Science Fiction: Mem by Bethany C. Morrow

Ever searching for science fiction that is not too above my head, I stumbled upon Mem by Bethany C. Morrow. Set in the 1920s, Mem explores a question: What if we as humans could erase, or extract, our memories? I was curious to see which direction Morrow would go in with this idea, as there are many, and how it would all turn out.

The Situation: Dolores Extract No. 1, or Elsie as she prefers to be called, is a Mem. At the age of 19, Elsie's Source, a woman named Dolores, had her first memory extracted. After a traumatic experience, Dolores signed up for the controversial procedure, and even opted to keep her first Mem with her after it was done. Unfortunately, this proved to not be a good idea, and eventually Elsie was returned to the Vault: the place where all Mems are kept until they expire. All procedures are more or less the same, and as most Mems that are extracted are unpleasant memories, they often expire quickly, causing the scientists in the Vault to scramble in their attempts to study them before there is no longer anything to study. They did not have that problem with Elsie, as she has proved to be different from other Mems. All other Mems seem to only have the one memory they are supposed to embody. But Elsie remembers the first 19 years of her Source's life, and is also able to create more memories. Plus, it does not look like she will be expiring anytime soon.

The Problem: Because of how different and extraordinary she is, Elsie is allowed to live her own life in Montreal. She is given many special privileges, and ever her own apartment in the city, away from the Vault. Elsie enjoys her independent life, until the day she is called back to the Vault. Naturally, there are many ethical, moral, and legal questions that surround the practice of extracting memories. Also, it appears that taking painful memories out of human beings does more than simply relieve the Source of a bad experience. And while Elsie is different from others like her, she is still a Mem, and still considered the property of Dolores and her family. Back inside the Vault, Elsie will once again encounter other Mems, and be under the scrutiny and study of the scientists, or "bankers," all while questioning why she was called back, knowing that it will most likely not result in her once again being released into society.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel that can also be considered historical fiction as it is set in 1920s Montreal, Canada. Morrow noted that she picked this era in a city she adores because it was a time when many of Montreal's wonderful buildings were constructed. Narrated by Elsie, the reader can benefit from seeing the world from a Mem's point of view, albeit an exceptional Mem who does not function like the others. For one, she knows she is a Mem, and she can seemingly live her life as any ordinary human would. Upon returning to the Vault, she will once again face the discomfort of those who know what she is and therefore are not quite sure how to act around her. Plus, there are legal issues that have come up since her time away, resulting in her return, and threatening her continued existence as she is. One thing about Elsie that does not seem to give people pause is her black skin. There are no instances of racism or prejudice against either Elsie or her Source, Dolores, in the entire book, and Morrow does talk about this in her author's note. While she laments the common practice in Canadian history of omitting the reality of racism in the country, she decided to not have it be part of Elsie's narrative, allowing the Mem to focus on other aspects of her existence.

My Verdict: If there was one issue I had with this book it is that it is too short. At only 178 pages, all of the loose ends may be wrapped up by the last page, but there are so many potential directions for the premise that the ending still feels premature. With that being said, there is still a lot that is covered in those few pages. We get to know Elsie and how she came to be who and where she is now. We get to know what it means to have a memory extracted and the potential complications of such a practice, of which there are many. We even meet the man who invented the procedure, the people who work for him, and the type of people who sign up for such a thing. Morrow gives an answer for one of the many major "what if" questions human beings like to ask, and we are treated to the answer through an incredibly introspective, thoughtful, smart, independent, and often clever Mem. Also, while the length may be my primary issue with the book, it does make it an easy selection for a quick trip into an alternate history.

Favorite Moment: When Elsie manages to put Dolores' husband in his place.

Favorite Character: Ettie is a nurse at the Vault who does not quite know how to act around Elsie, at first, but eventually the two become friends

Recommended Reading: Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty takes place far in the future and follows six clones after what appears to have been a mass murder of their previous forms.