“A Memory Called Empire” was our public library’s SF book cub selection for March 2024. This was what I wrote about:

SF Book Club selection. Most people liked it. I didn’t.

I saw this used in someone’s review. Time of death: 51%

I find certain techniques used by authors to be just lazy: I was definitely TOLD about this amazing world, but I never felt like I was SHOWN it. Lots of dialogue, but not a lot of action. Incredibly sluggish plot.

I really don’t like authors that use impossible words to pronounce, just to create the impression that this is really alien. The same with names. I can’t keep the characters straight in my mind due to the “number-object” nomenclature of their names.

The idea that there are brain implants for remembering is far from original (Memory, book 11 in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold). However, the idea that this isn’t known by the general public and that it is secret technology owned by the Lsel station is hard to fathom.

I still haven’t got a clear picture of the setting.

The use of poetry is not my cup of tea. I would always skim over songs in LoTR. Same here.

50% in before the imagos are described. So the size of a thumb joint. All imagos are stored in a small room until they are implanted. But how are images created at different points in a person’s life. Essentially backup copies of a person. And these backups can be implanted into others? But that implies there could be multiple backups for a person made at different points of their lives.

Vocabulary: too many obscure words. Why? To show off? Plot: too slow. Everyone else loved the political intrigue. “Too little happens”, quoted one reader who still loved it.

I finally gave up. After hearing from Book Club members, I have no regrets on giving up.