Synopsis
'John Marrs is not to be missed' – Freida McFadden, bestselling author of The Housemaid
'Few writers do domestic suspense meets dystopia better than John Marrs' – Lucy Foley, bestselling author of The Paris Apartment
'The books of John Marrs have become a quiet phenomenon . . . Thoughtful, well written . . . and alarming' – Daily Mail
Some families are virtually perfect . . .
The world’s population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them.
But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch, accessing them via the Metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind MetaChildren has created a reality TV show. It will follow its contestants as they raise a MetaChild from birth to the age of eighteen, in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child – or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . . .
The Goodreads Choice Award 2024 runner up, The Family Experiment is set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act. A dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate 'tamagotchi' - a virtual baby.
'Speculative fiction at its best – original, dark and wickedly clever' – C. L. Taylor, author of Every Move You Make
'His best yet. Frighteningly plausible, gripping, dark, and so clever' – Claire Douglas, author of The Woman Who Lied
'Hurtles towards a chilling denouement - a truly thought-provoking, single-sitting thriller' – Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club
'Chilling, inventive, horribly plausible and brilliantly addictive' – C. J. Tudor, author of The Gathering
Details
09 May 2024
9781529071245Reviews
Nobody does scarily plausible near-future like Marrs. This - his best yet - is an unsettling and immersive roller coaster which hurtles towards a chilling denouement - a truly thought-provoking, single-sitting thriller. Loved it.
The books of John Marrs have become a quiet phenomenon. The Family Experiment will cement his reputation for writing intriguing thrillers rooted in the near future that tackle big issues without being preachy . . . A thoughtful, well-written, instructive and alarming look at a possible life in the soon to be present.
John Marrs is a writer at the top of his game and The Family Experiment is his best yet. Frighteningly plausible, gripping, dark, and so clever, I raced through this original, high-concept thriller unable to put it down. A thought-provoking examination of what family means. Superb.
It's so, so, good. This book deserves to be huge. It’s speculative fiction at its very best - original, dark and wickedly clever. I was utterly captivated by the way Marrs melded reality TV, AI and a terrifyingly plausible future. He's created a terrifyingly plausible world. The world building, the characters, the reveals and the twists are so well done that this book is crying out for a Netflix adaptation.
