The Family Experiment

By (author) Marrs John
Short description/annotation:
From the acclaimed author of The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and brilliant speculative thriller about families: real and virtual . . .
Description:

''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

Review quote:
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.
Review quote:
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.
Review quote:
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.
Review quote:
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.
Review quote:
The Family Experiment is an eerie and darkly addictive thriller that will have your mind whirling throughout.
Review quote:
If you love Black Mirror you have to read John Marrs. The Family Experiment is chilling, inv