Summary

“The Rememberer” follows a narrator named Annie as she describes strange changes affecting her boyfriend—Ben. She states that her boyfriend is “experiencing reverse evolution” (3), meaning he is gradually morphing into animal forms in reverse chronological order along the evolutionary line. The day before the process began, Ben was bemoaning the state of the world, claiming that “the world dries up and dies when there’s too much thought and not enough heart” (4). This demeanor was typical of him. Ben and Annie engaged in physical intimacy, and Ben insisted that they only feel instead of think. The next day, Annie found that he has devolved into the form of a primate. The process continues over the following weeks until Ben is a salamander. Annie dedicates herself to trying to remember as many things from their relationship as possible, since Ben might...