Barnes & NobleThe Memory Librarian- and Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle MonãáE

Sci-fi but makes you think!

Here is where my not reading blurbs might have failed me… I love memoirs, so I saw Janelle Monáe and automatically thought, “an artist must be a memoir.” Plus, look at the cover of THE MEMORY LIBRARIAN AND OTHER STORIES OF DIRTY COMPUTER. Fabulous, right? Yes, it’s incredible! But, whoa. Was I ever wrong about the memoir! It’s a short story collection written by Monáe and collaborators. *facepalm* I really should read the blurb because it’s a science fiction short story collection. So, I tried something new… And I liked it! So much! Monáe’s debut book “explores how different threads of liberation - queerness, race, gender, plurality, and love - become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in a totalitarian landscape…and what it might cost to unravel and weave these threads into freedom.” I’ve never read anything like this before. Each story was within this universe, but they didn’t connect. Yet each one brought up a lot of feelings and thoughts. I read each short story and sat with it. I needed to set my book aside and let that story sink in. There are only five stories (a little over 300 pages), and you could quickly finish it in a day, but I think these are meant to be savored and thought about. Even with all the fantasy and queer romance I read, I’ve never felt a book that is so wonderful with its representation. Monáe sees and feels people. She understands humans. She is also a fantastic feminist. Tbh, I hated the book at times. It was a good hate though; it left me wanting so much more. I’m pretty sure every story left me wanting more because I got attached to certain characters or had questions - “why” or “what for” came up a lot. I’m not a sci-fi girl, but I will recommend this. It makes you think and takes you for a ride - one you don’t want to get off. Content Warnings: racism, transphobia, homophobia