There Is No Antimemetics Division


There Is No Antimemetics Division is a science fiction and horror novel by British author Sam Hughes, who writes under the pen name qntm. The novel was originally published as a web serial novel to the collaborative writing website SCP Wiki from January 31, 2015 through January 1, 2016. It was subsequently released as an independent print-on-demand paperback, before being updated and published as a hardcover by Del Rey Books and Ballantine Books on November 11, 2025. Following the director of the Antimemetics Division of a mysterious organization, it is Hughes' first traditionally published work.

Synopsis

Marie Quinn is the director of a secretive organization that protects humanity from "unknowns", anomalous creatures that can erase themselves from the memories of all who view them. As the Antimemetics Division's research deepens, Quinn begins to uncover repressed memories and finds herself ensnared in a conspiracy that threatens all of reality.

Development

There Is No Antimemetics Division was originally released in chapters on the SCP Wiki from January 31, 2015 through January 1, 2016. The published version of the novel retains some of the original formatting from the version on the SCP Wiki, such as redacted information and missing letters, but omits all of the character names and concepts from the wiki that are still released under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license, which the SCP Wiki uses.
The UK publishing rights for the novel were acquired by Del Rey Books in 2024, while the North American rights were acquired by Ballantine Books. The novel was released on November 11, 2025.

Reception

The novel received positive reception from critics. The Washington Post praised the novel, describing it as containing "a story worthy of Lovecraft" and noting the use of inserted documents from the in-universe Antimemetics Division as a way of increasing the book's immersion. Lisa Tuttle, writing in The Guardian, recommended the novel as an "unforgettable" read. Dirt also published a positive review, praising the novel's plot and connection to modern-day anxieties around technology. Kirkus Reviews positively compared the book to The Twilight Zone and The Matrix, while Publishers Weekly complimented the book's concepts but noted that the "zany narrative" could potentially confuse readers.

Adaptations

A four-episode web series adaptation of the CC BY-SA 3.0 / SCP Wiki edition, SCP: There Is No Antimemetics Division, directed by Andrea Joshua Asnicar, was released from March 27 to April 16, 2024. A black-and-white short film adaptation of that edition directed by Adria Lang was screened at the 2025 Chattanooga Film Festival.