What would it be like to share your mind with another consciousness? Would you be willing to give up the privacy of your own mind in exchange for the ideal brainstorming partner, an automatic fresh perspective on new challenges? Over the past few years, multiple science fiction authors have offered their takes on the idea of brain sharing. Here’s a look at a few of those stories. Before we begin, I’d like to make a friendly shout out to my colleague Carol, who was kind enough to share her own thoughts on brain sharing in sci-fi, fantasy, and YA, and whose inspiration and encouragement inspired the brief overview you’re reading right now.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Mahit Dzmare is the new ambassador from small, tenuously independent Lsel Station to the heart of the politically and culturally dominant empire of Teixcalaan. As she is thrust into a highly delicate situation, one of the tools at Mahit’s disposal is the imago, which allows her to share her consciousness with a younger version of the previous ambassador, Yskandr Aghavn. Yskandr is able to assist Mahit, but only so much. Since he has been effectively frozen in time, his own knowledge of the rapidly shifting political situation in Teixcalaan isn’t exactly up to date. This is sci-fi by way of the political thriller, and the sequel, A Desolation Called Peace, raises the stakes even higher.

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