The scene is an alternative 1980s London: Britain has lost the Falklands War, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence. Charlie, who has been drifting through life and dodging full time employment is in love with Miranda, a bright student with a secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam one of the first synthetic humans. With Miranda’s help he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever, and a love triangle soon forms.
The novel poses fundamental questions; what makes us human? Could a machine understand the human heart? Hear Ian McEwan as he reflects on his life in writing and Machines Like Me – his latest novel published 18th April 2019 at this pre-publication talk at Royal Festival Hall this spring. No doubt popular, early booking is advised.
