Memory Pool, by Scott Bollens

Would you want to re-live one of your memories?
Would you be interested in living the memory of another person?

A neuroscientist regenerates lost memory in 2033, promising to change the world for millions afflicted by cognitive decline. A solution to one of our saddest diseases, we had little idea what type of society this technological achievement would inspire over the next ten years.

A virtual reality company, Translucid, obtains the technology, determined to increase its customer base and revenue. When its profit-motivated owners release MemoryBank, the public is entranced with the idea of re-living their past. Yet differences between customers’ hazy remembrances and Translucid’s precise re-creations create unsettling split-reality confusion.

When MemoryPool is then created to enable customers to live the memories of others, it becomes an irresistible recreational plaything. Some users become addicted to the storylines of others, losing interest in real life. Technicians constantly add enhancements to appeal to diverse demands, opening restored memory to manipulation and repressive forces.

Far from controlling its own destiny, Translucid becomes an experimental platform for a group with darker designs for American society. Users no longer access the memories of others—they are captured by fabricated experiences that arouse hatred and grievance.

Memory Pool is a near-future story about the intricacies of remembering and the disturbing effects of technological intrusion into the human psyche. It is a captivating story of the world shapers we see and those in the shadows we don’t.