The memory librarian : and other stories of dirty computer

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Title:

The memory librarian : and other stories of dirty computer

Added Title:

Nevermind.

Timebox.

Save changes.

Timebox altar[ed].

Author:

Monáe, Janelle, author.

Delgado, Yohanca, author.

Ewing, Eve L., author.

Johnson, Alaya Dawn, 1982- author.

Lore, Danny, author.

Thomas, Sheree R., author.

Summary:

Whoever controls our memories controls the future. Janelle Monáe and an incredible array of talented collaborating creators have written a collection of tales comprising the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe such a compelling and celebrated storyteller. Dirty Computer introduced a world in which thoughts--as a means of self-conception--could be controlled or erased by a select few. And whether human, A.I., or other, your life and sentience was dictated by those who'd convinced themselves they had the right to decide your fate. That was until Jane 57821 decided to remember and break free. Expanding from that mythos, these stories fully explore what it's like to live in such a totalitarian existence...and what it takes to get out of it. Building off the traditions of speculative writers such as Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang, Becky Chambers, and Nnedi Okorafor-and filled with the artistic genius and powerful themes that have made Monáe a worldwide icon in the first place--The Memory Librarian serves readers tales grounded in the human trials of identity expression, technology, and love, but also reaching through to the worlds of memory and time within, and the stakes and power that exists there. -- Provided by publisher.

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Introduction: Breaking Dawn / by Janelle Monáe -- The Memory Librarian / by Janelle Monáe & Alaya Dawn Johnson -- Nevermind / by Janelle Monáe & Danny Lore -- Timebox / by Janelle Monáe & Eve L. Ewing -- Save Changes / by Janelle Monáe & Yohanca Delgado -- Timebox Altar(ed) / by Janelle Monáe & Sheree Renee Thomas.

Physical Description:

xi, 321 pages ; 24 cm.

Genre:

Science fiction.

Short stories.

Subject Term:

Artificial intelligence -- Fiction.

Totalitarianism -- Fiction.

Author(s):

Delgado, Yohanca,

Ewing, Eve L.,

Johnson, Alaya Dawn, 1982-

Lore, Danny,

Thomas, Sheree R.,

Publisher:

Harper Voyager,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9780063070875

9780063070882

9780008512408

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Harper Voyager, [2022]

Call Number:

MONAE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003560029	Adult Fiction	MONAE Janelle	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

New York Times bestseller!

In The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer, singer-songwriter, actor, fashion icon, futurist, and worldwide superstar Janelle Monáe brings to the written page the Afrofuturistic world of one of her critically acclaimed albums, exploring how different threads of liberation--queerness, race, gender plurality, and love--become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such a totalitarian landscape...and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms.

Whoever controls our memories controls the future.

Janelle Monáe and an incredible array of talented collaborators have crafted a collection of tales comprising the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe such a compelling and celebrated storyteller. Dirty Computer introduced a world in which thoughts--as a means of self-conception--could be controlled or erased by a select few. And whether you were human, AI, or other, your life and sentience were dictated by those who'd convinced themselves they had the right to decide your fate.

That was until Jane 57821 decided to remember and break free.

Expanding from that mythos, these stories fully explore what it's like to live in such a totalitarian society . . . and what it takes to get out of it. Building off the tradition of speculative fiction writers such as Octavia E. Butler, Ted Chiang, Becky Chambers, and Nnedi Okorafor--and filled with powerful themes and Monáe's emblematic artistic vision--The Memory Librarian serves to readers tales that dissect the human trials of identity expression, technology, and love, reaching through to the worlds of memory and time, and the stakes and power that pulse there.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this moving, triumphant collection, singer Monáe returns to the dystopian world of her Dirty Computer concept album and short film. These five sci-fi shorts, each written with a different coauthor, explore the consequences of a totalitarian regime that, in pursuit of a pure society, monitors its citizens' identities, thoughts, and relationships and scrubs clean the memories and personhoods of those who are labeled deviant. In "Save Changes," written with Yohanca Delgado, a young woman has one chance to change the past and worries how to use it. "Timebox," written with Eve L. Ewing, sees a couple fight over how to use a pantry removed from time, while in "Timebox Altar(ed)," written with Sheree Renée Thomas, a gaggle of children get a glimpse into a solarpunk future. The longest entries are the standouts: the title story, written with Alaya Dawn Johnson, and "Nevermind," written with Danny Lore, are both odes to queer Afrofuturism, illuminating the importance of love, community, and human connection in the darkest of times. Though a special treat for Dirty Computer fans, readers won't need to be familiar with the album to marvel at the big ideas, riveting action, and hopeful message here. This is a knockout. Agents: Eve Atterman and Suzanne Gluck, WME. (Apr.)

Library Journal Review

Singer-songwriter Monáe narrates her anthology that expands on the universe she created in her Dirty Computer album. She collaborated with other science fiction writers--Yohanca Delgado, Eve L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renée Thomas--to write the overarching story about the rise of the totalitarian regime, New Dawn, in its search for Dirty Computers, deviant thinkers in need of New Dawn's corrections. Monáe's narration paints a bleak yet vivid world, while Bahni Turpin voices the many who seek the strength to stand up to New Dawn and their ideals. This collection celebrates those Dirty Computers's fight for individuality in a world where memories can be adjusted, decimated, and used as capital. These bold, innovative stories use magical realism to tackle themes like the value of memories, the scarcity of time, and the celebration of differences, particularly as it pertains to the LGBTQ community. VERDICT This is no mere, dark reflection of the world. This audiobook offers the listener stories with the timely and timeless message that appears repeatedly in great science fiction: the world may seem dark now, but everyone can strive to make the future better.--James Gardner