The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer
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- Create Date：2022-04-20 02:21:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Janelle Monáe
- ISBN：0063070871
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Summary
In The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer， singer-songwriter， actor， fashion icon， activist， 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 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。
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。
Reviews
Erica Jane
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Did not finish。 It was my first taste into this genre and though I made it more than half way， I felt the book was lacking。 I did not have an issue with the themes but rather how obvious and in your face they felt。 It was a bit overkill and overdone in some places。 Overall， not my cup of tea。 I'd also recommend listening to the album that pairs with this title as I did not。 Did not finish。 It was my first taste into this genre and though I made it more than half way， I felt the book was lacking。 I did not have an issue with the themes but rather how obvious and in your face they felt。 It was a bit overkill and overdone in some places。 Overall， not my cup of tea。 I'd also recommend listening to the album that pairs with this title as I did not。 。。。more
Alu
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Each short story featured in this book offered an interesting view of the world that was created。 It is best to go into this book with at least a little bit of knowledge already from the source material， but I don't think it's necessary in order to enjoy the book。 I just think it will help you grasp the content a bit quicker。 Though I will admit I do wish there was more world-building overall to help me connect more with the people and conflicts。 I did enjoy some stories more than others， but no Each short story featured in this book offered an interesting view of the world that was created。 It is best to go into this book with at least a little bit of knowledge already from the source material， but I don't think it's necessary in order to enjoy the book。 I just think it will help you grasp the content a bit quicker。 Though I will admit I do wish there was more world-building overall to help me connect more with the people and conflicts。 I did enjoy some stories more than others， but none were bad。 I also liked that each of the stories had subtle connections to each other that tell a larger overall story。 。。。more
Ingrid Stephens
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Honestly， I was not expecting much from this collection of short stories。 Just because an artist has a major talent in one venue does not mean they can be as great in all。Janelle Monae is a wonderful songwriter， singer， and actress。 That was enough for me， writer wasn't expected。Well， I apologize for my lack of faith。 I was simply blown away by this book of stories。Yes， it is considered a book of short stories but they all take place in the same world， the world of New Dawn where you are conside Honestly， I was not expecting much from this collection of short stories。 Just because an artist has a major talent in one venue does not mean they can be as great in all。Janelle Monae is a wonderful songwriter， singer， and actress。 That was enough for me， writer wasn't expected。Well， I apologize for my lack of faith。 I was simply blown away by this book of stories。Yes， it is considered a book of short stories but they all take place in the same world， the world of New Dawn where you are considered a Dirty Computer if you are the least different then the subscribed ideal。 In other words。。。if you are a minority， LGBTQ， independent thinker， liberal， or just think people should be allowed to live as they choose。If you stray you are cleaned， everything that is what makes you who you are， washed away so no one has to deal with you wanting any type of equal treatment。Each story seamlessly flows into the next， each just as compelling。 Usually， when I read a group of short stories， there is one or two I either don't like as much or outright dislike。 But I found none of that here in Monae's book。I was sorry to come to the end。 But I am proud to say I am a dirty computer and keep fighting the power！This will be published on April 19， 2022。 Go out and be the first in line to get your copy。Thanks to @netgalley， Avon and Harper Voyager， Harper Voyager， and Janelle Monae for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Katie Mac
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I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。This is a tough one to rate because for me the stories vary in quality--some were overly flippant; some bogged down the reader with detail--but it's an incredibly strong collection overall。 Janelle Monáe and her co-authors do a great job of not only incorporating queer Afrofuturist elements in their sci-fi stories， but also tying them in with Monáe's album and short film Dirty Computer。 My favorite I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。This is a tough one to rate because for me the stories vary in quality--some were overly flippant; some bogged down the reader with detail--but it's an incredibly strong collection overall。 Janelle Monáe and her co-authors do a great job of not only incorporating queer Afrofuturist elements in their sci-fi stories， but also tying them in with Monáe's album and short film Dirty Computer。 My favorite story was probably the titular one， which also happens to be the longest in the collection， written with Alaya Dawn Johnson。 。。。more
