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The Memory Eater
The Memory Eater is an anthology consisting of 27 uniquely illustrated stories based on a device with the ability to locate and destroy any memory in the human mind.Follow the story of a conflicted man who tries to become the fantasy inside his head by deleting reality. Or the story of a devastated couple who lost their child and turn to a shady Memory Eater doctor to erase their problems. Discover the truth behind the urban legend regarding where the Memory Eater really came from, and how it was used during World War II in the fight against Hitler and Nazi Germany.Drop in for a tale of love, and how one man never gives up hope to find his childhood sweetheart after the Memory Eater tore them apart. Witness how a teenage prank involving the machine and a chore goes hilariously wrong. Or how, with the introduction of this new technology, mass paranoia begins to spread, prompting people to tirelessly investigate their own pasts.See how the Memory Eater will shape the future into the perfect utopia. How it evolves into much more than deleting memories. Memories will become transferable and sold in back alleys. They’ll become viral. But ultimately, nothing will be safe, not even the sacred depths of the mind.
306 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2012
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238 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 24, 2012
I won this book through the first-reads program.
I really love short stories. I especially love collections of short stories that all follow around a basic theme. The Memory Eater is a truly great collection of short stories based around the central premise that a machine exists that can delete selected memories. This Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind like principle is then taken to varying extremes by the contributing authors. It's just fantastic.
Some write from the perspective of those who have had the procedure, some from the technicians who perform it. Some examine the myth of what would allow memories to be stolen, and some implant false memories in others. The play on memory and how malleable it can be is strong, but none of the stories come off as redundant or boring. The book makes you think, and that's the most you can ask of any book.
Also worth noting is that each story begins with a piece of original artwork, also contributed to the book. The art is great, and some of the pictures are really chilling.
Highly recommended book.
I really love short stories. I especially love collections of short stories that all follow around a basic theme. The Memory Eater is a truly great collection of short stories based around the central premise that a machine exists that can delete selected memories. This Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind like principle is then taken to varying extremes by the contributing authors. It's just fantastic.
Some write from the perspective of those who have had the procedure, some from the technicians who perform it. Some examine the myth of what would allow memories to be stolen, and some implant false memories in others. The play on memory and how malleable it can be is strong, but none of the stories come off as redundant or boring. The book makes you think, and that's the most you can ask of any book.
Also worth noting is that each story begins with a piece of original artwork, also contributed to the book. The art is great, and some of the pictures are really chilling.
Highly recommended book.
July 8, 2012
Disclosure time: Let me say first that I have contributed two stories to this anthology, so I won't include my stories in this review, even though, obviously, they're the best
Imagine a world where, for the right price, you could have selected memories simply snipped out. No surgery, no stay in hospital, as convenient as having a tooth filled but without the pain. Well, usually. Where there are no side effects, at least for most people. Where your life can be improved, or at least changed.
This anthology is a collection of 27 short stories all based around a machine that can do just that, eat your memories. The stories were written with no more than a cursory explanation of the machine to start the authors off. What impressed me was the sheer range of stories, from thrillers to human interest, from disfunctional societies to poetic justice. Of course I've read anthologies before, but the unifying theme makes it unusual and pushed me on to the next story.
Go buy it. I need to feed my children
Imagine a world where, for the right price, you could have selected memories simply snipped out. No surgery, no stay in hospital, as convenient as having a tooth filled but without the pain. Well, usually. Where there are no side effects, at least for most people. Where your life can be improved, or at least changed.
This anthology is a collection of 27 short stories all based around a machine that can do just that, eat your memories. The stories were written with no more than a cursory explanation of the machine to start the authors off. What impressed me was the sheer range of stories, from thrillers to human interest, from disfunctional societies to poetic justice. Of course I've read anthologies before, but the unifying theme makes it unusual and pushed me on to the next story.
Go buy it. I need to feed my children
July 31, 2012
As a warning up front, I have a story in this book, so take this with a grain of salt. Or a boulder of one.
I really enjoyed reading the (other) stories in this book. Some were good, some were . . . well, not so much, but as of right now, I think my favorite is "Souvenirs of Another Life" by Lauren C. Teffeau. Really good stuff.
I really enjoyed reading the (other) stories in this book. Some were good, some were . . . well, not so much, but as of right now, I think my favorite is "Souvenirs of Another Life" by Lauren C. Teffeau. Really good stuff.
July 19, 2012
I'm a contributing author to this anthology; my short story is called "When Eva Braun was in Love" and focuses on the use of the futuristic memory-erasing device to change the path of the Holocaust. A unique anthology filled with stores not just in the sci-fi genre, but across all genres. There's something for everyone in it! You can buy it at www.matthewhance.com to check it out yourself!
May 30, 2013
A device that can remove memories becomes an important facet of life. This anthology deals with how this would affect different people, in different ways. The black market uses, the abuses of power, and of course conspiracy theories. For the most part this anthology is interesting, thought-provoking, and at times funny. Definitely worth reading if you're a fan of the genre.
May 5, 2013
Author Joe DiBuduo and I have a story in this collection ("Lost Memories" - the only historical piece) so I'm a bit biased! I love the theme and am finding the stories to be consistently fun, spooky, and interesting.
July 18, 2012
I am trying to read this, but for some reason the I can't see the last few sentences on each page. Very distracting. I have read the first story, which was great, but I probably won't read any more unless it is fixed. Anyone else have this problem?
July 20, 2012
I find that Short Stories anthologies are often too hit or miss for me. This book is not that way. I really enjoyed the different takes on a central theme.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews