The Membranes
SynopsisPlot
It is the late twenty-first century, and Momo is the most celebrated dermal care technician in all of T City. Humanity has migrated to domes at the bottom of the sea to escape devastating climate change. The world is dominated by powerful media conglomerates and runs on exploited cyborg labor. Momo prefers to keep to herself, and anyway she’s too busy for other relationships: her clients include some of the city’s best-known media personalities. But after meeting her estranged mother, she begins to explore her true identity, a journey that leads to questioning the bounds of gender, memory, self, and reality.
Story
About this book
The Membranes is set in the late twenty-first century, after climate change has forced humanity into domes on the ocean floor. In this submerged world, powerful media corporations hold sway and cyborg workers are openly exploited. The story follows Momo, the most sought-after dermal care technician in T City, whose clients include well-known media personalities. She keeps to herself and stays busy, until a meeting with her estranged mother prompts her to examine her own identity.
Chi Ta-wei first published the novel in Taiwan in 1995, and it is regarded as a classic of queer speculative fiction in Chinese. Momo's self-examination opens questions about gender, memory, selfhood, and the limits of reality. Around her, the book assembles heirloom animals, radiation-proof combat drones, and surveillance systems, along with early guesses at fitness tracking and constant media exposure.
Ari Larissa Heinrich translated the book into English, carrying its hybrid punk style across languages. The narrative also turns attention to reading itself, keeping the reader's position in view while it examines technological control, concentrated capital, gender, and sexuality in a city sealed beneath the sea.
