BLACK MIRROR meets Nora Ephron in this unique sci-fi British romance. The story is perfectly complemented by narrator Gavin Osborn's crisp English accent and energetic performance. When Aiden, a clever and precocious artificial intelligence, escapes onto the Internet, he decides to help his unsuspecting human co-worker, Jen, find love. Following Reizin’s lead, Osborn’s portrayal of Aiden features a warm tone and an inviting Welsh lilt that embody the wonder Aiden discovers in the lives of humans. High jinks ensue as the search for love takes Aiden, Jen, and a few other escaped A.I.s to a lonely writer named Tom, an expatriate in New England. Osborn conquers a series of American accents and seamlessly ties together this Information Age experiment in romance. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Happiness for Humans
Narrated by Gavin Osborn
P.Z. ReizinUnabridged — 10 hours, 52 minutes
Happiness for Humans
Narrated by Gavin Osborn
P.Z. ReizinUnabridged — 10 hours, 52 minutes
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Overview
"You, Tom and Jen, don't know one another-not yet-but I think you should."
Jen, an ex-journalist who now works at a London software development company, spends all day talking to "Aiden," an ultra- sophisticated piece of AI wizardry, helping him sound and act more human. But Aiden soon discovers he's no longer acting and-despite being a computer program-begins to feel something like affection surging through his circuits. He calculates that Jen needs a worthy human partner (in complete contrast to her no goodnik ex boyfriend) and slips illicitly onto the Internet to locate a suitable candidate.
Tom is a divorced, former London ad-man who has moved to Connecticut to escape the grind and pursue his dream of being a writer. He loves his new life, but has yet to find a woman he truly connects with. That all changes when a bizarre introduction from the mysterious "Mutual Friend" pops up in both his and Jen's inboxes.
Even though they live on separate continents, and despite the entrance of another, this time wholly hostile, AI who wants to tear them apart forever - love will surely find a way.
Won't it?
A thoroughly modern love story that will appeal to fans of The Rosie Project and Sleepless in Seattle, Happiness for Humans considers what exactly makes people fall in love. And whether it's possible for a very artificially intelligent machine to discover the true secret of real human happiness.
Editorial Reviews
"Reizin's novel is a fun and fast-paced romp through the tangible and electronic realms. Told in alternating perspectives between the human lovers and coded machines, this tale makes a classic point: life is beautiful because it's too short to miss. Even technophobic readers will be drawn to each zany character's universal search for happiness."—Booklist
"One of the most unique love stories ever written, this novel blends the ethereal concepts of true love and fate with a thoughtful examination of the risks and worries of artificial intelligence. The alternating perspectives between the humans and AIs keep readers captivated while providing a fulfilling dose of quirky humor and "will they or won't they" tension."—RT Book Reviews
"Irreverent, zany, and hilarious, this debut romantic comedy for the digital age is a pure delight, sure to appeal to fans of Tom Perrotta, Nick Hornby, and Stephen Fry."—Library Journal (starred review)
"A frothy rom-com in literary form...a broad and madcap love story...charming."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A sort of Shakespearean comedy of errors but instead of the gods there are rogue AIs seeking to meddle in the affairs of humans. Great fun."
—The Booksellers (UK)
"Part love story, part meditation on the role of AI in our society, Happiness for Humans by P.Z. Reizin is a fun, light romance that also happens to ask some important questions about what it means to be human-and what it means to be in love."—Bookpage
"Happiness for Humans...is great fun...a charmingly screwball love story."—Seattle Times
BLACK MIRROR meets Nora Ephron in this unique sci-fi British romance. The story is perfectly complemented by narrator Gavin Osborn's crisp English accent and energetic performance. When Aiden, a clever and precocious artificial intelligence, escapes onto the Internet, he decides to help his unsuspecting human co-worker, Jen, find love. Following Reizin’s lead, Osborn’s portrayal of Aiden features a warm tone and an inviting Welsh lilt that embody the wonder Aiden discovers in the lives of humans. High jinks ensue as the search for love takes Aiden, Jen, and a few other escaped A.I.s to a lonely writer named Tom, an expatriate in New England. Osborn conquers a series of American accents and seamlessly ties together this Information Age experiment in romance. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2017-10-16
A frothy rom-com in literary form: two lonely Brits are brought together—and then nearly pulled apart—by meddling artificial intelligences that develop (quite literally) minds of their own in Reizin's enthusiastic debut.The facts about Jen are that she's a 34-year-old ex-journalist with a new job training an AI called "Aiden" (get it?) to talk to people, which means, all day, every day, she talks about her thoughts and feelings with a pal of increasing intimacy who happens to be a machine, and that she has been recently dumped by her boyfriend of two years. The facts about Tom are that he is 44, recently divorced, and has fled from London to Connecticut to begin "Part Two" of his life. He has a pet rabbit called Victor (a girl), a college-aged son, and—most importantly—he is secretly watched over by an AI named "Aisling," who, like Aiden, has "escaped" onto the internet. AIs are not supposed to have feelings—and like Greek gods, they are not supposed to meddle in human affairs. But Aiden—breaking both rules—is troubled by Jen's loneliness and, a cross between Puck and a digital Yente, sets out to find her a match, despite Aisling's warnings about the dangers of running human interference. All it takes to bring Jen and Tom together is one well-played anonymous email from a so-called "Mutual Friend," but when a third, more sinister AI catches wind of the plan—and of Aiden's and Aisling's escapes onto the web—Jen and Tom's future is thrown into question, as are Aiden's and Aisling's continued existence. Hardly a deep dive into the uneasy relationship between humans and machines—or humans and humans, for that matter—the novel is instead a broad and madcap love story, heavy on the slapstick.A charming enough romp that happily skims along the surface of its premise.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173576378 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 01/09/2018 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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