In "Machines Like Me," author Ian McEwan explores the themes of Artificial Intelligence, morality, and societal evolution through the lens of an alternate 1980s London. The novel follows the story of Charlie, a day trader who purchases Adam, one of the first synthetic humans, with his inheritance. Together with his girlfriend Miranda, they co-program and co-parent Adam, leading to a love triangle and a profound moral dilemma. The narrative delves into questions about what it means to be human, the implications of AI on society, and the complexities of truth and ethics.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of ethical dilemmas involving sentient beings, discussions around emotional trauma, sexual relationships, and implied violence.
Has Romance?
There is a medium level of romance in the story, primarily centered around the relationships between the characters and their feelings towards one another.
From The Publisher:
From Ian McEwan, Booker Prize winner and international bestselling author of Atonement and The Children Act
"Moving. . . . Masterly . . . provocative." -The New York Times Book Review
"A feat of literary sorcery." -O, The Oprah Magazine
"[A] carefully constructed comedy of terrors. . . . [McEwan is] one of the most elegant writers alive." -The Washington Post
"Witty and humane . . . a cautionary fable about artificial intelligence, consent, and justice." -The New Yorker
Set in an uncanny alternative 1982 London-where Britain has lost the Falklands War, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power, and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence-Machines Like Me powerfully portrays two lovers who will be tested beyond their understanding. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first generation of synthetic humans. With Miranda's assistance, he codesigns Adam's personality. The near-perfect human that emerges is beautiful, strong, and smart-and a love triangle soon forms. Ian McEwan's subversive, gripping novel poses fundamental questions: What makes us human-our outward deeds or our inner lives? Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and thrilling tale warns against the power to invent things beyond our control.
Ratings (4)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (1) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (13):
Read It (4) | |
Want To Read (6) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
Inventing AI that behaves unexpectedly and makes us question what is human is not a new idea. But in McEwan's hands, the nuances feel so much closer to home. Emotionally vaporized - a character on TV just said that phrase (in my real time) and that's how McEwan's characters evolve and ultimately how the reader feels after reading this novel. It's not the most elegant phrase, but it sums it up.
What can you read after
Machines Like Me?
About the Author:
Ian McEwan is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the novels Nutshell; The Children Act; Sweet Tooth; Solar, winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize; Saturday; Atonement, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the W. H. Smith Literary Award; The Comfort of Strangers and Black…
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