Memory, Memory, Go Away

In Christopher W. Selna’s Memory, Memory, Go Away, the line between clinical salvation and psychological horror is razor-thin. As a reviewer who has seen many “near-future” thrillers come and go, I found this particular narrative to be a hauntingly professional exploration of what happens when we treat the human soul like a hard drive that can be defragmented.

Set against a rain-slicked, atmospheric Seattle, the novel centers on a revolutionary and controversial program led by the enigmatic Addison Cain. The premise is deceptively simple: why suffer from trauma when you can simply have the memory of it surgically extracted? Selna masterfully constructs a world where Memory, Memory, Go Away has become a cultural phenomenon, promising a life of “divine miracles” for those crippled by PTSD, grief, and depression.

The book’s power lies in its thematic depth, specifically the interconnectivity of trauma. One of the most striking sequences involves the explanation that memories cannot simply be deleted in isolation; they are a “web,” and removing one thread can bring down the “whole fortress”. This leads to the theme of inherited sickness—the idea that our pain is often passed down from our parents, a “volcanic rage” or “inherited sickness” that defines our trajectory.

Another prevailing theme is utilitarianism versus morality. Addison Cain argues that “a little more utilitarianism isn’t so bad for our self-centered civilization,” yet the “trials and errors” of his program leave behind a trail of “catastrophes” that the public never sees.

As someone in her 40s, I found the book’s focus on the “burden of humanity” particularly resonant. This is a must-read for:

Fans of Black Mirror: Readers who enjoy stories where technology provides a “cure” that is ultimately more terrifying than the disease.

Psychological Thriller Enthusiasts: Those who enjoy “unreliable narrator” tropes and complex character studies, such as the troubled Dustin Kopech or the messianic Addison Cain.

Philosophical Fiction Readers: Anyone interested in the ethics of Big Pharma, the Church, and the federal government’s role in personal autonomy.

Memory, Memory, Go Away is a “macabre” journey that asks a terrifying question: if we lose our worst memories, do we also lose the very things that make us human?. It is a gritty, self-published gem that manages to feel both expansive in its world-building and claustrophobic in its psychological tension.