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These Memories Do Not Belong to Us
For fans of Cloud Atlas and The Power, a hauntingly beautiful and profoundly prescient debut set in a future where China is the sole global superpower and citizens can record and transfer memories between minds.
When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers…
Decades from now, the world is run by an authoritarian state called Qin. In Qin, every citizen is fitted with a Mindbank, an intracranial device capable of not only recording but transferring memories between minds. The technology gives birth to a new economy, referred to as Memory Capitalism, where anyone with means can relive the life experiences of others. It also unleashes opportunities for manipulation—memories can be edited, marketed, and even corrupted for personal gain.
When a man inherits his deceased mother’s Mindbank—a collection of memories from before, during, and after the global war that landed Qin atop the international food chain—he’s unsure what he’ll find inside, or whether the Party has gotten to her memories first, altering the experiences she left for him. Either way, he is adamant that he must share them with the world before they are destroyed forever, even if the cost of doing so is his own life.
Powerful and provocative, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a kaleidoscopic look into the ways in which governments and media manipulate history and control our collective imagination. It encourages us to see beyond the sheen of convenient truths to unearth real stories of struggle, sacrifice, and love that, despite all odds, refuse to be eradicated.
When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers…
Decades from now, the world is run by an authoritarian state called Qin. In Qin, every citizen is fitted with a Mindbank, an intracranial device capable of not only recording but transferring memories between minds. The technology gives birth to a new economy, referred to as Memory Capitalism, where anyone with means can relive the life experiences of others. It also unleashes opportunities for manipulation—memories can be edited, marketed, and even corrupted for personal gain.
When a man inherits his deceased mother’s Mindbank—a collection of memories from before, during, and after the global war that landed Qin atop the international food chain—he’s unsure what he’ll find inside, or whether the Party has gotten to her memories first, altering the experiences she left for him. Either way, he is adamant that he must share them with the world before they are destroyed forever, even if the cost of doing so is his own life.
Powerful and provocative, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a kaleidoscopic look into the ways in which governments and media manipulate history and control our collective imagination. It encourages us to see beyond the sheen of convenient truths to unearth real stories of struggle, sacrifice, and love that, despite all odds, refuse to be eradicated.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2025
149 people are currently reading
21796 people want to read
About the author
Yiming Ma
1 book62 followersBorn in Shanghai, I spent a decade in the tech and finance world across New York, Toronto, London, Berlin and Johannesburg, before falling in love with literature again.
THESE MEMORIES DO NOT BELONG TO US, forthcoming from Mariner and McClelland & Stewart on August 12 2025, is my debut novel! I really hope you enjoy the book.
I'm a graduate of the Stanford MBA program, where I was an Arjay Miller Scholar, and the Warren Wilson MFA, where I was the Carol Houck Smith Scholar. My writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Florida Review, Ricepaper and 4th Estate. My story “Swimmer of Yangtze” won the 2018 Guardian 4th Estate Story Prize.
THESE MEMORIES DO NOT BELONG TO US, forthcoming from Mariner and McClelland & Stewart on August 12 2025, is my debut novel! I really hope you enjoy the book.
I'm a graduate of the Stanford MBA program, where I was an Arjay Miller Scholar, and the Warren Wilson MFA, where I was the Carol Houck Smith Scholar. My writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Florida Review, Ricepaper and 4th Estate. My story “Swimmer of Yangtze” won the 2018 Guardian 4th Estate Story Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
July 15, 2025
I can't believe we're less than a month out until These Memories get released. For so long, it was my secret alone - this Cloud Atlas-esque novel of banned memories set in a world where memories are bought and sold, and a renamed China has taken over.
I began writing this book in earnest in 2019, although the first Memory Epic (Swimmer of Yangtze) was published the year before, when it won the Guardian 4th Estate Short Story Prize.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has read, rated and reviewed – it's readers like you who make all of this worth it. I’m an immigrant from China and books were my loyal companions when I first moved to New York and then Toronto, the reason why I dedicated this book to “survivors and the stories that saved me.” I hope I get to meet as many of you as possible on my book tour in Sept and at festivals this year and beyond.
I've worked so long and hard on this kaleidoscopic, non-traditional novel that I'll try not to qualify this: I think this book is really good, creative and moving in an emotional, Ted Chiang/ Ishiguro speculative fiction way, and I can't wait for you all to read it.
I began writing this book in earnest in 2019, although the first Memory Epic (Swimmer of Yangtze) was published the year before, when it won the Guardian 4th Estate Short Story Prize.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has read, rated and reviewed – it's readers like you who make all of this worth it. I’m an immigrant from China and books were my loyal companions when I first moved to New York and then Toronto, the reason why I dedicated this book to “survivors and the stories that saved me.” I hope I get to meet as many of you as possible on my book tour in Sept and at festivals this year and beyond.
I've worked so long and hard on this kaleidoscopic, non-traditional novel that I'll try not to qualify this: I think this book is really good, creative and moving in an emotional, Ted Chiang/ Ishiguro speculative fiction way, and I can't wait for you all to read it.
May 1, 2025
Is this going to be one of my favorite books of the year? Probably. I'm really going to have to sit with this one and maybe re read it a couple times to fully wrap my head around everything, but I will enjoy every second of it.
This book consists of several short stories, which can be read in almost any order. In a future where memories are shared just as easily as we share reels and tiktoks today, our narrator inherits several memories from his mother, only to discover that they are banned memories and he will suffer the legal consequences of owning them once the government gets around to screening them. These memories cover a wide span of time and take place around the world. We are offered a range of perspectives on the war and the Mindbanks that have propelled this society's timeline forward. Some stories feel a little Black Mirror, and others feel so "normal" that you forget you are reading a science fiction book. All of them feel real.
I love a book that makes me think. I spent most chapters considering 1. Why tell us this story? and 2. Why ban this story? There are some obvious parallels to what we are currently experiencing in real life, but Memories also demonstrates how the gradual destruction of our human connections makes us weak and isolated. The memories all have a degree of sadness but are not overly bleak, and often have an undertone of hope. I'm a sucker for a quiet dystopian novel that doesn't launch me into a bottomless depression.
Considering recommending this for book club to force my friends to talk about it with me.
Even though the book is presented to us in loosely-related short stories, the narrative does have an escalating tone that helps keep its readers engaged. I'll randomize the chapter order a bit more for subsequent reads. Looking forward to more from Yiming Ma in the future! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!
This book consists of several short stories, which can be read in almost any order. In a future where memories are shared just as easily as we share reels and tiktoks today, our narrator inherits several memories from his mother, only to discover that they are banned memories and he will suffer the legal consequences of owning them once the government gets around to screening them. These memories cover a wide span of time and take place around the world. We are offered a range of perspectives on the war and the Mindbanks that have propelled this society's timeline forward. Some stories feel a little Black Mirror, and others feel so "normal" that you forget you are reading a science fiction book. All of them feel real.
I love a book that makes me think. I spent most chapters considering 1. Why tell us this story? and 2. Why ban this story? There are some obvious parallels to what we are currently experiencing in real life, but Memories also demonstrates how the gradual destruction of our human connections makes us weak and isolated. The memories all have a degree of sadness but are not overly bleak, and often have an undertone of hope. I'm a sucker for a quiet dystopian novel that doesn't launch me into a bottomless depression.
Considering recommending this for book club to force my friends to talk about it with me.
Even though the book is presented to us in loosely-related short stories, the narrative does have an escalating tone that helps keep its readers engaged. I'll randomize the chapter order a bit more for subsequent reads. Looking forward to more from Yiming Ma in the future! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!
August 11, 2025
Extraordinary from start to finish, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a speculative fiction masterpiece! Written with the free will of the reader in mind, it breaks conventional fiction rules in all the best ways!
July 12, 2025
one of the best dystopian/sci-fi fiction i've read so far.
"When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers..."
in this book we get a tech-driven future where memories aren’t just personal—they’re currency. The Qin Empire rules with an iron grip, using Mindbanks, devices implanted into citizens’ brains, to record and even sell experiences. Enter Memory Capitalism, a system where the rich can live someone else’s life and the powerful can erase or manipulate history itself. the story kicks off with the unnamed narrator inheriting his mother’s illegal memories after her sudden death. but these aren’t just nostalgic moments—they’re explosive. it was packed with truths that could destabilize the empire, even owning them makes him a target. as the protagonist scrambles to share these memories before they’re destroyed, the novel unravels a series of snapshots—tales of sumo wrestlers, activists, swimmers, and watchmakers—all resisting the empire’s suffocating control.
each memory feels like its own little world, but together, they paint a bigger picture of rebellion and resilience. from ancient rituals to futuristic protests, the stories are gripping, diverse, and deeply human. the narrator’s mission to preserve his mother’s legacy gives the novel its emotional core, while the memories themselves push the boundaries of genre, blending sci-fi, history, and dystopian drama into something unforgettable. what makes this book hit so hard is how timely it feels ESPECIALLY TODAY. the surface of memory-swapping tech and empire politics is a sharp commentary on how easily governments and media can twist the truth. it's a reality check for anyone living in an age of misinformation and curated narratives. but don't get it twisted—the novel pulses with themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of storytelling to push back against erasure.
the writing is so immersive, with a modern vibe that keeps the pace sharp while still digging deep. the narrator’s voice feels raw and urgent, pulling you into his desperate mission as the stakes climb. this isn’t just another dystopian tale—it’s a wake-up call wrapped in a high-stakes, emotionally charged narrative.
if you’re into speculative fiction that’s smart, intense, and deeply relevant, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a must-read. it's a bold reminder that even in the darkest times, stories can save us—and that some truths are worth risking everything for.
thank you so much Yiming Ma & Mariner Books!
this novel deserves all the 5 stars in the world. it was so good.
"When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers..."
in this book we get a tech-driven future where memories aren’t just personal—they’re currency. The Qin Empire rules with an iron grip, using Mindbanks, devices implanted into citizens’ brains, to record and even sell experiences. Enter Memory Capitalism, a system where the rich can live someone else’s life and the powerful can erase or manipulate history itself. the story kicks off with the unnamed narrator inheriting his mother’s illegal memories after her sudden death. but these aren’t just nostalgic moments—they’re explosive. it was packed with truths that could destabilize the empire, even owning them makes him a target. as the protagonist scrambles to share these memories before they’re destroyed, the novel unravels a series of snapshots—tales of sumo wrestlers, activists, swimmers, and watchmakers—all resisting the empire’s suffocating control.
each memory feels like its own little world, but together, they paint a bigger picture of rebellion and resilience. from ancient rituals to futuristic protests, the stories are gripping, diverse, and deeply human. the narrator’s mission to preserve his mother’s legacy gives the novel its emotional core, while the memories themselves push the boundaries of genre, blending sci-fi, history, and dystopian drama into something unforgettable. what makes this book hit so hard is how timely it feels ESPECIALLY TODAY. the surface of memory-swapping tech and empire politics is a sharp commentary on how easily governments and media can twist the truth. it's a reality check for anyone living in an age of misinformation and curated narratives. but don't get it twisted—the novel pulses with themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of storytelling to push back against erasure.
the writing is so immersive, with a modern vibe that keeps the pace sharp while still digging deep. the narrator’s voice feels raw and urgent, pulling you into his desperate mission as the stakes climb. this isn’t just another dystopian tale—it’s a wake-up call wrapped in a high-stakes, emotionally charged narrative.
if you’re into speculative fiction that’s smart, intense, and deeply relevant, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a must-read. it's a bold reminder that even in the darkest times, stories can save us—and that some truths are worth risking everything for.
thank you so much Yiming Ma & Mariner Books!
this novel deserves all the 5 stars in the world. it was so good.
July 6, 2025
I first learned about Yiming Ma's debut novel at an AWP 2025 panel, "Novels in Stories, Fragments, and Constellations." I was transfixed when I heard Ma reading aloud from this constellation novel, so I was grateful to get an early copy from NetGalley. The sprawling storylines orbit around the rise of the fascist Qin dictatorship and the system of "Memory Capitalism" in which citizens can transfer memories via mindbank. In each story, Ma probes the interconnections of technological advancement, digital surveillance, profit incentives, and the police state. Every story hit home more squarely as I saw the ways the real world is fast approaching this dystopian outcome. All in all, a fascinating novel that asks pressing questions about truth, history, censorship, and resistance -- feels utterly relevant in 2025. Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC; expected publication August 12.
August 21, 2025
5⭐️
"When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers. Some of the Memory Epics from which she drew her stories must have been censored already by the Party. Any loyal patriot would have deleted these memories."
...
This was such a delightful surprise of a book! It felt so reminiscent of Ken Liu’s short stories in the best way, which makes you think about what is ethical when it comes to technology, but also weaves in themes of family and colonization. What a unique world and concept of anthology stories in a future of memories in a shared mind state. As someone who is very sceptical about the ethics and impact of AI, I found this to be very fascinating. Even concerning, to a degree, given how realistic its concept could be.
I think this is a very important read, and one that could be especially important in school in these modern and uncertain times.
"When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers. Some of the Memory Epics from which she drew her stories must have been censored already by the Party. Any loyal patriot would have deleted these memories."
...
This was such a delightful surprise of a book! It felt so reminiscent of Ken Liu’s short stories in the best way, which makes you think about what is ethical when it comes to technology, but also weaves in themes of family and colonization. What a unique world and concept of anthology stories in a future of memories in a shared mind state. As someone who is very sceptical about the ethics and impact of AI, I found this to be very fascinating. Even concerning, to a degree, given how realistic its concept could be.
I think this is a very important read, and one that could be especially important in school in these modern and uncertain times.
August 14, 2025
کتاب از همان ابتدا با ایدهای جسورانه و فضایی آیندهنگرانه وارد میشود؛ جهانی که در آن «بانک حافظه»ها و اشتراکگذاری خاطرات، هویت و تاریخ را بازتعریف کردهاند و حزب کمونیست چین امپراتوری خود را در سرتاسر دنیا گسترش داده است. نویسنده به وضوح تلاش کرده فضایی خلق کند که از نظر مفهومی یادآور کار سکویا ناگاماتسو در چقدر در تاریکی بالا میرویم باشد و نگاه و بافتار فرهنگی چینی را در این بستر ارائه دهد.
با وجود این، آنچه به عنوان یک ایده هیجانانگیز به نظر میرسد، در اجرا چندان موفق نیست. فصلها که به صورت داستانهای کوتاه عرضه شدهاند، اغلب به جای آنکه ضرباهنگ و کشش داستانی داشته باشند، حالوهوایی شبیه بیانیه یا گزارش پیدا میکنند. شخصیتها و موقعیتها بهجای رشد ارگانیک، بیشتر حامل ایدهها و پیامهای نویسنده هستند و همین باعث میشود ارتباط عاطفی عمیقی شکل نگیرد. بعضی اپیزودها بهوضوح پتانسیل بالایی برای خلق لحظات تأثیرگذار دارند، اما قبل از آنکه تنش یا گره داستانی جان بگیرد، روایت فروکش میکند.
زبان و ساختار کتاب نیز به این حس «فاصله» دامن میزنند. گاهی متن آنقدر در توضیح و توصیف مفاهیم غرق میشود که ضربه روایی را از دست میدهد و حس میکنی با مجموعهای از طرحهای مفهومی یا ماکتهای داستانی طرفی، نه داستانهایی که بتوانند تا انتها ذهن و احساس خواننده را درگیر کنند.
با این حال، نمیتوان خلاقیت ایده و تلاش برای پیوند دادن فناوری، تاریخ و هویت جمعی را نادیده گرفت. این کتاب برای کسانی که بیشتر به ایدهپردازی مفهومی علاقه دارند تا روایت داستانی، ممکن است تجربهای ارزشمند باشد. اما برای من، جذابیتش از سطح تحسین ایده فراتر نرفت و به تجربهای ماندگار تبدیل نشد.
با وجود این، آنچه به عنوان یک ایده هیجانانگیز به نظر میرسد، در اجرا چندان موفق نیست. فصلها که به صورت داستانهای کوتاه عرضه شدهاند، اغلب به جای آنکه ضرباهنگ و کشش داستانی داشته باشند، حالوهوایی شبیه بیانیه یا گزارش پیدا میکنند. شخصیتها و موقعیتها بهجای رشد ارگانیک، بیشتر حامل ایدهها و پیامهای نویسنده هستند و همین باعث میشود ارتباط عاطفی عمیقی شکل نگیرد. بعضی اپیزودها بهوضوح پتانسیل بالایی برای خلق لحظات تأثیرگذار دارند، اما قبل از آنکه تنش یا گره داستانی جان بگیرد، روایت فروکش میکند.
زبان و ساختار کتاب نیز به این حس «فاصله» دامن میزنند. گاهی متن آنقدر در توضیح و توصیف مفاهیم غرق میشود که ضربه روایی را از دست میدهد و حس میکنی با مجموعهای از طرحهای مفهومی یا ماکتهای داستانی طرفی، نه داستانهایی که بتوانند تا انتها ذهن و احساس خواننده را درگیر کنند.
با این حال، نمیتوان خلاقیت ایده و تلاش برای پیوند دادن فناوری، تاریخ و هویت جمعی را نادیده گرفت. این کتاب برای کسانی که بیشتر به ایدهپردازی مفهومی علاقه دارند تا روایت داستانی، ممکن است تجربهای ارزشمند باشد. اما برای من، جذابیتش از سطح تحسین ایده فراتر نرفت و به تجربهای ماندگار تبدیل نشد.
July 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this advanced listening copy of "These Memories Do Not Belong to Us - A Constellation Novel" by Yiming Ma. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on this story.
Out of the gate, this had strong 'cyberpunk' vibes with the collision of technology, corporations, and the government but quickly became much more 'realistic' than what that genre usually elects. The adoption of technology as a tool of control (by company or government) is relatable as it permeates so much of the modern era. Seeing the slow creep of privacy invasion and the 'death by a thousand papercuts' was incredibly well handled as we got to see various characters give up more of this freedom in stages. I appreciate how intricately the stories were woven together and how the loss of individuality was not a thief in the night but a steady, unyielding entity. While it makes perfect sense in this universe, the initial mention of selling memories was at first shocking but as the story progressed, the idea of memories as dowry and even inheritance felt expected. In less than 6 listening hours, I too came to understand how much memories could be worth, especially when simply having the 'wrong' one could be disastrous to one's career, social status, or life.
I would recommend this book to cyberpunk/sci-fi / history fans for a fresh look at a what could be.
Out of the gate, this had strong 'cyberpunk' vibes with the collision of technology, corporations, and the government but quickly became much more 'realistic' than what that genre usually elects. The adoption of technology as a tool of control (by company or government) is relatable as it permeates so much of the modern era. Seeing the slow creep of privacy invasion and the 'death by a thousand papercuts' was incredibly well handled as we got to see various characters give up more of this freedom in stages. I appreciate how intricately the stories were woven together and how the loss of individuality was not a thief in the night but a steady, unyielding entity. While it makes perfect sense in this universe, the initial mention of selling memories was at first shocking but as the story progressed, the idea of memories as dowry and even inheritance felt expected. In less than 6 listening hours, I too came to understand how much memories could be worth, especially when simply having the 'wrong' one could be disastrous to one's career, social status, or life.
I would recommend this book to cyberpunk/sci-fi / history fans for a fresh look at a what could be.
June 1, 2025
I was excited to delve into Chinese-Canadian author Yiming Ma's debut novel after hearing the premise: a futuristic world where China (renamed Qin) was the global superpower and memories are transferrable and commoditized. If you, like me, enjoy dystopian worlds but are finding our own world perhaps a little too much like one right now to necessarily feel up reading this genre, I can reassure you: this book was as much about connection, relationships, and humanity as it was about the world that Ma created.
It consists of a series of short stories which can be digested in any order, though I found the way it was laid out in the book to be a very enjoyable way to delve in. What a treat to "jump back" to ~modern times during the course of reading and appreciate some of the things we take for granted: arts, education, good food, freedoms, values and more.
The imaginative take on what standardized "testing" may look like in a world with advanced AI / technology was particularly unique: as a parent wondering about the future of education for my children, this was one of the first times I've read about a depiction of what achievement and skill development may look like when traditional academia may be redundant.
This book is timely, carefully constructed, thought-provoking, and hope-instilling.
It consists of a series of short stories which can be digested in any order, though I found the way it was laid out in the book to be a very enjoyable way to delve in. What a treat to "jump back" to ~modern times during the course of reading and appreciate some of the things we take for granted: arts, education, good food, freedoms, values and more.
The imaginative take on what standardized "testing" may look like in a world with advanced AI / technology was particularly unique: as a parent wondering about the future of education for my children, this was one of the first times I've read about a depiction of what achievement and skill development may look like when traditional academia may be redundant.
This book is timely, carefully constructed, thought-provoking, and hope-instilling.
May 4, 2025
This was such a great collection of dystopian interconnected short stories. I always enjoy books that span over different time periods. Each chapter offers a unique perspective either before, during, or after the war. The protagonist lives in a world where memories have been turned into a commodity. They’re editable, marketable, and easily corrupted. In this society, a single memory can determine one’s fate and jeopardize their freedom. I found the story to be incredibly immersive, drawing me into a world where personal memories challenge the controlled narrative of history.
When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers. Some of the Memory Epics from which she drew her stories must have been censored already by the Party. Any loyal patriot would have deleted these memories.
There’s a deep melancholy, accompanied by a quiet hope, in each story. At times it felt like a reality check, eerily similar to today’s world. The contrast between individualism and systematic control was striking. Making this not just a story of the past, but one that resonates with the present as well. It reminded me of Black Mirror, with its unsettling exploration of technology and control. Overall, it’s a thought provoking and beautifully written book that will linger with you long after the last page. I look forward to re-reading this in the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!
When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers. Some of the Memory Epics from which she drew her stories must have been censored already by the Party. Any loyal patriot would have deleted these memories.
There’s a deep melancholy, accompanied by a quiet hope, in each story. At times it felt like a reality check, eerily similar to today’s world. The contrast between individualism and systematic control was striking. Making this not just a story of the past, but one that resonates with the present as well. It reminded me of Black Mirror, with its unsettling exploration of technology and control. Overall, it’s a thought provoking and beautifully written book that will linger with you long after the last page. I look forward to re-reading this in the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!
May 19, 2025
Great cover, meh content.
I requested a review copy of this one when it was pitched to me because I thought it sounded pretty badass. A future in which China succeeded America in a war, and people have devices installed in their head allowing them to store and share their memories. A future where the government employs Censors whose job is to review your memories for banned content, and where being caught in possession of banned memories can have you sent for reeducation or worse, have your memories and those of your family wiped permanently from your memory bank.
Sounds wild right? Only, the book is less focused on all of that and more focused on the memories our narrator's deceased mother left for him, and his desire to share them widely before he is caught being in possession of them. So we're reading a collection of interconnected memories that mostly have nothing to do with him or his mother, but focus on the banned historical memories/experiences of others from before, during, and after the war. Memories of a plane crash and the damage it wreaked on a small island community; of a frowned upon relationship between the son of Chinese Royalty and a white American orphan; of the Chrysanthemum Virus that killed millions of people; of an armless swimmer who beats the odds, to name a few.
Think Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami. Think The Book by M. Clifford. Think of 1984. Think Fahrenheit 451. Think of any book in which the government has complete control over what you see and hear and think and say.
And then discovering the book is more about individual memories and less about the actual situation everyone finds themselves in. Less about the fighting back and survival in this new reality and more about accessing memories before they are wiped away or modified. Less about uncovering the truths that the government is so desperate to hide and more about hoarding what's true for as long as possible.
As I write this, I realize this wasn't a bad book at all. I just wanted it to be more than it was and because of that, I disappointed myself.
This one fell victim to the whole "it's not you, it's me".
I requested a review copy of this one when it was pitched to me because I thought it sounded pretty badass. A future in which China succeeded America in a war, and people have devices installed in their head allowing them to store and share their memories. A future where the government employs Censors whose job is to review your memories for banned content, and where being caught in possession of banned memories can have you sent for reeducation or worse, have your memories and those of your family wiped permanently from your memory bank.
Sounds wild right? Only, the book is less focused on all of that and more focused on the memories our narrator's deceased mother left for him, and his desire to share them widely before he is caught being in possession of them. So we're reading a collection of interconnected memories that mostly have nothing to do with him or his mother, but focus on the banned historical memories/experiences of others from before, during, and after the war. Memories of a plane crash and the damage it wreaked on a small island community; of a frowned upon relationship between the son of Chinese Royalty and a white American orphan; of the Chrysanthemum Virus that killed millions of people; of an armless swimmer who beats the odds, to name a few.
Think Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami. Think The Book by M. Clifford. Think of 1984. Think Fahrenheit 451. Think of any book in which the government has complete control over what you see and hear and think and say.
And then discovering the book is more about individual memories and less about the actual situation everyone finds themselves in. Less about the fighting back and survival in this new reality and more about accessing memories before they are wiped away or modified. Less about uncovering the truths that the government is so desperate to hide and more about hoarding what's true for as long as possible.
As I write this, I realize this wasn't a bad book at all. I just wanted it to be more than it was and because of that, I disappointed myself.
This one fell victim to the whole "it's not you, it's me".
September 7, 2025
“You are not alone. Whether you are suffering or feeling powerless, you stand with countless others throughout history who faced oppression and fought to hold onto the love and beauty in their lives.”
This is a story of state control, intergenerational trauma, and the quiet horrors of memory manipulation. A chrysanthemum virus epidemic spreads. So do “mind banks”, technology that digitises human memories and allows others to experience them.
But this also means these memories can be censored, erased, or repackaged in ways that suit the ruling Party. This form of control is so effective that eventually, people stop living in the real world at all. They stay in towers above the clouds, living through inserted memories, disconnected from their bodies and their histories.
When we hear snippets of the everyday, life sounds chilling:
- Food is replaced by bland nutrition sludge.
- Romance is conducted through algorithmic mind-bank matching.
- Re-education camps are part of the background, not the climax.
And always, the Party is ever present:
“They want to use nature to remind us to be afraid. It’s their greatest source of power, because they don’t want us to know what it’s like to love without fear.”
The story is fragmented and told through multiple perspectives, all linked through the “dangerous” memories of a dissident’s mother leaves to him after her death. Each chapter connects to another in some way and we see how this technology and these people change over time:
“The war: patience and virtue and chess and America”
The son of a Chin Party official returns to a post-war America now shaped by Chinese dominance. He plays chess with Jill, his childhood friend and a white American orphan. Their friendship is layered with loss and unspoken power dynamics.
“The war: the islander”
A media producer is ordered to re-edit a catastrophe into a thriller memory epic called The Islander. The protagonist sells his memory of a near-death event to pay his wife’s hospital bills. In doing so, he erases the very reason he had to survive. But actually it tells the story of the bombing and destruction of an island (very like Hong Kong) by the Chin Party.
“Before the war: swimmer of Yangtze”
A boy from Wuhan, born armless, becomes a Paralympian after Mao calls him to Beijing. He wins by smashing his head into the pool wall causing irreparable brain damage. He never swims again but brings “honour” to his village.
“Before the war: first viral memory”
The first globally successful “memory epic,” Chankonabe, tells the story of a lonely sumo wrestler. We learn that the success of this epic is how mind banks enter the mainstream.
“The war: after the bloom”
The chrysanthemum virus rips through communities, literally blooming through skin, causing paralysis and death. An aspiring writer and her horological boss survive the virus and the war it engenders. We realise the old man is the son who played chess with his high school best friend Jill at the beginning of the book, and it turns out be subsequently had his father adopt her. While these two characters survive, we learn the Party abandoned the villages to painful deaths by quarantining the towns instead of stepping in to save the people.
“After the war: the innocents”
A young boy, Ren, shares his mind bank with an elder historian. We learn Ren’s lineage ties back to the aspiring writer, and he is protected from the virus by a genetic mutation. Once discovered his mother is given a hysterectomy so she cannot pass the gene on any further. The historian was the memory artisan who produced The Islander, the Party’s most beloved (and sanitised) narrative.
“Before the war: +86 Shanghai”
A father works brutal hours in the US to support his family in China. He hides the poverty and shame from his wife, while their son, Bird, distances emotionally but still feels the pull of filial duty.
“The war: promised land”
In a world where memory has replaced learning, a national exam streaming young people into different careers is an actually a gamified simulation. A teenager, marked by his father’s betrayal, confronts grief, history, and power while navigating the exam’s virtual swamp. At the end of the test, he stands on a cliff and understands: the test is not about merit but obedience to The Party.
”Before the war: I had too much to dream”
In Silicon Valley, a man watches his activist girlfriend, Amber, disappear into the geopolitical abyss. Kidnapped and charged under a new security law, she becomes a ghost. He slowly confronts the scale of Western complacency.
“After the war: the reincarnation”
A synthetic human is brought online, filled with inherited memories and monitored by an “angel” for ideological flaws. The man does not remember how he died. The angel actually wants names, and for him to betray his father.
”After the war: Fantasia”
A censor’s wife disconnects from the network and reads his saved memories. Sexual fantasies of white women. Forbidden stories he has collected in his role as a senior censor official. She realises her husband has kept the past alive in secret but has not used these stories to help anyone. As she emerges from her tower, this is the catalyst for her to shed the “shackles” of society and become her own person. We now know she is the dissident’s mother.
In the end it demands to know:
“What is left of you if your own memories cannot be relied on?”
This is a book about what it means to inherit trauma, how memory can be rewritten, and what remains when your own mind is no longer your own.
July 26, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
TL;DR: if you're looking for a character focused story with a lot of intermixed pieces that's really more mosaic than story, you will love this. The writing is lovely and while I'm left with more questions at the end, I also am left with a resounding sense of reflection.
This is a story that doesn't totally make sense. There is one narrator weaving together banned memories his mother left him when she passed away in a dystopian future, and he states early on that he's sharing them with us, the reader, in an attempt to ensure they remain. The rest of the tale is a character focused mosaic of stories that are loosely interconnected about this dystopian future.
The coolest part of this book is that you discover the world of the story, instead of being told about it. Each vignette of a story gives you a bit more detail and a bit more to consider. There are real world issues worked into the story (and parts of it brought me anxiety) but it feels more like an exploration than a fully fledged novel.
And lots of people won't enjoy that aspect, so bare in mind this isn't for everyone. I was left with questions and some odd feelings, which kept me from rating this a solid 5. Still, the stories and the way it's written is unique and lovely and I don't know that I've ever read anything quite like it, and I found it enjoyable for that reason alone. Add in an intriguing dystopian future and some solid characters, and I was hooked!
TL;DR: if you're looking for a character focused story with a lot of intermixed pieces that's really more mosaic than story, you will love this. The writing is lovely and while I'm left with more questions at the end, I also am left with a resounding sense of reflection.
This is a story that doesn't totally make sense. There is one narrator weaving together banned memories his mother left him when she passed away in a dystopian future, and he states early on that he's sharing them with us, the reader, in an attempt to ensure they remain. The rest of the tale is a character focused mosaic of stories that are loosely interconnected about this dystopian future.
The coolest part of this book is that you discover the world of the story, instead of being told about it. Each vignette of a story gives you a bit more detail and a bit more to consider. There are real world issues worked into the story (and parts of it brought me anxiety) but it feels more like an exploration than a fully fledged novel.
And lots of people won't enjoy that aspect, so bare in mind this isn't for everyone. I was left with questions and some odd feelings, which kept me from rating this a solid 5. Still, the stories and the way it's written is unique and lovely and I don't know that I've ever read anything quite like it, and I found it enjoyable for that reason alone. Add in an intriguing dystopian future and some solid characters, and I was hooked!
June 10, 2025
While the premise of the Qin Empire, the Mindbank, Memory Capitalism, and memory censoring is fascinating, there is very little said about how all of this works. Given it was this premise that drew me to the book, I was disappointed.
Instead the book is comprised of a series of vignettes - memories. They are all told in the first person. At first I thought they were all of the narrator’s mother’s personal memories. However, there are two memories featuring young women about the same age, so they can’t possibly belong to one woman. I found this very confusing.
Were these memories his mother collected, since they didn’t all appear to be her own? And if so how did she manage to acquire them while evading the censors? So many questions!
That said, I am in the minority given the 4 rating on both Storygraph and Goodreads. Obviously, this book wasn’t meant for me. Yiming Ma is a good writer who knows how to paint a scene that’s easy to see. So I can understand how readers with a more literary appetite enjoyed this book. I really didn’t.
Instead the book is comprised of a series of vignettes - memories. They are all told in the first person. At first I thought they were all of the narrator’s mother’s personal memories. However, there are two memories featuring young women about the same age, so they can’t possibly belong to one woman. I found this very confusing.
Were these memories his mother collected, since they didn’t all appear to be her own? And if so how did she manage to acquire them while evading the censors? So many questions!
That said, I am in the minority given the 4 rating on both Storygraph and Goodreads. Obviously, this book wasn’t meant for me. Yiming Ma is a good writer who knows how to paint a scene that’s easy to see. So I can understand how readers with a more literary appetite enjoyed this book. I really didn’t.
Want to read
May 1, 2025A big thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC of the book for a blurb!
THESE MEMORIES DO NOT BELONG TO US is a melancholic mosaic of lives stitching together leavings and returnings, bearing witness to the ways in which memories shape and reshape individuals, nations, histories, futures. Ma effortlessly showcases the power of the access and inaccess of recollections, along with the freedom in performing small acts of resistance that takes the form of remembering.
THESE MEMORIES DO NOT BELONG TO US is a melancholic mosaic of lives stitching together leavings and returnings, bearing witness to the ways in which memories shape and reshape individuals, nations, histories, futures. Ma effortlessly showcases the power of the access and inaccess of recollections, along with the freedom in performing small acts of resistance that takes the form of remembering.
June 28, 2025
The best sci-fi makes you think. It builds on ideas you’ve probably had in passing, expands them, and turns them into something meaningful. That’s exactly what Yiming Ma has done here. It felt like this book was written with me in mind. Set in a near future where China stands as the sole global superpower, citizens now have the ability to record and transfer memories between minds. If that premise appeals to you, stop reading and buy it. What a hook.
Before you even start, your brain sparks with questions: How would this affect society, culture, identity? The book explores many of these questions and more, particularly those related to inherited memory and the permanence of memory after death. In nature, instinct is often passed through generations. Birds migrate without being taught. Turtles return to the beach where they were born. If instinct can be inherited, why not memory too?
The structure is loosely connected short stories tied together by a central theme, much like The Three-Body Problem meets Ken Liu’s short fiction. It is immersive, wide-reaching, and yet deeply personal. A diverse cast of characters brings the world to life. I won’t spoil them here. The excellent audiobook production only deepens the immersion. A full, talented cast makes each voice feel grounded and real.
The book prompts me to consider the age-old debate between fiction and nonfiction. Fiction isn’t just escape; it is a vessel for truth. Stories are how humans have survived, passed down values, and built civilizations. Now imagine transferring not just words but entire experiences. How would governments respond? What about individuals? How would that affect society? Would memory become another tool of control? Would regimes seek to erase or rewrite memories to maintain control over citizens? What would rebellion look like in a world where your own past might not even belong to you?
Although this is a dystopian sci-fi novel, the book centers on the human experience. The prose is beautiful yet clear, never overwrought. And the final pages carry a message that resonates far beyond its imagined future, touching on present-day politics and power in ways that hit close to home.
A must-read from a new favorite author.
Before you even start, your brain sparks with questions: How would this affect society, culture, identity? The book explores many of these questions and more, particularly those related to inherited memory and the permanence of memory after death. In nature, instinct is often passed through generations. Birds migrate without being taught. Turtles return to the beach where they were born. If instinct can be inherited, why not memory too?
The structure is loosely connected short stories tied together by a central theme, much like The Three-Body Problem meets Ken Liu’s short fiction. It is immersive, wide-reaching, and yet deeply personal. A diverse cast of characters brings the world to life. I won’t spoil them here. The excellent audiobook production only deepens the immersion. A full, talented cast makes each voice feel grounded and real.
The book prompts me to consider the age-old debate between fiction and nonfiction. Fiction isn’t just escape; it is a vessel for truth. Stories are how humans have survived, passed down values, and built civilizations. Now imagine transferring not just words but entire experiences. How would governments respond? What about individuals? How would that affect society? Would memory become another tool of control? Would regimes seek to erase or rewrite memories to maintain control over citizens? What would rebellion look like in a world where your own past might not even belong to you?
Although this is a dystopian sci-fi novel, the book centers on the human experience. The prose is beautiful yet clear, never overwrought. And the final pages carry a message that resonates far beyond its imagined future, touching on present-day politics and power in ways that hit close to home.
A must-read from a new favorite author.
July 7, 2025
…we all share a deep longing for social harmony, even at the cost of remembering our true histories. from These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma
The Qin empire has taken over the world. The Mindbank drives in everyone’s brains records and share memories. It is a way for the Party to hide the past.
“We would not be the first memory artisans to be sent to reeducation camps for creating unpatriotic content,” a character warns–personal memories could be confiscated, families dishonored. It is the risk of truth telling.
One shares her mother’s Memory Epics to an unencrypted cloud for the good of society, hoping the memories of how people lived before, during, and after “our society was irrevocable transformed” will inspire. “None of these memories belong to me, anyway. Not anymore, and never again.”
Her mother’s memories of resistance and solidarity reminds that we are not alone, that across history oppressed people have fought to hold to the good and beautiful.
The world revealed in this story is terrifying because it has happened before and is becoming more possible every day.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
The Qin empire has taken over the world. The Mindbank drives in everyone’s brains records and share memories. It is a way for the Party to hide the past.
“We would not be the first memory artisans to be sent to reeducation camps for creating unpatriotic content,” a character warns–personal memories could be confiscated, families dishonored. It is the risk of truth telling.
One shares her mother’s Memory Epics to an unencrypted cloud for the good of society, hoping the memories of how people lived before, during, and after “our society was irrevocable transformed” will inspire. “None of these memories belong to me, anyway. Not anymore, and never again.”
Her mother’s memories of resistance and solidarity reminds that we are not alone, that across history oppressed people have fought to hold to the good and beautiful.
The world revealed in this story is terrifying because it has happened before and is becoming more possible every day.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
July 4, 2025
I received this as an audiobook ARC through netgalley.
This had an interesting premise, but I found the story hard to follow. The chapters are structured independently and I had a hard time making connections.
The best way I can describe this is that it feels like the show Black Mirror. If you’ve watched that show, you know that some episodes are captivating and will stay with you for a lifetime. But, some episodes are boring and instantly forgotten. That’s how this book was. Some chapters were excellent and engaging and then some, I struggled to pay attention.
Overall, I think this one just didn’t work for me, but I wouldn’t necessarily NOT recommend it.
Final note, the narration was EXCELLENT!
This had an interesting premise, but I found the story hard to follow. The chapters are structured independently and I had a hard time making connections.
The best way I can describe this is that it feels like the show Black Mirror. If you’ve watched that show, you know that some episodes are captivating and will stay with you for a lifetime. But, some episodes are boring and instantly forgotten. That’s how this book was. Some chapters were excellent and engaging and then some, I struggled to pay attention.
Overall, I think this one just didn’t work for me, but I wouldn’t necessarily NOT recommend it.
Final note, the narration was EXCELLENT!
July 2, 2025
4.2, rounded for Goodreads
In a dystopian future wherein China is the world’s leading and only super power, we start off learning about an inheritance the main narrator receives from his recently deceased mother. Except it’s not any sort of tangible goods. And it’s not today’s world out there (or is it in some respects…?). He’s received a series of memories from her, believed to be highly illegal for him to even possess in one’s oft surveilled mindbank, and the clock is ticking on him being found out. What is a person to do? Why were these stories given to him? What do they mean? Why would these have been censored? With this overarching thread tying these memories together, we begin diving in to these short story memory episodes, causing us to question what is so sensationalist about these stories that they’re that dangerous to possess.
This book tackled its themes the best. It’s quite a short read/listen, but it packs a punch in making you think. And while it’s set in the “far-off future,” I think it’s especially thematic in many ways to today, because the allure of power and control is ever present. Perhaps that makes these themes ever-relevant. Some of the short stories show corruption and ethical degradation outright, while others feature this more subtly, showing how propaganda has seeped into the culture and education systems, bleeding into the beliefs of many common folk. Though throughout our short stories, in addition to the quite dissidence of the everyday man, I do see nuggets of hope, forgiveness, and encouragement to fight for beauty, for loved ones, for more.
I could have done without the hard-hitting final message of the book, after the final memory episode. I think the author got caught up in making sure we got the point of the book in the end, leading to the breaking the fourth wall, and talking directly to those listening (of the mindbank memories, which in this case is us the reader/listener). I understand wanting to drive the point home, though I feel like it was too hit-you-over-the-head. I would have opted for more subtlety, allowing for the questions to be asked and answered more organically, and therefore with more impact.
The audiobook listening experience: this featured a great ensemble cast. The book being narrated this way was very helpful going from one short story to the next. The voice actors showed their emotions and acted out the lines well. One of the voice actors has a barely perceptible lisp, but it did not take away from the experience at all.
There was no shortage of valuable quotes in here. I could see myself tackling this book again, next time on kindle or a physical book so I can highlight all the easier.
Special thanks to the author Yiming Ma, Mariner Books, and Netgalley for a copy of the audio to listen to and review. All opinions are my own.
In a dystopian future wherein China is the world’s leading and only super power, we start off learning about an inheritance the main narrator receives from his recently deceased mother. Except it’s not any sort of tangible goods. And it’s not today’s world out there (or is it in some respects…?). He’s received a series of memories from her, believed to be highly illegal for him to even possess in one’s oft surveilled mindbank, and the clock is ticking on him being found out. What is a person to do? Why were these stories given to him? What do they mean? Why would these have been censored? With this overarching thread tying these memories together, we begin diving in to these short story memory episodes, causing us to question what is so sensationalist about these stories that they’re that dangerous to possess.
This book tackled its themes the best. It’s quite a short read/listen, but it packs a punch in making you think. And while it’s set in the “far-off future,” I think it’s especially thematic in many ways to today, because the allure of power and control is ever present. Perhaps that makes these themes ever-relevant. Some of the short stories show corruption and ethical degradation outright, while others feature this more subtly, showing how propaganda has seeped into the culture and education systems, bleeding into the beliefs of many common folk. Though throughout our short stories, in addition to the quite dissidence of the everyday man, I do see nuggets of hope, forgiveness, and encouragement to fight for beauty, for loved ones, for more.
I could have done without the hard-hitting final message of the book, after the final memory episode. I think the author got caught up in making sure we got the point of the book in the end, leading to the breaking the fourth wall, and talking directly to those listening (of the mindbank memories, which in this case is us the reader/listener). I understand wanting to drive the point home, though I feel like it was too hit-you-over-the-head. I would have opted for more subtlety, allowing for the questions to be asked and answered more organically, and therefore with more impact.
The audiobook listening experience: this featured a great ensemble cast. The book being narrated this way was very helpful going from one short story to the next. The voice actors showed their emotions and acted out the lines well. One of the voice actors has a barely perceptible lisp, but it did not take away from the experience at all.
There was no shortage of valuable quotes in here. I could see myself tackling this book again, next time on kindle or a physical book so I can highlight all the easier.
Special thanks to the author Yiming Ma, Mariner Books, and Netgalley for a copy of the audio to listen to and review. All opinions are my own.
April 23, 2025
In this stunning, genre-bending work, author Yiming Ma introduces us to a world that parallels our own, but one where China has become the global superpower and the introduction of Mindbanks, a device implanted in individuals' brains, leads to the rise of Memory Capitalism and the overarching surveillance of the Party. The opening pages are told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator who has inherited his deceased mother's Mindbank and memories - and despite the risk of experiencing and sharing them, he chooses to do so. What follows is a series of short stories that are loosely interconnected, told from various time periods before, during, and after the rise of the Qin empire and the devastation of the Chrysanthemum Virus that plagued the world.
Each of these stories act like mosaics - a piece of art independently, but even more beautiful when put into context with the others. In "First Viral Memory: Chankonabe", a mother questions her decision to send her only child to train as a sumo wrestler and years later, tries to bring to him a pot of her signature chankonabe stew after his eventual success. In "Swimmer of Yangtze", an armless swimmer from the small village of Wuhan is enlisted in the Olympics and tries to obtain fame for his hometown - at a devastating cost. In "+86 Shanghai", a Qin deserter leaves his family behind in China and attempts to make a new life in New York City, working as a food delivery person in the hopes of bringing his family with him. Each of these stories is immersive, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, questioning our ties with our loved ones, our reliance on technology, the deeply expanding surveillance of state, how our memories and experiences craft who we are.
Despite how short "These Memories Do Not Belong to Us" is, I found it deeply impactful and memorable. Especially in the current state of the world and the ever-changing geopolitical status, the message underlying this work feels deeply relevant. Very much a recommended read when this is published in August 2025!
Thank you Mariner Books for the advance copy of this novel!
Each of these stories act like mosaics - a piece of art independently, but even more beautiful when put into context with the others. In "First Viral Memory: Chankonabe", a mother questions her decision to send her only child to train as a sumo wrestler and years later, tries to bring to him a pot of her signature chankonabe stew after his eventual success. In "Swimmer of Yangtze", an armless swimmer from the small village of Wuhan is enlisted in the Olympics and tries to obtain fame for his hometown - at a devastating cost. In "+86 Shanghai", a Qin deserter leaves his family behind in China and attempts to make a new life in New York City, working as a food delivery person in the hopes of bringing his family with him. Each of these stories is immersive, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, questioning our ties with our loved ones, our reliance on technology, the deeply expanding surveillance of state, how our memories and experiences craft who we are.
Despite how short "These Memories Do Not Belong to Us" is, I found it deeply impactful and memorable. Especially in the current state of the world and the ever-changing geopolitical status, the message underlying this work feels deeply relevant. Very much a recommended read when this is published in August 2025!
Thank you Mariner Books for the advance copy of this novel!
August 16, 2025
Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
The comparison to David Mitchell in the book’s synopsis is reaching, but oooh what a treat this speculative short story collection turned out to be. I wanted a little more in every direction--world-building, interconnectedness, themes–but this has the mesmerizing yet smartly intellectual feel of, say, Anton Hur or Te-Ping Chen.
If you’re reading this, be prepared to feel uncomfortable. MEMORIES is set in a possible future in which Qin (the new name of the country known as China) has become the sole global superpower, defeating the US and establishing a society in which citizens have Mindbanks that store and record every encounter and memory they have. I love how Ma leaned into the discomfort that this version of the future may produce in readers. The US is renamed Qin-America; white people are preferred to as “American-whites” (my favorite); many former buildings have been turned into institutions to house the American-white orphanages of the war; and it’s weird when people speak English instead of Chinese. Whoo boy! I can see this riling up a certain portion of its readers (you know the type I’m talking about), and I can’t wait to read the internet drama with popcorn in hand. Boo-hoo to you.
The unnamed MC (Ma himself?) invites you to read the stories in any order you wish. It’s a bit hard to do in certain reading formats, but I admire the innovativeness of challenging the assumed front-to-back order of reading. I don’t know what the effect of doing so would be, though; it’s not easy to know when in space and time each story is taking place, whether it’s in the near past, the near future, or the distant future.
Some stories will feel familiar, like “+86 Shanghai”, in which a Chinese father’s move to New York to make money fractures the three points of his fragile family. Others take a definite dystopian/sci-fi feel, like the Interstitial in which the Gaokao has become not a vast test of memorization, but a punishing mental endurance ultramarathon. These stories are all written in English, but Ma has the uncanny ability to make his voice sound more vs less “foreign” depending on who's narrating which story. Impressive.
I will admit that I felt like I “got” the stories set in the past/present more than I did the ones set in the future--my favorites being the aforementioned “+86 Shanghai”, and the one about the armless swimmer. In the end, I wasn’t entirely sure what Ma’s objective was with this collection. Was there commentary in here about the downsides of a surveillance society? About what China versus the US is like as the global superpower? What? MEMORIES is creative and plays with form, but strung together the stories, for me, lacked something that would have rocketed it to the next level.
