A Memory Called Empire - A Review

Miriam Lein

19 Jan 2026 — 1 min read

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

I was intrigued by this book, but honestly didn’t know much about it when I started it. It did not disappoint. It is set in a sci-fi world with enough bits of imagined history, culture, and technology woven in to make it feel complete. The political intrigue touches on ethics, technology, colonialism, diplomacy and culture. Fair warning, it will leave you wanting more once you finish, particularly because it is book one in a set of two, a fact that I somehow did not realize until I reached the last page.

Author: Arkady Martine

Published: 2019

Awards: The Hugo Award 2020

Other books by author: A Desolation Called Peace (2021), Rose/House (2023)

Genre: Science Fiction

Setting: The heart of a massive empire stretching across multiple planets

Themes: Technology, LGTQIA+, Colonialism, Politics

How I found this book: NPR Recommendation from Amal El-Mohtar (who, incidentally co-authored This is How You Lose the Time War, which is another book I would recommend)

My Recommendation: Medium - A good read if you like creative world-building and political intrigue.

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