This was such a surprisingly refreshing novella from an author whose fantasy work I had to DNF not long ago. I grabbed this based on the cover art and all the publishing buzzword comparisons to other SF works I've loved. However, I'm thrilled to report that I didn't think about or compare this to Gideon or Time War even once. This story is very much it's own unhinged and beautiful thing. A story about an AI tech riding around in your mind could've been full but there is so much action and mystery and subversive rage in this tale that feels so relevant to the current zeitgeist. This isn't a hopeful/escapist sci-fi but one that is very believable in how the problems we face today having direct descendants in a spacefaring version of human society. Corporate oligarchy, Othering and dehumanizing of trans people and women, unscrupulous colonization of minds, bodies and worlds...they aren't a thing of the past in this story and very much contributes to what drives Sable and Wylla. I wasn't fully into the romance angle of it, but it didn't bother me too much because it worked just as well as any other reason for these two to go around boiling some truly heinous brains. I imagine this would be an awesome audiobook and I can't wait to check that out upon release.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the free advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

This was so interesting! I love when sci fi gives me something new to chew on. Love the idea of wearing animal “masks” that gives you tech/body interface based on the animal characteristics. Super unique

I can absolutely see how this was likened to This is How You Lose the Time War. Similar vibes

Overall I really enjoyed this - blew through it in one night

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Volatile memory is a very refreshing read, full of vengeance, sci-fi tech, and queer themes. I really appreciated the themes of self acceptance and the feeling of alienation from your body. I’ve read some of Haddon’s previous work and thoroughly enjoyed it, though Volatile Memory definitely feels very different from his novels in the world of Reforged. However, I think the approach to worldbuilding is similar. Admittedly, I’m very new to the sci-fi genre, so I can’t confidently compare the worldbuilding in this book to the genre as a whole; however I do think Haddon gives the reader enough information about the world to be interested, without making the world itself the focus of the novel.

Additionally, I think telling this story from Sable’s perspective was a great choice that made the story much more interesting. There’s something about a story told largely in the second person that I just eat up every time.

Give me a story that tackles the metaphysical minefield that is defining identity and I am here for it. I loved the themes here, and the technology was incredibly fun. The writing as well was surprising and fresh—particularly the mix of 1st and 2nd person POV, which is hard to pull off. What was missing for me was… more book? I felt that there was more to explore, but we only got to graze the surface. And because of the length, certain things (no spoilers) came about very quickly, and they could have hit harder if they’d been allowed to marinate. What can I say; I prefer a slower burn.