The Family Experiment
Published on 27. February 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
480 pages
978-1-5290-7123-8 (ISBN)
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
'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
Reviews / Votes
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. -- Ellery Lloyd, bestselling author-duo of <i>The Club</i> and <i>People Like Her</i> 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. * Daily Mail * 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. -- Claire Douglas, bestselling author of <i>The Woman Who Lied</i> 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. -- C. L. Taylor, author of <i>Every Move You Make</i> The Family Experiment is an eerie and darkly addictive thriller that will have your mind whirling throughout. * Culturefly * If you love Black Mirror you have to read John Marrs. The Family Experiment is chilling, inventive, horribly plausible and brilliantly addictive -- C.J. Tudor, bestselling author of <i>The Chalk Man </i>and <i>A Sliver of Darkness</i> Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never let's go. The Marriage Act is a brilliant examination of relationships and the power we let others have over us. And talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts! -- C. J. Tudor, author of <i>A Sliver of Darkness</i> on <i>The Marriage Act</i> John's creative, high-concept thrillers never fail to keep me furiously turning the pages and The Marriage Act is no exception. Pacy and packed full of tension, the book kept me constantly guessing as the thought-provoking plot about marriage and everything that comes with it unfolded in the most sinister of ways . . . dark, immersive speculative fiction at it's very best! -- Sarah Pearse, author of <i>The Retreat</i> and <i>The Sanatorium</i> on <i>The Marriage Act</i> A page-turning and thought-provoking read -- <i>Daily Mirror</i> on <i>The Marriage Act</i> A twisted, terrifyingly plausible tale. * Woman's Own * John Marrs is not to be missed -- Freida McFadden, bestselling author of <i>The Housemaid</i>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
324 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5290-7123-8 (9781529071238)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
John Marrs
The Family Experiment
A dark, twisty, near-future page turner from the 'master of the speculative thriller'
E-Book
05/2024
Macmillan
€14.49
Available for download
Person
John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. He is the bestselling author of: The One, The Passengers, The Minders, The Marriage Act, What Lies Between and When You Disappeared.