Jessie Storrs
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📚ADVANCED READER REVIEW📚The Memory Librarian by Janelle MonaeThank you to #HarperVoyager and #Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of #TheMemoryLibrarian by #JanelleMonae （@janellemonae） Shoot， man。 What can I say。 This thing just blows me away。 I can't get enough of these authors creating afro-futuristic worlds based on music。 this is 100% going in my library。 I think one must really read this themselves to understand how cool a built universe like this is。 Recently our YDF kids are getting 📚ADVANCED READER REVIEW📚The Memory Librarian by Janelle MonaeThank you to #HarperVoyager and #Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of #TheMemoryLibrarian by #JanelleMonae （@janellemonae） Shoot， man。 What can I say。 This thing just blows me away。 I can't get enough of these authors creating afro-futuristic worlds based on music。 this is 100% going in my library。 I think one must really read this themselves to understand how cool a built universe like this is。 Recently our YDF kids are getting into sci-fi， this is what I need on my shelves， especially having just celebrated women of color in sci-fi as of February。 Absolutely brilliant book。 Thank YOU。 @Netgalley #AdvancedReaderCopies #book #bookstagram #reader #reading #booklover #instabook #booksofinstagram 。。。more
USOM
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（Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） The Memory Librarian takes place in a high tech world。 Monáe crafts a world that is not only full of technology， but also retains societal issues of racism and homophobia。 Yes they look different in the future - this surveillance society - but this is no utopia。 The Memory Librarian has one of those world building ideas that will stick with you even after finishing。 While it has e （Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） The Memory Librarian takes place in a high tech world。 Monáe crafts a world that is not only full of technology， but also retains societal issues of racism and homophobia。 Yes they look different in the future - this surveillance society - but this is no utopia。 The Memory Librarian has one of those world building ideas that will stick with you even after finishing。 While it has elements SF fans might have seen before - like a surveillance society， the power of memories， and illusion of control - it combines into an immersive and unique world。full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind。com/revi。。。 。。。more
Carrie
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Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one。。。Like Jurassic Park or eugenics or lobotomies or prohibition- just because you can do something doesn't mean you should！ How many times must humanity learn this lesson？ At least once more， it seems。。。I spent most of this book cheering on the small subversive victories :） Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one。。。Like Jurassic Park or eugenics or lobotomies or prohibition- just because you can do something doesn't mean you should！ How many times must humanity learn this lesson？ At least once more， it seems。。。I spent most of this book cheering on the small subversive victories :） 。。。more
Gabriela Pop
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3。5/5Very curious about whether there is anything Janelle Monae ~can't~ do， as it seems that they can and will excell at any art form they take on。 I loved the concept behind Dirty Computer， so it was very exciting to see that world being expanded in these short stories。 I thought this was a solid example of literary speculative fiction that is likely to appeal to both fans of Monae or readers engaging with this world for the first time through the story。 Ultimately， however， I think the stories 3。5/5Very curious about whether there is anything Janelle Monae ~can't~ do， as it seems that they can and will excell at any art form they take on。 I loved the concept behind Dirty Computer， so it was very exciting to see that world being expanded in these short stories。 I thought this was a solid example of literary speculative fiction that is likely to appeal to both fans of Monae or readers engaging with this world for the first time through the story。 Ultimately， however， I think the stories didn't feel fully cohesive to me and I found that while the symbolism was gorgeous， it felt a bit heavy handed and overexplained at times。 Overall a solid read。 If you are thinking of picking it up， consider this your sign to do so！ 。。。more
Jordan
