The Family Experiment: A Gripping Dystopian Thriller Exploring the Dark Side of Digital Parenthood and the Quest for Human Connection (Dark Future, 3)
The Goodreads Choice Award 2024 runner up, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted speculative thriller set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, about the ultimate "tamagotchi"--a virtual baby.
Some families are virtually perfect...
The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. 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 subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a virtual child from birth to the age of eighteen but 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...
Don't miss other suspenseful reads from John Marrs (you'll never see the twists coming!):
Some families are virtually perfect...
The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. 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 subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a virtual child from birth to the age of eighteen but 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...
Don't miss other suspenseful reads from John Marrs (you'll never see the twists coming!):
- The Marriage Act
- The Vacation
- The Family Experiment
- The One
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Community Reviews
I was really looking forward to this new John Marrs novel. I really enjoy his writing style, but this one fell flat for me. Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I was more then half way through, and I felt bored. I think that someone that enjoys Podcast, interview type books, this one's for you. To me it felt overdone.
I will definitely be back to try another John Marrs book.
I will definitely be back to try another John Marrs book.
Based on some reviews I had mixed feelings going into this one. However, it's really good. If you can keep up with who is who, (I had a quick note reference until it clicked), it's a solid read. I enjoyed the way the author closes out each character, the way some stories connected. Not to mention all while set in a (honestly believable) futuristic world. Kept me entertained and engaged!
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*The Family Experiment* by John Marrs was an okay read overall, but it didn’t fully live up to my expectations. The premise was interesting, and the story had potential, but I felt like it didn’t deliver the intensity or surprises I was hoping for. While the plot kept me engaged throughout, the ending fell flat—it could have used a bigger twist to really make an impact. Instead, it felt like a soft conclusion that didn’t match the tension built earlier in the story. It's a decent read, but I wanted more from the ending to really elevate the experience.
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