Somewhere East of Life

In the fourth installment of the Squire Quartet by Brian W. Aldiss, architectural historian Roy Burnell embarks on a global mission to catalog endangered architectural marvels. However, his journey takes a drastic turn in Budapest when ten years of his memories—primarily related to architecture and personal experiences—are stolen by memory thieves using the illicit technology of EMV ("e-mnemonicvision"). As Burnell attempts to rebuild his life and reclaim his lost memories, he also embarks on a quest for the elusive "bullet" that could restore what he's lost. This thought-provoking narrative explores themes of memory, identity, and the impact of technology in a near-future setting.