When Charlie inherits a fortune, he purchases Adam, one of the world's first synthetic humans, and together with Miranda—a brilliant student harboring a hidden past—sets out to shape the android's personality. As Adam develops into an intelligent, attractive being, the three become entangled in an unexpected emotional triangle that forces them to confront troubling questions about love, consciousness, and what it means to be human. Ian McEwan's inventive novel blends science fiction with intimate human drama, exploring the moral complexities that arise when artificial intelligence enters the realm of desire and relationships.
