Clarkesworld Magazine Memories Are Only Valuable if They Can Be Lost by Ai Jiang (audio)
Aug 26, 2025
Dive into a futuristic world where memories are commodities. A worker in a floating city navigates isolation, longing for family connections while facing an oppressive job. As nostalgia clashes with a haunting present, the protagonist confronts the fragility of cherished moments. Amid poignant reflections at a wedding, the struggle between memory and loss becomes palpable. This narrative explores how the value of our memories shapes our identity and choices, leaving listeners questioning what truly defines our past.
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Episode notes
Memory Mining Powers The City
- The floating city mines residents' memories to produce perfect simulated landscapes and content.
- This system erases personal details to keep workers focused and disconnected from home.
Fired After The Last Memory Was Taken
- The narrator was laid off after the factory extracted the last irreplaceable visual memories of mountains from them.
- They lost work and crucial mental imagery the company needed for its outputs.
Polaroid Gift Rekindles Courage
- At a wedding, the bride gifts the narrator a Polaroid camera and speaks a hometown dialect.
- Her unexpected kindness rekindles the narrator's courage and hope for tangible memories.