*4.5 stars on StoryGraph*

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an ARC copy of this audiobook, in return of an honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, made as great as it is by being narrated by Janelle Monae herself. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, although slightly hard to stay focused at times - although I think that was moreabout my attention span than the book! I am looking forward to purchasing a copy of the book to have on my bookshelf at home.

Rating 3.5/5

I’ll be honest I was first interested in this book because I think that Janelle Monáe is very talented and I was curious to see if it was across the board, when I read more about this book I discovered that it further explores a theme that was started on one of her albums, Dirty Computer, and that there was also an ’emotion picture’ created around this world. I watched the emotion picture, which you can find on her YouTube channel, and I loved it, then I downloaded the album too because the songs were just amazing. When I got to the book I realised that I would have found it quite hard to get into had I not taken the route to it that I did.

The Memory Librarian is a collection of five stories, each with a different co-writer, that are based in the world created in Dirty Computer, as they are set in an already established world as a reader you are pretty much thrown into what is happening in the lives of the characters, without too much explanation of the overall context. As I said because I had already immersed myself into the world that Monáe created I was able to pick up the context for the story pretty quickly but I think if this book was being approached on its own it might be harder to connect with.

I have to say I love that Monáe has created a concept that has translated so well to so many different forms of media, and that it carries the same important themes throughout. I do think that the stories in the book didn’t flow together quite as well as I would have hoped, and of course, there are always some that I liked more than others, but they managed to draw parallels to issues and ideas that we face in the world in an imaginative and engaging way.

Listening to these stories definitely helped them come to life, Monáe and Bahni Turpin did an excellent job narrating, effortlessly portraying the diverse array of characters that live in this dystopian world. My only criticism is that the stories could have been broken up a little better for this format, some of them were very long with no easy places to pause and as I was listening when I could, I often had to skip back a little to pick up what was happening when I resumed listening.

Standing on its own I think that The Memory Librarian is a wonderful collection of stories that explore identity and relationships, the impact of this is definitely more profound if you experience the rest of the work set in this world, which I highly recommend that you do. I would be very interested to see what other stories Janelle Monáe will come up with if she dips back into the literary world again, to say I am in awe of her talent for world-building feels like a massive understatement.

Really interesting audiobook!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

DNF @ 6.7%

I'm not smart enough for this book and that's okay. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the sci-fi and honestly, it's solely because I only have one brain cell to work with currently and she's struggling.

I'm thankful I got this arc and I've heard good things from people who enjoyed it so don't let this discourage you from picking this up.

I will start by saying this: Janelle Monae's narration is as amazing as her music. Please note that I watched the Dirty computer before this, and it might be extremely helpful to do so. Sure, you might understand the premise without that, but it will just take that much extra work, as this serves as a sequel to the video.

I loved the ideas proposed in the dirty computer, and hence, I loved the ideas being explored in these stories. A spectacular collection that keeps you thinking about the idea of a surveillance society, racism, but at the same time, is full of hope.

This short story collection, written by Monáe and a handful of others, deals with the themes of race, gender, queerness and love in an afrofuturistic world where everyone is expected to be the same, and any deviation from this is unlawful. Common motifs of technology, robotics, various spectrums and memories tie the stories together.

If you're a fan of her previous artistic work, you may be familiar with her music, specifically the album "Dirty Computer"? If not, then the phrase (in the context of the book) refers to a person (computer in the original sense of the word) who does not 'conform' to (her imagined future) society's expected and accepted norms.

Monáe has dealt with these issues of personal freedom in thought-provoking stories that showcase how being true to yourself is incredibly important, even when society is telling you that who you are is not acceptable. The strength and will of the character's shines through.

I had the audiobook and it is narrated fantastically by Monáe herself, amongst others, and while some of the stories take a bit of time to make sense, once they do they are engrossing. I would happily read an entire novel about the "Pink Hotel" and its occupants.

Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for the Audio ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow. Just wow. The Memory Librarian is a mind-blowing, epic read. With a sheer originality and thought-provoking impact that I've only experienced once before; when reading Octavia E. Butler. You need to read this.

A speculative fiction set in the future where the all-powerful New Dawn rule over vast cities, collecting, altering and erasing their population's memories through their Memory Librarian. Social horror.

I was gripped by the concept of this book, built on an Afrofuturistic world created in Janelle Monáe's album, Dirty Computer. We experience this reality through four separate, yet interconnected, novellas. All of the main characters are black, almost all are LGBTQ+; the intersectionality is fantastic, including a transwoman experiencing transphobia within a 'safe' LGBT community, and a non-binary child expressing themself through visionary art. There are rich and diverse underground subcultures, and rebel communities on the outskirts.

The audiobook narration is excellent and adds a lot of personality. The only downside was that I couldn't highlight any quotes - and there would have been many!

TML explores so many concepts and themes, my mind is still reeling weeks later. It made me think of when I first watched The Matrix, but this is so much richer, deeper, more diverse. To name but a few, it explores: memory, censorship, erasure, family and found families, social control, tokenism, community, homophobia and racism, imprisonment, spirituality, the importance of the arts and visionaries for the future, especially of minority communities... I found the discussion of time theft from Black communities especially thought-provoking.

