It is always with great anticipation that I await the latest novel by Booker Prize-winning author Ian McEwan and Machines Like Me, released earlier this year, does not disappoint.
Different from any of his previous novels yet full of the same precise, effortless prose, McEwan’s latest explores the social and ethical aspects of artificial intelligence when the main character, Charlie, recklessly spends his inheritance on a robot prototype named Adam.
Adam becomes intertwined with Charlie’s life, including his work and his leisure pursuits, even encroaching on his tenuous love life with bohemian neighbour Miranda.
McEwan seamlessly weaves near-future technology with a historical re-writing of 1980s England, adding a touch of dark suspense when Adam uncovers a mysterious secret from Miranda’s past.
This novel ultimately leaves us with more questions about our human contradictions and increasing reliance on smart technology than it answers but in a funny, evocative and sometimes profound way.
