The Murder by Memory novella is the first installment in the Dorothy Gentlemen series by Olivia Waite. Released late this March, this sapphic sci-fi is a short and sweet introduction to life on the long-haul city spaceship the Fairweather (Ferry, for short) and our protagonist, one Detective Dorothy Gentlemen, a no-nonsense workaholic getting over the tragic end to her relationship with her wife. She has also been one of over ten thousand pseudo-immortal residents on the ship for the last three centuries.
The Premise
Murder by Memory opens with Dorothy’s rude awakening, coming to standing in a descending elevator. Dorothy was not supposed to be awake. Dorothy was not supposed to be alive, living in a body with two lungs and a beating heart and a brain. She was supposed to be retired. And yet, only two years into said retirement, here she is, downloaded into a body that is not hers.
“It was the nails that first tipped me off. … My nails ought to have been the same color as the skin beneath. … Not silver, and not shaped. This body was already inhabited. My skin—someone’s skin—broke out in gooseflesh.”
Within the first few minutes of her return, Dorothy is informed that she has been brought back to the material world to solve a murder. Her murder. Someone has found a way to delete her digital form, her memory book. And, if not for the secret backup courtesy of her brilliant and idiotic nephew, she would be well and truly dead. Now it is up to Dorothy to figure out who killed her and why.
Unfortunately for Dorothy, she has her work cut out for her. Trapped in a body without any of her detective’s clearance during the golden hours of the investigation and with the majority of the ship’s systems on a minimum operational capacity, she would have to make do with what the original owner of this body had on hand. The ship’s AI is just as unhelpful, rendered inebriated and semi-nonfunctional by the magnetic storm battering the ship. Though it is strange that anyone would be up and about during a magnetic storm. What was this woman, this Gloria Vowell, doing, and what does she have to do with Dorothy’s death?
Great Characterization
One of Murder by Memory‘s strong suits is its characters. Each and every character has unique voice and mannerisms. These are shown to the reader as much as they are told via Dorothy’s internal monologue. Dorothy herself is intelligent and inquisitive, determined, and dogged in her pursuit of the answer to the mystery of her death. She also had no small amount of suspicion of other people—both family and strangers—a useful quality in a detective. Most entertainingly, though, she has an unquenchable love of mysteries, to the point that she will lie or manipulate those around her to get the answers she wants. Even if she is not always successful in her deceptions.
“Mr. Pengelly set his own drink aside and folded careful hands. ‘Now madam—perhaps you could tell us who you really are.’ … I leaned forward, not yet ready to give in. ‘So because I ordered a different drink I must be a different person?’ … Ruthie interrupted: ‘Leave the poor man alone, Aunt Dorothy.’
Dorothy’s nephew, Ruthie, acts as the perfect idiotic genius with a heart of gold. And, there is enough intrigue about his new relationship with this beau—Mr. Pengelly’s—past to keep readers coming back for future installments. Gloria is suitably unlikeable, and her paramour is subtly alluring in a way that puts the reader’s heart in their throat. Before the reader even comes to any conclusions about what part the women may have played in Dorothy’s erasure. Even the ship’s AI, Ferry, is a delight to read about. It toes the line of personhood and tool in a way that feels realistic while also not taking away from its likability—by both the reader and Dorothy.
Science Fantasy
Another strength of this story is how it handles its science fiction and fantasy elements. Whether it be the AI, Ferry, which at minimum passes for sentient, the storage and downloading of people via very advanced circuit boards, or the storage and distillation of feelings, sensations, and memories in drinks, it is clear that Murdered by Memory is heavily invested in its sci-fi premise. There is not a single fantastical or scientifically impossible element of this story that does not feel like sci-fi. It has the vibes of the genre down to a T! This story is a wonderful demonstration of how to build a world so that it feels realistic while still allowing for an effective deployment of suspension of disbelief.
The way that sci-fi elements have been used to create or emphasize a recognizable portrait of the human condition and life experiences is particularly brilliant. This element of the story helps to give Murder by Memory the sense that it is only a small glimpse into a much larger, more vibrant world. One of the many ways in which the story shows off its skill with immersive sensory descriptions is through the memory drinks. Particularly through the description of the sensation provided by a ‘summer storm’ drink, as shown below.
“First to my senses came the remembered scent of ozone, metallic over the bright, sweet flavor of grass warmed by sun-light. The clouds built up into thunderheads, white piles turning slowly charcoal as the chill of the rain poured down. Stark flashes of lightning that briefly blinded me, as wind tossed my wet hair back from my face and thunder rumbled a bass note deep in my chest … the taste of petrichor fresh and tart on my tongue.”
What Could Have Been Better
One thing that readers might want to take notice of in this story is its fantastic Queer visibility. Every single member of the main cast is queer and are or have been in loving romantic relationships. Naturally, the characters from the main cast who die are also queer, which brings to mind the ‘burry your gays’ trope for some readers. Especially since two of the confirmed queer relationships (Celia and Dorothy, and Gloria and Violet) end in tragedy.
However, this is a case of relationships that happen to be queer falling victim to the conventions of The Murder Mystery. Additionally, except for Gloria and Violet’s relationship, every other relationship portrayed throughout the story appears to be both happy and healthy. While it might have been nice to see happy gays all around, it is also important to have all different kinds of representation in media. Afterall, it is important to remember and show that queer people are first and foremost people above all else.
Would You Enjoy This Story?
Ultimately, this story takes many of its beats from Detective Noir, Drama, Romance, and Sci-fi. There’s a bit of something for everyone here. Murder by Memory is especially recommended for anyone looking for a short, sweet, and tightly written mystery. Given that queer romance is something likely explored in the series’ future installments, I would suggest investing in it to lover’s of Queer fiction asc well. I would also strongly recommend it to readers interested in multi-genre stories.
Murder by Memory is short enough that it can be read in one sitting, and self-contained to the point that it can be read as a stand-alone story. It is a mystery that uses the sci-fi genre to interrogate what it means to be alive or to be human. Murdered by Memory is a book that drives you to look toward the future with hope in spite of hard times. I think it is a story that everyone short try at least once, just for that!
