Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division • Hacker News Board

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#181

Post by frm88 » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 5:35 AM UTC

gravypod wrote: post #129

mjg2 wrote: post #87

I just finished this book and complained about it the whole time. The prose is amateur and peppered with cliches (e.g. you should be fined for publishing the phrase "their suit was so sharp it could cut"). His attempt to write about the inner thoughts of the characters was pretty simple. The descriptions of violence and horror also felt child-like, especially the dialogue during those moments (e.g. Redd's introductio…

Do you have any recommendations for science fiction books that explore interesting ideas? There is no Antimemetics Division was really interesting in how some of the scenarios play out. I don't read much but I've been trying to do that more. I really liked the book. Things like the memory consuming entity, async research, etc I enjoyed.

On the note of memory consuming entities and coming with spectacular worldbuilding and an outstanding prose: Leech by Hiron Ennes. Ennes latest book The Works of Vermin is even better.

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#182

Post by inopinatus » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 5:57 AM UTC

ggerules wrote: post #173

chairmansteve wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is HN?

Where am I?

You are in:

Dark

You can hear nothing, smell nothing, taste nothing, see nothing, feel nothing, and are not even certain who you are.

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#183

Post by chadcmulligan » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 6:10 AM UTC

mindcrime wrote: post #147

gravypod wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any recommendations for science fiction books that explore interesting ideas? There is no Antimemetics Division was really interesting in how some of the scenarios play out. I don't read much but I've been trying to do that more. I really liked the book. Things like the memory consuming entity, async research, etc I enjoyed.

Glasshouse[1] by Charles Stross Permutation City[2] by Greg Egan We Are Legion (We Are Bob)[3] by Dennis E. Taylor Halting State[4] by Charles Stross Singularity Sky[5] by Charles Stross Dungeon Crawler Carl[6] by Matt Dinniman Zero World[7] by Jason M. Hough The Shockwave Rider[8] by John Brunner [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasshouse_(novel) [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permutation_City [3]: https://ww…

+1 for Stross, Egan and the Bobiverse - I haven't read the others so will have a look, just wanted to add Stand on Zanzibar by Brunner, if the Bobiverse is there then MurderBot should be to.

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#184

Post by chadcmulligan » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 6:12 AM UTC

yaky wrote: post #133

gravypod wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any recommendations for science fiction books that explore interesting ideas? There is no Antimemetics Division was really interesting in how some of the scenarios play out. I don't read much but I've been trying to do that more. I really liked the book. Things like the memory consuming entity, async research, etc I enjoyed.

Blindsight by Peter Watts explores interesting ideas about conscience and intelligence, but these ideas are wrapped in a mediocre action movie plot that becomes nonsensical by the end.

with vampires!

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#185

Post by petters » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 6:38 AM UTC

mindcrime wrote: post #147

gravypod wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any recommendations for science fiction books that explore interesting ideas? There is no Antimemetics Division was really interesting in how some of the scenarios play out. I don't read much but I've been trying to do that more. I really liked the book. Things like the memory consuming entity, async research, etc I enjoyed.

Glasshouse[1] by Charles Stross Permutation City[2] by Greg Egan We Are Legion (We Are Bob)[3] by Dennis E. Taylor Halting State[4] by Charles Stross Singularity Sky[5] by Charles Stross Dungeon Crawler Carl[6] by Matt Dinniman Zero World[7] by Jason M. Hough The Shockwave Rider[8] by John Brunner [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasshouse_(novel) [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permutation_City [3]: https://ww…

Dungeon Crawler Carl is not science fiction. At least I would not recommend it to someone looking for science fiction with “interesting ideas.” It’s a comedy about an RPG with magic.

But if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s pretty good

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#186

Post by omeysalvi » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 7:09 AM UTC

This review gives away too many key points in the story leading anyone who has read this before the book to anticipate what is going to happen. The reviewer should have added a note for spoilers before the review

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#187

Post by pragmatick » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 7:34 AM UTC

cws wrote: post #42

This article says “Book Review:” but then doesn’t provide the title of a book. I’m confused. :)

This bullshit attitude to make in-jokes that don't make any sense to people not part of the cultural or social phenomenom that an article is about is one of the most infuriating aspects of them. You can barely find proper user review for books like this or Welcome to Night Vale or such.

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#188

Post by Nasrudith » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 8:41 AM UTC

jadbox wrote: post #113

Insanity wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The last 2 chapters made me not want to recommend the book. I’m so divided about it because the book started of incredibly strong.

This has been my feeling on Dune book 4 - God Emperor of Dune. While it contains several great banger quotes, it leans way more conservative than the previous books to the point that it was difficult to finish. "Oh no, female warriors kissing! ICK!!" and Leto's whole "Humanity _NEEDS_ me as GOD EMPEROR because this IS JUST THE ONLY WAYYY!" are just some examples.

I thought the whole point about Dune was that even the 'good guys' are really pretty messed up people at best and that you should absolutely not be taking moral advice from any of them. See every idiot AI-hater accidentally endorsing slavery by a bunch of idiot psychotics by saying "We need a Butlerian Jihad".

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#189

Post by crooked-v » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 8:49 AM UTC

petters wrote: post #185

mindcrime wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glasshouse[1] by Charles Stross Permutation City[2] by Greg Egan We Are Legion (We Are Bob)[3] by Dennis E. Taylor Halting State[4] by Charles Stross Singularity Sky[5] by Charles Stross Dungeon Crawler Carl[6] by Matt Dinniman Zero World[7] by Jason M. Hough The Shockwave Rider[8] by John Brunner [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasshouse_(novel) [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permutation_City [3]: https://ww…

Dungeon Crawler Carl is not science fiction. At least I would not recommend it to someone looking for science fiction with “interesting ideas.” It’s a comedy about an RPG with magic. But if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s pretty good

Probably the most novel part of DCC is that it's kind of an implicit response to a whole class of 'what if the world worked like an RPG' fiction, examinining the premises those works as a genre leave glossed over. Which is neat in a meta-textual kind of way, but yeah, definitely not science fiction.

Re: Book review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

#190

Post by jpfromlondon » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 8:53 AM UTC

mjg2 wrote: post #87

I just finished this book and complained about it the whole time. The prose is amateur and peppered with cliches (e.g. you should be fined for publishing the phrase "their suit was so sharp it could cut"). His attempt to write about the inner thoughts of the characters was pretty simple. The descriptions of violence and horror also felt child-like, especially the dialogue during those moments (e.g. Redd's introductio…

thank you, couldn't agree more, great idea, amateur execution.