Despite that, THESE MEMORIES DO NOT BELONG TO US is a cool debut from a unique Chinese diaspora voice. It will best please readers who love conceptual speculative fiction that leaves lots of room for interpretation of intent and meaning.
The comparison to David Mitchell in the book’s synopsis is reaching, but oooh what a treat this speculative short story collection turned out to be. I wanted a little more in every direction--world-building, interconnectedness, themes–but this has the mesmerizing yet smartly intellectual feel of, say, Anton Hur or Te-Ping Chen.
If you’re reading this, be prepared to feel uncomfortable. MEMORIES is set in a possible future in which Qin (the new name of the country known as China) has become the sole global superpower, defeating the US and establishing a society in which citizens have Mindbanks that store and record every encounter and memory they have. I love how Ma leaned into the discomfort that this version of the future may produce in readers. The US is renamed Qin-America; white people are preferred to as “American-whites” (my favorite); many former buildings have been turned into institutions to house the American-white orphanages of the war; and it’s weird when people speak English instead of Chinese. Whoo boy! I can see this riling up a certain portion of its readers (you know the type I’m talking about), and I can’t wait to read the internet drama with popcorn in hand. Boo-hoo to you.
The unnamed MC (Ma himself?) invites you to read the stories in any order you wish. It’s a bit hard to do in certain reading formats, but I admire the innovativeness of challenging the assumed front-to-back order of reading. I don’t know what the effect of doing so would be, though; it’s not easy to know when in space and time each story is taking place, whether it’s in the near past, the near future, or the distant future.
Some stories will feel familiar, like “+86 Shanghai”, in which a Chinese father’s move to New York to make money fractures the three points of his fragile family. Others take a definite dystopian/sci-fi feel, like the Interstitial in which the Gaokao has become not a vast test of memorization, but a punishing mental endurance ultramarathon. These stories are all written in English, but Ma has the uncanny ability to make his voice sound more vs less “foreign” depending on who's narrating which story. Impressive.
I will admit that I felt like I “got” the stories set in the past/present more than I did the ones set in the future--my favorites being the aforementioned “+86 Shanghai”, and the one about the armless swimmer. In the end, I wasn’t entirely sure what Ma’s objective was with this collection. Was there commentary in here about the downsides of a surveillance society? About what China versus the US is like as the global superpower? What? MEMORIES is creative and plays with form, but strung together the stories, for me, lacked something that would have rocketed it to the next level.
Despite that, THESE MEMORIES DO NOT BELONG TO US is a cool debut from a unique Chinese diaspora voice. It will best please readers who love conceptual speculative fiction that leaves lots of room for interpretation of intent and meaning.
August 15, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for the #gifted book and Libro.fm for the gifted ALC narrated by a stellar multicast of narrators!
“…resistance can also be necessary for survival. Many times, it was the least powerful in the Memory Epics who pushed back against the dominant forces. Even if their small acts did not succeed in overthrowing the systems and people in control, they still found ways to fight.”
TMDNBTU is a powerful and immersive speculative novel that combines interrelated short stories in a future where China has overtaken the United States and the citizens in this new world have memory chips embedded in them. The government has full centralized control over each individual’s “Mindbank” and any memory that defects the government’s narratives can lead to dire consequences to the individual.
In such a setting, the (unnamed) main character inherits his mother’s Mindbank full of memories that would get him and her in a lot of trouble. These memories are spread out in the book as short stories, and highlight the very essence of what it is to be human, our resilience, our freedoms, our potentials. Until our humanity is stripped away from authoritarianism.
This is one of the most unique books I have ever read in terms of not conforming to a usual book structure or genre. For these reasons, it’s a book you’d have to read without distractions. This is unbelievably a debut and the quote I shared above really moved me and feels so relevant to our times. In fact, the book is rife with quotes giving us warning signs to our global turn of events in these unprecedented times. This is one of those books I will be purchasing and rereading again.
“…resistance can also be necessary for survival. Many times, it was the least powerful in the Memory Epics who pushed back against the dominant forces. Even if their small acts did not succeed in overthrowing the systems and people in control, they still found ways to fight.”
TMDNBTU is a powerful and immersive speculative novel that combines interrelated short stories in a future where China has overtaken the United States and the citizens in this new world have memory chips embedded in them. The government has full centralized control over each individual’s “Mindbank” and any memory that defects the government’s narratives can lead to dire consequences to the individual.
In such a setting, the (unnamed) main character inherits his mother’s Mindbank full of memories that would get him and her in a lot of trouble. These memories are spread out in the book as short stories, and highlight the very essence of what it is to be human, our resilience, our freedoms, our potentials. Until our humanity is stripped away from authoritarianism.
This is one of the most unique books I have ever read in terms of not conforming to a usual book structure or genre. For these reasons, it’s a book you’d have to read without distractions. This is unbelievably a debut and the quote I shared above really moved me and feels so relevant to our times. In fact, the book is rife with quotes giving us warning signs to our global turn of events in these unprecedented times. This is one of those books I will be purchasing and rereading again.
August 22, 2025
I was immediately drawn to the premise of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us—a future where memories can be shared, censored, and commodified—and I especially appreciated how the audiobook brought this idea to life with a wide range of narrators. The variety of voices added depth and texture to the experience, making each memory feel distinct and immersive. It was one of the most engaging aspects of the book for me, and I found myself leaning in each time a new voice took over, as though I were slipping into an entirely different life.
That said, while I admired the creativity and ambition of the concept, the book didn’t fully deliver on its promise. The fragmented, vignette-style structure—essentially a constellation of short stories connected by a central frame—was certainly inventive, but it often left me feeling more like an observer than a participant. Just as I would begin to connect with a character or scenario, the story would shift to another memory, and I never felt like I had enough time to emotionally invest. It created a sense of distance that kept me from fully immersing myself in the world.
The worldbuilding itself was fascinating in theory, and the idea of “Mindbanks” had a lot of potential, but I often wished for more clarity and depth in how the system actually worked. At times, the logistics of memory-sharing and censorship felt hazy, which made it harder to grasp the stakes or the rules of the society. The lack of answers may have been intentional, but it left me with more questions than satisfaction.
Overall, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is ambitious, thoughtful, and original, with moments of real brilliance in both concept and execution. The prose is beautiful, the themes are timely, and the audiobook production in particular is outstanding. Yet the structure and lack of cohesion kept me from loving it as much as I’d hoped. I still think it will resonate strongly with readers who enjoy experimental formats and big ideas, even if it didn’t fully connect with me
That said, while I admired the creativity and ambition of the concept, the book didn’t fully deliver on its promise. The fragmented, vignette-style structure—essentially a constellation of short stories connected by a central frame—was certainly inventive, but it often left me feeling more like an observer than a participant. Just as I would begin to connect with a character or scenario, the story would shift to another memory, and I never felt like I had enough time to emotionally invest. It created a sense of distance that kept me from fully immersing myself in the world.
The worldbuilding itself was fascinating in theory, and the idea of “Mindbanks” had a lot of potential, but I often wished for more clarity and depth in how the system actually worked. At times, the logistics of memory-sharing and censorship felt hazy, which made it harder to grasp the stakes or the rules of the society. The lack of answers may have been intentional, but it left me with more questions than satisfaction.
Overall, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is ambitious, thoughtful, and original, with moments of real brilliance in both concept and execution. The prose is beautiful, the themes are timely, and the audiobook production in particular is outstanding. Yet the structure and lack of cohesion kept me from loving it as much as I’d hoped. I still think it will resonate strongly with readers who enjoy experimental formats and big ideas, even if it didn’t fully connect with me
September 7, 2025
I tried, really I did. I came back to this audiobook perhaps five different times, and simply could not engage. I will state that I found Yiming Ma's writing to be solid, if a little dry, so I am not ruling him out as an author altogether. I just didn't enjoy this one.
The biggest issue I had was the science fiction theme of the Mindbank and Memory Capitalism, which was never explained, just taken at face value. As a true sci-fi nerd, I was eager to hear more about the science and effort achieving this fiction. Sadly, just like in The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds #1), too much of how it all came to be was overlooked, I kept listening for more, and it never came.
As well, this short book is not a novel, but rather a set of short stories that you can read in any order. I'm not much of a short story fan, so this format also left me cold.
