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Machines Like Me
- Narrated by: Billy Howle
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
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Machines Like Me
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Summary
Random House presents the audiobook edition of Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, read by Billy Howle.
Britain has lost the Falklands war, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence. In a world not quite like this one, two lovers will be tested beyond their understanding.
Machines Like Me occurs in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – a love triangle soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma. Ian McEwan’s subversive and entertaining new novel poses fundamental questions: what makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and thrilling tale warns of the power to invent things beyond our control.
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Machines Like Me
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Paul Harrison
- 25-04-19
not for me, rather bland and quite boring.
too slow would have given up if not an audiobook, maybe too arty for me,.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- G. A. Thart
- 22-06-19
Thought provoking book
Brilliant and typical McEwan book, this time combining alternative history with philosophy. Some interesting thoughts about future, future of IT and politics. Enjoyable performance from Billy Howle.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 04-05-19
Thoughtful, disquieting but always engaging.
Excellent narration brings this exploration into what it means to be human and the moral compromises that follow from there.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A
- 04-05-19
Wanted it to go on much longer!
A really thought provoking read but with some humour and a play with historical accuracy
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kazgriki
- 15-08-20
Thought-provoking, entertaining and funny
What is consciousness? What makes us human? Some of the questions thrown up by this book. Set in the 1980s, Ian McEwan reinvents some of the key political moments in British history at that time and lovingly brings back to life the mathematical genius Alan Turin, whose life was cruelly cut short following his hounding by the establishment.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SUSAN KOUREA
- 11-02-20
Creepy but thought provoking
As usual this is a topical subject from this author. I found myself quite irritated by Charle's attitude to money when he didn't really have any and his reliance on a very old computer to earn him some!! I became nervous of what Adam might do especially after the arm incident. It certainly made me consider the personality straits I might apply to such a situation and I liked that he let her choose some of them. A mixture of futuristic ideas, humour and sadness.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- holly bird
- 25-04-19
Enjoyable but Nothing new
Enjoyed the story but I don't think Ian McEwan said anything new about AI that hadn't been said before. Wonder if he ever watched "Humans" on tv. Thought the narrative wandered a bit, why did he set it in past years, didn't get that.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- alex_mercer80
- 01-05-19
A compelling story
The story is cleverly set in the past which adds familiarity, but is based on a future technology that we are yet to know. it is thought provoking
I listened to it at 1.4x speed which actually makes the voice of the reader sound like a stereotypical android. a bit like jude law in AI
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 25-09-19
Timeless masterpiece
This will be studied at universities one day. It is pure genius on the subject of artificial intelligence and consciousness, told through stunning prose. Cannot recommend highly enough
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mothervic
- 13-11-20
Classic McEwan
Another winner. Along with the usual moral and emotional complexities and dilemmas, I loved the reimagining of post WW2 Britain. Highly recommended.
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