The title of this novella is to be taken quite literally as it describes a near-future technology of small brain implants that has the potential to mitigate Alzheimer’s disease. The story follows Gordon in his recovery after getting the implants and how he and his family, and society, deals with this new technology.

Asimov's November/December 2025

Near future speculations of technology that combines AI with neurotechnology is well known territory for Egan, most recently with Vouch For Me and Understudies, though this story is a lot less dramatic or plot heavy. We follow Gordon closely has he is getting himself reacquainted with his wife, family and his profession as a game inventor. The implants aren’t perfect as he often has social inappropriate outburst in public. They are already up to their ears in debt, so he seeks experimental treatment that should improve his current implants.

While this may not be Egan most groundbreaking work, it is always competently well written and it is how he handles what happens in the background that is interesting. While the story follows Gordon’s day to day struggle closely, we also learn that similar implants are also being adopted by healthy people. That trend is met with hostile scepticism as many don’t feel safe around people whose brain is partly controlled by AI. Which of course doesn’t make life easier for Gordon either.

As the current technological development of the last couple of years have already surpassed science fiction writer’s ideas from a decade or two ago, Egan shows that the genre is still relevant by dealing with the crossing lines between machine and human intelligence and what that does to us.

Read in Asimov’s November/December 2025
Rating: 4