I feel like it was marketed as science fiction, but is actually just fiction with a loose sci-fi wrapper, and that is a shame because it won't get to the right audiences.
The biggest issue I had was the science fiction theme of the Mindbank and Memory Capitalism, which was never explained, just taken at face value. As a true sci-fi nerd, I was eager to hear more about the science and effort achieving this fiction. Sadly, just like in The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds #1), too much of how it all came to be was overlooked, I kept listening for more, and it never came.
As well, this short book is not a novel, but rather a set of short stories that you can read in any order. I'm not much of a short story fan, so this format also left me cold.
I feel like it was marketed as science fiction, but is actually just fiction with a loose sci-fi wrapper, and that is a shame because it won't get to the right audiences.
September 11, 2025
(rounded down from 4.25)
This was a super easy read. The central conciet is about being able to flawlessly transfer and share memories, as well as the sensory experiences attached to said memories, amongst people with almost no loss between transfers, which is fantastic, and of course the commodification of those memories for rich "experience tourists", and then also the potential for governments to review and control what material is transmitted or inherited to suit an agenda.
This is a collection of short stories that are sometimes related and sometimes referenced in between "memories". Each is evocative and interesting, and a very easy read, so I had a good time here. Unfortunately, we don't go much deeper than authoritarian governments and capitalism restricting information via memories, so I can't give this a five-star rating.
This was a super easy read. The central conciet is about being able to flawlessly transfer and share memories, as well as the sensory experiences attached to said memories, amongst people with almost no loss between transfers, which is fantastic, and of course the commodification of those memories for rich "experience tourists", and then also the potential for governments to review and control what material is transmitted or inherited to suit an agenda.
This is a collection of short stories that are sometimes related and sometimes referenced in between "memories". Each is evocative and interesting, and a very easy read, so I had a good time here. Unfortunately, we don't go much deeper than authoritarian governments and capitalism restricting information via memories, so I can't give this a five-star rating.
July 4, 2025
In a future dominated by the Qin Empire, the Mindbank technology allows for memories to be recorded and transferred, so you can experience the memories of others. This turns memories into a commodity, so they can be bought, sold, and traded. They can also be edited, erased, and banned, which is part of how the Qin Empire maintains their control. A man inherits his mother's memories, which includes many banned ones. He knows when the government censors catch up with him, he will likely be killed.
The bulk of the book is made up of these banned memories. The author calls this a constellation novel, and the memories can be read in any order. The various memories include: a diplomat's son who plays chess with an orphan, a writer who befriends a watchmaker, an armless swimmer who competes for the country, a mother who cooks a pot of stew for her sumo wrestler son. Each memory was an engrossing story in itself, but also raised larger questions: why was this memory saved? why was it banned? how do they connect to each other? I really loved this one, minus the author's slightly heavy-handed message at the end. The memories themselves were rather subtle, and I wanted more subtlety in how it wrapped up as well.
The bulk of the book is made up of these banned memories. The author calls this a constellation novel, and the memories can be read in any order. The various memories include: a diplomat's son who plays chess with an orphan, a writer who befriends a watchmaker, an armless swimmer who competes for the country, a mother who cooks a pot of stew for her sumo wrestler son. Each memory was an engrossing story in itself, but also raised larger questions: why was this memory saved? why was it banned? how do they connect to each other? I really loved this one, minus the author's slightly heavy-handed message at the end. The memories themselves were rather subtle, and I wanted more subtlety in how it wrapped up as well.
April 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC!
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a collection of short stories following characters before, during, and after a war that leaves a single authoritarian state in control of the entire world in which not even your own mind and memories are safe. These are all different settings, circumstances, and people, but each story is connected, a poignant reminder that the same is true in reality. It was easy to sympathize with all the characters, no matter their backgrounds or flaws. Whether the stories ended hopefully, sadly, or with bittersweet feelings, each were distinct and made you truly think about what you would do in the same circumstances.
In the current political climate, stories of systematic propaganda and misinformation hit unfortunately close to home. The 'main' narrator's story ends without resolution, but as we can hope for a better world, we can also hope that his narrative does not end tragically.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a collection of short stories following characters before, during, and after a war that leaves a single authoritarian state in control of the entire world in which not even your own mind and memories are safe. These are all different settings, circumstances, and people, but each story is connected, a poignant reminder that the same is true in reality. It was easy to sympathize with all the characters, no matter their backgrounds or flaws. Whether the stories ended hopefully, sadly, or with bittersweet feelings, each were distinct and made you truly think about what you would do in the same circumstances.
In the current political climate, stories of systematic propaganda and misinformation hit unfortunately close to home. The 'main' narrator's story ends without resolution, but as we can hope for a better world, we can also hope that his narrative does not end tragically.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
April 24, 2025
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. I am not usually into sci-fi but the premise of inherited/shared memories was intriguing to me.
It took me awhile to piece together how the chapters connected to each other but once I got far enough in and started seeing the big picture it really made me think. I got serious 1984 vibes from this.
The ending was kind of a let down for me, but I think the ending is meant to be more open and make you think rather than being a definitive “the story is over now” kind of ending. This ending worked really well for the book and the story it told, but it just wasn’t as impactful for me personally as I would have liked.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I liked that it made me think about the world today even if it took place in a future time.
It took me awhile to piece together how the chapters connected to each other but once I got far enough in and started seeing the big picture it really made me think. I got serious 1984 vibes from this.
The ending was kind of a let down for me, but I think the ending is meant to be more open and make you think rather than being a definitive “the story is over now” kind of ending. This ending worked really well for the book and the story it told, but it just wasn’t as impactful for me personally as I would have liked.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I liked that it made me think about the world today even if it took place in a future time.
June 24, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the e-ARC!
This books was a really beautiful Black Mirror-esque book of beautiful interconnected dystopian vignettes. It’s short read but certainly not an easy one and I know that these individual stories that all fit together so well will sit with me for a while.
If you like your books to challenge your view of reality and confront what our world looks like today and what that could mean for our futures or you enjoy philosophy focused sci fi spin on dystopian stories this is a good choice for you.
This books was a really beautiful Black Mirror-esque book of beautiful interconnected dystopian vignettes. It’s short read but certainly not an easy one and I know that these individual stories that all fit together so well will sit with me for a while.
If you like your books to challenge your view of reality and confront what our world looks like today and what that could mean for our futures or you enjoy philosophy focused sci fi spin on dystopian stories this is a good choice for you.
September 1, 2025
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us caught my attention right away with an unique and ambitious premise: characters live in a near-future world where memories can be saved, erased, monitored by the government, and even transferred between people. The prose is polished and carefully structured, and the concept itself is strong — definitely the kind of idea that made me curious to see how it unfolds.
That said, the execution didn’t quite land for me. The chapters, which are individual memory fragments, often felt disjointed, more like loosely connected short stories than pieces of a unified whole. I also expected the book to dig deeper into the dystopian government hinted at in the setup, but the focus stayed mainly on one character’s family dynamics. While that made for an intimate portrait, it muted the larger, thought-provoking themes I hoped to explore.
In the end, it’s a novel with an inventive setup and elegant writing, but one that didn't quite deliver the emotional punch I hoped for Still, it could be a good fit for readers who enjoy speculative fiction with a slow-burn, character-driven approach, especially if you don’t mind when family drama takes center stage over the dystopian narriative.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult, and Yiming Ma for an advance copy for honest review. The full cast audiobook production was impressive and immersive! 3.5 stars rounded down.
That said, the execution didn’t quite land for me. The chapters, which are individual memory fragments, often felt disjointed, more like loosely connected short stories than pieces of a unified whole. I also expected the book to dig deeper into the dystopian government hinted at in the setup, but the focus stayed mainly on one character’s family dynamics. While that made for an intimate portrait, it muted the larger, thought-provoking themes I hoped to explore.
In the end, it’s a novel with an inventive setup and elegant writing, but one that didn't quite deliver the emotional punch I hoped for Still, it could be a good fit for readers who enjoy speculative fiction with a slow-burn, character-driven approach, especially if you don’t mind when family drama takes center stage over the dystopian narriative.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult, and Yiming Ma for an advance copy for honest review. The full cast audiobook production was impressive and immersive! 3.5 stars rounded down.
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