Not going to lie, but what drew me to this story in particular was that outstanding cover. 
And then I read the synopsis and was enchanted on a whole new level:
There seems to be a strange new disease spreading around the world. People are getting stuck in the past in mostly happy memories. They are straddling the line between now and then. Although the disease ends in death, the infected seem to go willingly. The epidemiologist seeks the answers to this viral mystery while she is falling in love and yet trying not to get infected.
This was exactly what I needed after having gone by without reading anything for a couple of days. Mental Diplopia was compelling from the start with a cool concept and solid execution. Plus, bonus points for it being a swift read because the only sci-fi I can bear is in short bursts.
“I am living in two worlds at once!” she shouted over the noise in her head. “I see you in the present. But I’m hearing the past, smelling, tasting, and touching the past.”
The exploration of underlying joy, nostalgia, philosophy and “the body, life, humanity, and our fragility” seemed to be right up my alley. However, when the story steered from further exploring the idea of “the eternal return, everything has always happened and will keep happening” to focus more on the species that were taking over, my eyes began to glaze over. So I ended up loving the first pages a bit more.
Overall, Mental Diplopia was an enrapturing short story with a fascinating idea being delved into.
3/5 stars
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