MEM

Soneela Nankani narrates this combination of science fiction and alternate history with a deft and subtle touch that reinforces the story's blurred reality. Elsie outwardly seems like any fashionable young woman of 1925, but inside she knows that she is really the "Mem" called Dolores Extract 1. Mems are human-shaped vessels for extracted memories that aren't supposed to have consciousness of their own. No one, including Elsie, knows why she is the exception. Nankani cultivates a tone of detachment and longing that perfectly suits the character and story. Her portrayal of Elsie is wry and thoughtful, while the people and Mems who surround her have voices and accents that are distinct even when filtered through that distancing lens. N.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2018]