Name: Machines Like Me
ISBN: 9781787331679

Ian McEwan

Britain has lost the Falklands war, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence. In a world not quite like this one, two lovers will be tested beyond their understanding. Machines Like Me occurs in an alternative 1980s London. 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 batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda's assistance, he co-designs Adam's personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever - a love triangle soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma. Ian McEwan's subversive and entertaining new 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 of the power to invent things beyond our control.

Machines Like Me

Eva Ströberg

“How could an aritificial intelligence understand us, when we can’t understand ourselves?”

When Charlie Friend decided to splurge his mother’s inheritance money to get an “Adam” an AI robot instead of buying a house, he still wish that he had done differently. 

For what a life exactly more than warm skin and heartbeat? When Adam declared his love to Miranda (Charlie’s love paramour), would his feeling can be taken seriously?

There are so many moral dilemmas in this book on what constitute a human being, and on why we behave like we do. Can a machine “learn” to do the same or would they do it “better”

Shona Tiger

** spoiler alert **
           Ugh, this book. The casual racism was pretty unpleasant. The weird sexism and the description of rape were also awful. The AI stuff was interesting, but the focus on Turing was tiresome.

**Number One Sunday Times Bestseller** 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 batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda's assistance, he co-designs Adam's personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever - and soon a love triangle forms, which leads Charlie, Miranda and Adam to a profound moral dilemma. Can you design the perfect partner? What makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Provocative and moving, Machines Like Me explores whether a machine can ever truly understand the human heart. 'Funny, thought-provoking and politically acute...' Sunday Times 'Dazzling' Guardian 'An unsettling examination of the human condition. Bold, clever' Sunday Telegraph

Dave Perkins

I enjoyed the retro/nostalgic 80’s vibe alongside the AI and futurist elements. Easy read that did the job and make me think a bit.

Ada 

4,5 stars. This book was awesome and doesn’t get enough hype, and here’s why: 

1. Not to mention the smooth and incredible ups and downs of it, there are apparent plot holes or remaining mysteries that, in my opinion, actually speak for the flawed humanity entailed by the book. In other words, what the main character doesn’t know or doesn’t want to ask, the reader can’t know either. That is some of the finest realism to be observed in contemporary literature. 
2. The book is structured in a way to showcase that Alan Turing’s work is indeed a thing of the more alternate reality. While at first it may appear confusing, Adam’s conflicting behaviors at times speak for how Turing’s theories would indeed not be practically applicable to the science of the real world. 
3. The connections made between physics and history (alternate, ofc) was beautifully done to showcase how society, with all its components, is a like a chain of intertwined loops. 

It’s not a full 5 stars because it was a bit too slow paced for me. But I definitely recommend this book if you’re willing to look beyond the first impression appearances!

neen

Daniel Capizzi

Jack Harrison

Jacob Lindblad

Christopher Wheeler

**Number One Sunday Times Bestseller** 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 batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – and soon a love triangle forms, which leads Charlie, Miranda and Adam to a profound moral dilemma. Can you design the perfect partner? What makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Provocative and moving, Machines Like Me explores whether a machine can ever truly understand the human heart. ‘Funny, thought-provoking and politically acute...’ Sunday Times ‘Dazzling’ Guardian ‘An unsettling examination of the human condition. Bold, clever’ Sunday Telegraph