This one's a 3.5. And I almost want to take off a full star for the terrible title, but I won't.

So, for ideas? This book is just brilliant, and so much fun. The concepts are brain-cracking, and some of the situations are really good. I don't even mind that there's more of an overall concept rather than story. Instead, we're treated with stories that involve the same characters in similar, yet different situations.

However, there's also a point where it does feel like there's far too many smart people sitting in a secret office talking about all these concepts in a bit too much of a corporate/smart nerd speak, or we're treated to clinically written information laying out the particular mind-wiping threat.

And, unfortunately, the last story was far too long and outstayed its welcome. I think this book would have benefitted with a single through-line story.

Having said that though, I flat out loved the concepts, and some of the initial stories were really good.

Personally, I'd love to see what someone like Jonathan Maberry would do with this.