Humanity is under assault by malevolent "antimemes"--ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself - in this wickedly brain-bending tale of science-fiction horror, an entirely reimagined and expanded version of the beloved online novel. They''re all around us, hiding in plain sight. One could be in the room with you, now, just to your left. You could be seeing it right now - but from this second to the next, you''ll forget that you did. If you managed to jot down a note, the paper would look blank to you afterwards. These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you - and you''ll never even know anything changed. They can turn you into a living ghost - make it so that you''re standing next to your spouse, screaming in their ear, and they won''t know you''re there. They are the perfect predators, equipped with the ultimate camouflage - the ability to wipe out memories of their own existence. And they aren''t just feeding on us. They''re invading. But how do you fight an enemy when you can never even know that you''re at war? How do you contain something you can''t record or remember? Welcome to the Antimemetics Division. No, this is not your first day.

Autorentext

qntm is the internet handle of Sam Hughes, a writer and software developer living in the UK. He has been writing short-form and serial science fiction for most of this millennium; his preferred writing technique is to start from an interesting hypothetical and drive it to breaking point and far beyond. His website is qntm.org.

Klappentext

'Astonishing' M. R. Carey, author of Infinity Gate

'A hugely entertaining, super smart, witty novel that is also nerve-shreddingly terrifying... a timely book that is also one for the ages.' Antonia Hodgson, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Raven Scholar

'Utterly unique, constantly surprising, genuinely unsettling... may very well take its place among the best sci-fi novels of the century so far.' Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter

An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign; but others, less so...

These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you - and you'll never even know anything changed.

And they aren't just feeding on us. They're invading.

But how do you contain something you can't record or remember? How do you fight against an enemy with effortless, perfect camouflage, when you can never even know that you're at war?

WELCOME TO THE ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION

NO, THIS IS NOT YOUR FIRST DAY

'Compulsively readable, breathtakingly inventive.' SFX

'Blisteringly intelligent, profoundly unsettling, and totally unforgettable.' Thomas R. Weaver, author of Artificial Wisdom

'No exaggeration, this is the most imaginative novel I have ever read. It's compulsively readable and exquisitely mind-blowing from the first paragraph to the last. I enjoyed every word.' Scott Hawkins, author of The Library at Mount Char

'Unforgettable, mind-bendingly brilliant' The Guardian