One of my stand-out reads of 2022. Prepare to have your mind-blown.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the audiobook ARC

This co-authored series of short stories brings to life many aspects of Janelle Monae’s discography. Their vision of Dirty Computers who do not conform to the totalitarian regime they are controlled by is so clever. I’ve never read a set of short stories that are cumulative before. As you progress through, more and more becomes apparent about the world and who does and does not fit. Themes of queer liberation, Black power, and social justice thread all the way through it. There is also emphasis on the radical and transformative power of small communities and of making art to resist conformity. These are all big words for saying that the layers of the dysptopia get richer and your love for the different characters and modes of resisting get more powerful the more of the book that you read.

The narration of the audiobook really adds to the experience and I have frequently suggested to people that they enjoy the book this way. I loved hearing Monae speak the dedication and acknowledgments as well as telling the story.

i am afraid that i find the writing in this collection to be very green. that these stories were written with 'collaborators' also makes me question how much monae actually wrote or whether the ideas explored in these narrative are theirs...

What an excellent collection this is. I'd listened to the album Dirty Computer a fair few times but I'd never really had a chance to dig into the world which is precisely what this book does. I find myself wanting a similar set of stories for all of my favourite artists' work!
The Memory Librarian is a fascinating look at a future world that simultaneously feels like distant science fiction as well as an entirely plausible future - elements of which it might be nice to keep but most of which I hope we don't end up with. It's a realistic collection of ideas, exploring the flaws of the world that we have now, and how those might impact the future we are building. But it is also a hopeful collection, I found myself shedding a tear or two towards the end, pushed towards this big emotional conclusion by the masterful way the book is crafted, each story leading into another and revealing more about the world.
I loved the way this book looked at race, gender, class, and more, again doing that wondrous science fiction thing of exposing issues in the current day by looking to the future.
I'm delighted that this book exists and it definitely feels like something one could come back to again and again. The audiobook is fantastically narrated and I would recommend listening if you have the time!
Audiobook was provided for free by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was very unique experience ! I wasn’t familiar with the author or her music so I had. I prior knowledge. This book is an anthology of sci fi storiies that are interconnected and really bizarre but great - if that makes any sense ! I loved the narrator as well

I had no idea that this anthology relates to music created by the author until I was about half way through so I definitely recommend listening as you go as it really enhances the experience. These were some poignant and intense stories in places. They follow different citizens in a sort of futuristic-esque world, where new dawn can change how you think and even feel. There are good citizens and there are bad ones. Freedom is something that is questioned and challenged in each. Where and what is freedom in our minds. It explores Queer-ness, Gender fluidity , race and how humans love.
The first story completely throws you in at the deep end. You almost get to know the characters before you know the world - which swaps as you go because the world stays the same just our perspective in it changes.
A wonderful mind spiralling collection of sci-fi tales that almost read like fairy tales.

Thank you Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley for the arc of The Memory Librarian in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It took a little while for me to settle in to listening to Janelle Monae’s short stories, but as I listened her voice flowed with a realm of short stories all based in an imagined future, which I was not aware, until near the end were inspired by her album.

This anthology explores a multitude of themes including time relativity, sexuality, race and gender and gradually builds each story upon the last as the book progresses.

Repression, control and rebellion are also key themes, within a strict dystopian society that is so near the bone, it’s terrifying. Above all is the message of hope, hope for the future, hope for change, hope for society and community, and love, that unites, frees and strengthens that hope.

Thanks so much to the authors and HarperCollins UK Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am conflicted. I got half way through the first story and thought this would be a five star read. But I became very distracted as it went on and started putting it down for ages and my mind was wandering, and as a result I didn’t quite finish it. I really think that this will be amazing, but I think I’m going to give it another to go as a physical read at some point because the sci-fi, futuristic world can be quite complicated and I find that I don’t take in the information as well in audiobook format. I definitely recommend though based on what I did listen to!

I did not finish reading this, sadly. I did not feel connected to the story at all (perhaps because I was not familiar with Monáe or Dirty Computer, but I wish there had been more exposition initially or worldbuilding for those like me?) I just felt very lost and, as the stories are sort of slow initially, I could not get into it. 3 stars because I know this was mostly me.

Really enjoyed this collection. Janella Monae has such an interesting mind, especially when it comes to concepts about futurism. There is so much love and light in such an intensely themed range of short stories. I found it all thoughts provoking and enjoyed living in Monae's imagination just as I do with her music.

I really enjoyed the short stories all based in an imagined future, and didn’t release they were inspired by Janelle’s album until I was nearly at the end! The themes of race, sexuality and gender were explored in such an interesting way. Although I found all of the stories interesting I did find I enjoyed each one more than the last - this may have been in part because I was learning more and more about the setting as it went on.

The stories had a strong message about control, repression and rebellion which could have made them quite heavy, but they were interspersed with hope for change and the power that love and community can have. It was a fascinating take on what the future could look like.

The narrators were all excellent and I enjoyed the fact that the author was one of the narrators. As well as having a beautiful voice, when an author narrates their own book you know all of the intonation and pronunciation will be correct!