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The Family Experiment
The Family Experiment: A Novel | John Marrs
12 posts | 9 read | 1 reading | 7 to read
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. 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 Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchia virtual baby.
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Bookwomble
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Bailedbailed

#LitsySciFiBookClub
I don't particularly like reality TV shows, so I guess I'm not the right reader for a book about a reality TV show.
I appreciate that this is a critique of the genre, of consumerism, the increasing monetisation of all aspects of life, the intrusion of governments and private companies into personal spaces, and the intensification of the Society of the Spectacle, but 81 pages is enough for me to know I don't need this object ⬇️

Bookwomble ... lesson: I already deplore Marrs's targets.
It's definitely a "me not you" issue, and I wouldn't discourage anyone else from reading this if the concept appeals. I'm sorry that my Bail rating will negatively affect its Litsy approval score ?
5d
BarbaraBB Interesting! I will read this one soon too and am curious to see where I‘ll end up! 4d
Bookwomble @BarbaraBB I see you liked his earlier novel, The Marriage Act, and this book is set in the same world so I'd guess you'll enjoy this one, too 😊 4d
37 likes4 comments
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Bookwomble
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In a dystopian Britain under late-stage capitalism, where childcare costs can be over £20,000 per child per year, many people can no longer afford to have children, and those unable to fulfil their wish for parenthood are driven to desperation and despair.
So, to distract myself from that, I thought I'd read this book, the #LitsySciFiBookClub November pick.

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DogMomIrene
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😊Thanks for tagging me @Sace and @Ddzmini

1. Spots
2. The tagged book is my current library read

#Two4Tuesday
@TheSpineView

Haven‘t been reading fiction, though. Too much time spent doom reading about cabinet appointees. Need to turn that around today.

TheSpineView Awesome! Thanks for playing! 1w
Sace I‘m just reading to escape. Checking the news makes me way too anxious. 1w
DogMomIrene @Sace The news makes me so anxious too. I‘m actually just back from a dog walk, so I‘m settling in for a good dose of fiction. 1w
See All 13 Comments
MemoirsForMe I‘ve been avoiding the news. It‘s good self-care! 1w
DogMomIrene @MemoirsForMe I need to carve out “no news” times as self care! I‘m a news junkie married to a news junkie so we don‘t do each other any favors☹️ 1w
MemoirsForMe I guess you could just take a 4-year sabbatical. 🫣 7d
Ddzmini That‘s awesome let me know how you like the tagged book 👍🏼📚 6d
DogMomIrene @Ddzmini I just put Marrs on hold because another library book came available on Libby. I decided to prioritize the Libby book to see if that kicks my reading butt back into gear. I really want to see where Marrs takes the family experiment so I‘m hoping to pick it back up in a few days. 5d
Ddzmini @DogMomIrene Marrs(?) is that a book or application? Let me know … also it‘s great that you are a Libby user I love that app 4d
DogMomIrene @Ddzmini Marrs is the author of the tagged book, which I typed in because I‘m always aware of my # of characters here. And yes, Libby is great. I love how the Libby widget on my phone reminds me how many days I have left for the loaded book. Super helpful. 4d
Ddzmini @DogMomIrene ok idk how I missed that 🤣🤣🤣 4d
DogMomIrene @Ddzmini 😂😂😂 I do stuff like that all the time. I blame menopause. 4d
44 likes13 comments
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DogMomIrene
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#WeekendReads

Starting The Family Experiment for the #LitsySciFiBookClub and to keep the dystopias rolling.

CBee Ooo, I can‘t wait to read The Family Experiment 👍🏻 2w
DogMomIrene @CBee I didn‘t realize it‘s in the same near future as The One and The Marriage Act. May need to read The One after this one. 2w
CBee @DogMomIrene oh, The One is fantastic! 2w
See All 6 Comments
DogMomIrene @CBee That‘s what I‘ve heard. I‘ve intentionally avoided the series so I can thoroughly enjoy the book📕♥️ 1w
CBee @DogMomIrene I watched the series! The book was better but still enjoyed it a lot 👍🏻 1w
DogMomIrene @CBee Excellent! Just another reason for me to get reading! 1w
51 likes6 comments
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TheSpineView
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The votes are in, and the selection for November's #LSFBC #LitsySciFiBookClub is The Family Experiment by John Marrs. I read the blurb and it sounds interesting. Most of the reviews are favorable. I am looking forward to this book.

My library has both the ebook and the audio version. I looked on Amazon and the US price for the ebook is $14.99.
@Larkken @Deblovestoread @bnp @Johanna414 @BookmarkTavern @julesG @sebrittainclark @BookBelle84

53 likes1 stack add11 comments
review
Kristy_K
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Pickpick

What a twisted, addicting novel. My first by John Marrs but definitely not my last. Marrs took two things I actively avoid (AI and reality TV) and made a compelling novel that starts out innocuous enough but grows in depth and darkness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#arc #scifi

48 likes2 stack adds
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Mpcacher
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Pickpick

This book is set in the same near future world as “The One“, “The Passengers“ and “The Marriage Act“. In this a reality show has people who want to be parents raising virtual children in the metaverse, competing to win an IVF procedure. It was cleverly plotted with some great twists. As with the others, it was a thought provoking cautionary tale and I really enjoyed it. Marrs never lets me down. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the digital ARC. 4.5/5!

11 likes1 stack add
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BookMaven9
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️once again my go to author doesn‘t disappoint. Weaving social issues into his once again The One universe, this time with families hits all the right page turning spots

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Pearrr
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July 2024 Wrap Up
• The Family Experiment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The Blacktongue Thief ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Yours Truly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• A Court of Thorns and Roses ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Middle of the Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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candc320
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Pickpick

This audiobook was amazing! With a combination of story and mixed media we see a future where people can try raising a child from newborn to 18 in a matter of months virtually and see how this effects their lives for good and bad. It‘s surprising and more twisty than I was expecting and I loved the mix of sci-fi and thriller. Highly recommended! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

24 likes2 stack adds
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AmandaBlaze
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Pickpick

John Marrs' writing captivates me. He writes about social issues in a speculative sci-fi setting. From terrorism and driverless cars to this novel about MetaChildren and human trafficking, his insight into his characters' motivations is always top notch. 5 stars
#ReadAway2024 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#LitsyLoveReads @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

DieAReader 🥳Fantastic! 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great review! Stacked! 4mo
31 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ArniesMom
Pickpick

What a ride!!! This isn‘t my typical genre, but I enjoyed this (scarily realistic) novel! #thefamilyexperiment #johnmarrs