory. As we travel from moment to moment, our memories serve as one of the only things that give us continuity. Should you lose some memories, you might be a little fearful about what might have happened in that missing time. The prospect of losing all your memories might fill you with a different kind of terror, one with more existential flair. And while these scenarios are uncommon in the course of everyday life, memory loss often finds itself at the center of  narratives throughout plenty of genres. 

While most tales of memory loss stem from some sort of head trauma or other percussive force, QNTM's There is No Antimemetics Division imagines a whole new type of memory loss. The book follows agents of the Organization, a shadowy group that apprehends and researches anamolous entities. One of their branches is the Memetics Division, a group that works to contain dangerous ideas, ones that can spread themselves rapidly and influence their hosts. Contrary to the book's title, there is also the Anti-Memetics Division and they deal with the opposite: anti-memes, beings who can often be seen but can never be remembered. 

The reader is thrust into the middle of the standard operations of the division, which mainly consist of battling threats that prey upon their memories and rediscovering past research so they may attempt to make some sort of progress. But what are they progressing against? And why do their numbers keep dwindling despite no one seeming to be missing? I found the concept of this book to be fantastically imagined, and then expertly reasoned out in a way that keeps things grounded while the ideas become increasingly far out. QNTM lets the reader in on just enough to keep them informed while leaving plenty of gaps to keep them guessing. And within these gaps the real dread builds. 

 

Sometimes, though, all a story needs is a good kick in the head to get things going. Enter Otessa Moshfegh's McGlue, a tale of memory loss that's old-fashioned on a number of levels. The story follows McGlue, a drunken sailor who's being held in the brig after allegedly killing his buddy Johnson. Only problem is that McGlue can't remember anything about the night in question. Between his chronic drunkenness and some serious head trauma, a lot of things remain murky for McGlue. Seeing as he spends most of the novel in prison, though, he's got no choice but to try and remember.

 

Where There is No Antimemetics Division examines hypothetical forces that can erase memories on a grand scale, McGlue focuses on the havoc that memory loss can wreak on one person's life, as well as the type of person who may invite that havoc upon themself. Moshfegh usually focuses on these types of destructive characters in her books, and I especially enjoy those titles of her which focus on the more distant past (of which McGlue is one). Set in the 1800s, we see the ways that life would punish those of little means. Without giving too much away this title also explores queerness during this time, which adds another interesting layer to everything else being brought up in this tale of remembering.

Whether you prefer your fiction to be scientific or historical, if you're looking for a tale that deals with memory either of these titles are a safe bet. Regardless of their shared elements, these two books are frighteningly good and would make great additions to your bookshelves as the day grow shorter.