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A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan, #1)
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A Memory Called Empire > MCE: Imago machine

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message 1: by Silvana (last edited Jun 01, 2020 01:33AM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

Silvana (silvaubrey) | 1803 comments Only in chapter 1 but the imago thing reminded me a lot of (view spoiler)

I was intrigued with this kind of trope so I looked it up and found this https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...


Trike | 11206 comments It is pretty similar. I’m always reminded of Alia Atreides from Dune, who channeled her ancestors, to the point where they sometimes took over.

On the Fantasy side of things there are the Penric & Desdemona stories by Bujold, where Desdemona is a demon inside Penric’s head whose personality is comprised of all the previous people it inhabited.

The movie All of Me has Lily Tomlin inside Steve Martin’s head. Being John Malkovich is all about this, too.


Dustin Manning (dustcc) | 3 comments Now i can’t stop hearing “Back In Bowl” from All of Me !

the Imago defiantly screams memories of “Nine Fox Gambit” — I’m further on in the book and I’m liking the tech and philosophical discussions surrounding it.


Silvana (silvaubrey) | 1803 comments Trike wrote: "It is pretty similar. I’m always reminded of Alia Atreides from Dune, who channeled her ancestors, to the point where they sometimes took over.

On the Fantasy side of things there are the Penric &..."


Those have directly multiple people, correct? Not just one person with knowledge of others (cumulative)?

Still chapter 1. Seems that Yskandr could actually (view spoiler)


Trike | 11206 comments Silvana wrote: "Those have directly multiple people, correct? Not just one person with knowledge of others (cumulative)?"

If I’m understanding the question correctly, then yes, all the examples I gave are of the noncorporeal entity taking over control of the person’s body or speech, usually temporarily.


Ruth | 1779 comments There’s a similar concept to the imago line, only with ghosts, in A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge. It seems to be a very zeitgeist topic rn.


message 7: by Richard (new) - added it

Richard Vogel | 246 comments I think this is a pretty common idea in a lot of media:
Quantum Leap has Al who only Sam can see,
The Joker in Batman: Arkham Knight,
Star Trek Deep Space 9's Trill Symbiote
The Avatar in the cartoon series can call upon the memories of all the previous avatars

The concept that we could have a connection with others in our own private minds is a really compelling idea. We really are on our own in our heads... for now.


Silvana (silvaubrey) | 1803 comments Thanks, Ruth and Richard. I am definitely a fan of it :)
The scary thing is when a memory/consciousness could take over.

I finished the novel and thought it was interesting (view spoiler)


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