There Is No Antimemetics Division cover art

There Is No Antimemetics Division

The thrilling new sci-fi horror novel, 'mind-bendingly brilliant' Guardian

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There Is No Antimemetics Division

By: qntm
Narrated by: Rebecca Calder
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign; but others, less so…

These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you – and you’ll never even know anything changed.

And they aren’t just feeding on us. They’re invading.

But how do you contain something you can't record or remember? How do you fight against an enemy with effortless, perfect camouflage, when you can never even know that you're at war?

WELCOME TO THE ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION

NO, THIS IS NOT YOUR FIRST DAY

'Astonishing' M. R. Carey, author of Infinity Gate

‘Utterly unique, constantly surprising, genuinely unsettling... may very well take its place among the best sci-fi novels of the century so far.' Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter

© qntm 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Best of 2025 Editors Select Hard Science Fiction Horror Science Fiction Scary Mind-bending Thought-Provoking

Editorial Review

This mind-bending story has taken up permanent residence in my brain
Blossoming out of a collaborative fictional landscape known as the SCP Foundation, whose mission is to "secure, contain, and protect" mankind from a variety of unexplainable entities, this fascinating novel from a British computer programmer contemplates the idea that the world is full of "antimemes." These are entities that by their very nature are impossible to retain or remember. While some are relatively harmless (like giant, gentle creatures who use antimemetic properties as camouflage), the more nefarious antimemes are devouring entire teams of scientists with no one the wiser. Because how do you fight an enemy you aren't even aware exists? The structure of the story—moving back and forth in time and peppered with redacted classified documents—makes room for rich audio elements, while also surfacing compelling and relevant questions around history, memory, and fascism in a world rife with deepfakes and misinformation. —Emily C., Audible Editor

Critic reviews

Astonishing. Pitch-perfect cosmic horror – and the pitch will break all the glass in your brain.
A blisteringly good, genuinely unnerving novel.
The coolest, smartest, mind-blowingest novel to be published this year, and probably for many years to come. It is utterly unique, constantly surprising, genuinely unsettling, and a towering work of speculative fiction that may very well take its place among the best sci-fi novels of the century so far.
Compulsively readable and breathtakingly inventive...this jaw-dropping mind-bender is about as unmissable as sci-fi/fantasy novels get.
No exaggeration, this is the most imaginative novel I have ever read. It's compulsively readable and exquisitely mind-blowing from the first paragraph to the last. I enjoyed every word. Highest possible recommendation.
An addictive, dizzying experience that will make you feel like your brain has been pulled apart and reassembled by a mad scientist. What would be considered a mind-bending twist in another novel happens on every other page of There Is No Antimemetics Division. I've never read anything like it, unless I did and just forgot.
An instant classic of the genre, fusing the bureaucratic sci-fi of Philip K. Dick, the cosmic horror of Lovecraft, and the poetic prose of Emily St. John Mandel. There Is No Antimemetics Division is packed with ideas so potent it feels like one of the story’s own anomalies—I had vivid dreams, my brain unable to put it down even when I was ready to. Blisteringly intelligent, profoundly unsettling, and totally unforgettable. I finished it days ago, and I’m still not done with it.
Unforgettable, mind-bendingly brilliant
A hugely entertaining, super smart, witty novel that is also nerve-shreddingly terrifying… a timely book that is also one for the ages.
A stone cold cosmic horror classic about a department trying to combat anomalous beings whose very nature makes them impossible to see or remember encountering. An incredible read.
All stars
Most relevant
There is no review it doesn’t exist at least not in any way that can be understood by humans

There is no review

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very unique story, well worth a listen. the audio effects in particular give a a spooky, breaking the third wall vibe. yep, kinda trippy too

excellent, different and crazy

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The idea is simple, beautiful, and taken brilliantly to its maximal fruition, and then, unfortunately, a couple of steps past that. Narration is excellent, but the intentionally jarring sound effects are, well, jarring.

Excellent idea

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this book keep me up to finish it, gave me nightmares, and tempts me read it again straight away. Great book!

best book in ages

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A unique book. It has a fascinating story, smart characters and some of the most terrifying horror scenes and ideas I've ever read. My only complaint is that the writing is a bit dry, the characters can feel a bit cold, and the relationships could've been explored more. It's a bit rushed. But just for originality and creativity alone, I'll keep the 5 stars. It's truly a modern masterpiece in a way.

One of the scariest ideas and it'll haunt you

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