# There Is No Antimemetics Division (Original Edition)

![Book cover of There Is No Antimemetics Division (Original Edition)](/books/covers/there_is_no_antimemetics_division_original.jpg)

by [qntm](/books/authors/qntm/)
★★☆☆☆

## Review

_There Is No Antimemetics Division_ is a book
based in the [SCP][scp] universe. It explores the idea of anti-memes---ideas
that either can't be thought, quickly drop out of your memory when you stop
focusing on them, or are dangerous to think---and how you might contain a
force you literally can't remember.

[scp]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCP_Foundation

_There Is No Antimemetics Division_ was written serially as a collection of short stories. The
stories in the first half of the book are loosely related and mainly serve to
give the reader some background on the characters, the Foundation, and
anti-memes. These were my favorite. The stories in the second half read more
like chapters, all dealing with the same overarching event. I found these less
compelling.

The short-story origins of the book mean there are no wasted words and the
plot moves quickly. Characters are introduced, obstacles show up within a
page, and ten pages later there is a twist and a resolution. But this is also
the book's weakness. There is not much character development outside of the
few who are indispensable to the plot. There isn't much downtime; the tension
just keeps ramping up. Likewise, the world is like a stage: just wide enough
to contain the action.

The sparsity and jumps backwards and forwards through time sort of work with
the theme of forgetting and only being able to see your adversary in the
pattern of missing ideas and memories, but the execution feels a little
clumsy. To tell a story in the negative space of the narrative takes careful
planning that is absent.

Overall, it offers fun ideas with a weak execution. I wish it had lived up to
its excellent concept.

## Reviews that mention _There Is No Antimemetics Division (Original Edition)_
- [_There Is No Antimemetics Division_](/books/there_is_no_antimemetics_division/)

## Related Books
- [_There Is No Antimemetics Division_](/books/there_is_no_antimemetics_division/) by [qntm](/books/authors/qntm/) --- ★★★★★: There Is No Antimemetics Division, by qntm, is a book about researchers trying to control dangerous antimemes—ideas that can’t be thought—and how you might combat a foe you can’t even remember exists.
- [_Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories_](/books/valuable_humans_in_transit_and_other_stories/) by [qntm](/books/authors/qntm/) --- ★★★☆☆: Valuable Humans in Transit and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by qntm.
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