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I'm a fan of Monae and her whole vibe， and I've appreciated the work of hers that I've seen。 That said， I'm not as intimately familiar with the "worldbuilding" that she's been doing with her music as some others seem to be so I started to get a little bit worried about how much of this I was going to grok or enjoy。Well， my worries were unfounded because this was a great scifi anthology。 There's a VERY distinct and strong voice， which is sometimes hard for first-time authors to accomplish， but I I'm a fan of Monae and her whole vibe， and I've appreciated the work of hers that I've seen。 That said， I'm not as intimately familiar with the "worldbuilding" that she's been doing with her music as some others seem to be so I started to get a little bit worried about how much of this I was going to grok or enjoy。Well， my worries were unfounded because this was a great scifi anthology。 There's a VERY distinct and strong voice， which is sometimes hard for first-time authors to accomplish， but I suppose Monae has been writing in other mediums for a long time so she's got that under her belt。 As with most anthologies， some pieces resonated more with me than others。 But overall， I really admire the project of this and felt very emotionally connected to it， despite spending relatively little time with each of the characters that we meet。 I do think that the writing and concepts were well-suited for an anthology like this， rather than something more long-form， so that was a well reasoned choice。 I'm sure it will be even more poignant for those that are deeper into Monae's canon than I am， but even with my very basic knowledge， I still loved the storytelling and worldbuilding here。The one big thing I would change is that I would have loved to get an author's note or information about how the collaborators contributed to the volume。 But the themes of identity and resistance and freedom and community building were right up my alley and I would strongly recommend this。 。。。more
Danielle
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I adore Janelle Monae's work as a both singer/songwriter and actress。 I didn't know what to expect in her first novel。 I enjoyed it， immensely， and feel renewed in spite of the oppression our society continues to engage in。 Her vision is speculative， rooted in science fiction， but it is also hopeful。The beating heart of The Memory Librarian is an exploration of technology and artificial intelligence as limitation on individual bodies and liberation from governmental bodies。 Co-written with celeb I adore Janelle Monae's work as a both singer/songwriter and actress。 I didn't know what to expect in her first novel。 I enjoyed it， immensely， and feel renewed in spite of the oppression our society continues to engage in。 Her vision is speculative， rooted in science fiction， but it is also hopeful。The beating heart of The Memory Librarian is an exploration of technology and artificial intelligence as limitation on individual bodies and liberation from governmental bodies。 Co-written with celebrated and emerging black novelists， in the titular story as well as the four other connected tales that follow， Monae challenges the notion of "dirty" and "deviance" and "abnormal"。 She gives space to the othered and offers a vision of found family--places that are built by community and dreams alike， full of artists and creators and healers and humans who need space to be， just as they are。 。。。more
Jeremiah
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This collection of short stories is not too be missed。 Science fiction and social commentary that will break your heart and remind you to hope。
Amacina
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Ngl， I am so hyped for this book。
laurel [the suspected bibliophile]
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This was brilliant。I don't know that I've ever read an entire interconnected anthology based off an album before， but wow。 What a concept， and what an interesting execution。As with most anthologies， some stories were absolutely amazing while others didn't land quite as well， but the overall concept and execution was good。I'm bouncing between a four and five star rating。。。landing on five for now。Full RTC。I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review This was brilliant。I don't know that I've ever read an entire interconnected anthology based off an album before， but wow。 What a concept， and what an interesting execution。As with most anthologies， some stories were absolutely amazing while others didn't land quite as well， but the overall concept and execution was good。I'm bouncing between a four and five star rating。。。landing on five for now。Full RTC。I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review 。。。more
Dan
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[embargoed]
Susie Dumond
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These short stories dive into the afrofuturist scifi world established in Janelle Monáe's album Dirty Computer， a totalitarian society where thoughts are controlled and memories erased。 From rebellious outstations to seemingly compliant families with hidden secrets， each story shows people pushing back against a society that tries to control who they are and who they can become。 Janelle Monáe and her collaborators are clearly living and thinking on a different plane！ These stories are each compl These short stories dive into the afrofuturist scifi world established in Janelle Monáe's album Dirty Computer， a totalitarian society where thoughts are controlled and memories erased。 From rebellious outstations to seemingly compliant families with hidden secrets， each story shows people pushing back against a society that tries to control who they are and who they can become。 Janelle Monáe and her collaborators are clearly living and thinking on a different plane！ These stories are each completely fascinating with so many concepts to explore。 I think they could have benefitted from a different ordering of stories or an early story that shows us the scope of the universe in which they exist。 Regardless， I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to see the art Monáe will create next。Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Margaret
