{"product_id":"the-family-experiment-a-novel-1","title":"The Family Experiment","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome families are virtually perfect…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut 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…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet 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 Tamagotchi—a virtual baby.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon't miss other suspenseful reads from John Marrs (you'll never see the twists coming!):\u003cbr\u003e * The Marriage Act\u003cbr\u003e * The Vacation\u003cbr\u003e * The Family Experiment\u003cbr\u003e * The One\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Collins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47777408876785,"sku":"9781335001122","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0703\/1468\/8753\/files\/9781335001122.jpg?v=1770381811","url":"https:\/\/cellarbirdbooks.com\/products\/the-family-experiment-a-novel-1","provider":"Cellar Bird Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}