，
I loved this collection of short stories！ Expanding on Monáe's setting in her album Dirty Computer， Monáe and a team of collaborators grapple with themes of police states， surveillance society， problematic utopians， and racism， all while presenting ways of maintaining hope and dreaming of a better future。 It's a really stunning and thought-provoking collection！ I loved this collection of short stories！ Expanding on Monáe's setting in her album Dirty Computer， Monáe and a team of collaborators grapple with themes of police states， surveillance society， problematic utopians， and racism， all while presenting ways of maintaining hope and dreaming of a better future。 It's a really stunning and thought-provoking collection！ 。。。more
Eve
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I AM SO EXCITED OH MY GODDDD
jo ♡
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UM HELLO I DIDN'T KNOW JANELLE MONÁE WAS WRITING A BOOK？？？？？ OF QUEER SFF SHORT STORIES？？？？？ I NEED THIS IN MY POSSESSION IMMEDIATELY？？？？？？？？ UM HELLO I DIDN'T KNOW JANELLE MONÁE WAS WRITING A BOOK？？？？？ OF QUEER SFF SHORT STORIES？？？？？ I NEED THIS IN MY POSSESSION IMMEDIATELY？？？？？？？？ 。。。more
Arabella
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A collaboration of stories that work together to craft an image of a different world， with a perspective persistently centered around hope， dreams， and freedom of thought and expression。 We cannot create a better way of being if we cannot first conceive of it， this book says; let us let this inspire us。
Krista
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This set of stories that takes place in a universe adjacent to the one featured in Monae’s linked concept albums （full of bangers） offer hope when despair is at its ripest。 Stories of invented homes， found families， hard choices， escape routes， and the exhausting work of imagining a better future jump off the page。 The reader can feel the contributions of the co-writers， but the unifying vision of what the marginalized endure in the struggle to make everyone free is present throughout。NetGalley This set of stories that takes place in a universe adjacent to the one featured in Monae’s linked concept albums （full of bangers） offer hope when despair is at its ripest。 Stories of invented homes， found families， hard choices， escape routes， and the exhausting work of imagining a better future jump off the page。 The reader can feel the contributions of the co-writers， but the unifying vision of what the marginalized endure in the struggle to make everyone free is present throughout。NetGalley provided me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Peter Lyon
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From her debut EP of Metropolis and the introduction of Cindi Mayweather to Dirty Computer， her latest album and "emotion picture" that centers on Jane's celebration of freedom， Monáe has spent her music career building a world where its inhabitants fight memory control， explore identity， navigate technology， and ultimately， organize towards liberation。 The Memory Librarian is a culmination of that narrative and， just like her music， the results feel electric， hopeful， and new。The stories shift From her debut EP of Metropolis and the introduction of Cindi Mayweather to Dirty Computer， her latest album and "emotion picture" that centers on Jane's celebration of freedom， Monáe has spent her music career building a world where its inhabitants fight memory control， explore identity， navigate technology， and ultimately， organize towards liberation。 The Memory Librarian is a culmination of that narrative and， just like her music， the results feel electric， hopeful， and new。The stories shift from city apartments to desert hideouts， from coworkers to families （both birth and chosen）， from couples to communities but are united in their exploration of what it means to be free。 References to songs and lyrics from Monáe's discography are sprinkled throughout the book which， beyond being just plain fun for her fans， serve as a reminder of how this years-long narrative has evolved。 Already a formidable storyteller herself， Monáe collaborates with some super stellar and exciting writers （like the one and only Eve Ewing！） and it is their collective love of Afrofuturism， of queerness in its endless facets， of hope， community， and of love itself that comes together to send currents of energy humming throughout these pages。 。。。more
Anny Barros
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Janelle Monáe releasing a book collection of short stories telling more of the IN-CRE-DI-BLE universe she created with one of THEE best visual albums of all time （Dirty Computer my dearly beloved 💖💖💖）。。。 Perhaps this is the good timeline。
Mjspice
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