故事發生在八零年代的倫敦，英國剛輸掉了福克蘭戰爭(Falklands War)，柴契爾夫人與極左的托尼本恩(Tony Benn)，相互爭權。那時的科技與今日迥異，三十二歲的查理(Charlie)繼承一筆為數不小的財產，他卻花了八萬六英鎊，買下當時最先進的人造人，並且著手改造他，創造出亞當(Adam)。

　　無拘無束的查理，愛上了一名女學生，米蘭達(Miranda)。有了米蘭達的幫助，他們合力改造亞當，不斷重塑亞當的人格，創造出幾近乎完美的人工智慧。他美麗，強壯而且聰明，而一段複雜的三角關係，油然而生。他們將共同面對強烈的道德難題。

　　繼《判決》(the Children act)之後，伊恩．麥克尤恩推出顛覆性的小說，又充滿歡快的娛樂性。誰說人類與機器人不能戀愛？卻也拋出無數個大哉問：什麼造就人性？除了外在的表象，內在的生活還有什麼？一個機器人真得能理解人心嗎？這充滿挑釁與刺激的故事，警示著人們去思考，我們該如何面對自身難以掌握的造物？(文 / 博客來編譯)

　　New from Ian McEwan, Booker Prize winner and international bestselling author of Atonementand The Children Act

　　Machines Like Me takes place 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 synthetic humans and—with Miranda's help—he designs Adam's personality. The near-perfect human that emerges is beautiful, strong, and clever. It isn't long before a love triangle soon forms, and these three beings confront a profound moral dilemma.

　　In his subversive new novel, Ian McEwan asks whether a machine can understand the human heart—or whether we are the ones who lack understanding.

Review

　　"Thought provoking . . . consistently surprising . . . an intriguing novel about humans, machines, and what constitutes a self."—Publishers Weekly

　　"McEwan brings humor and considerable ethical rumination to a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence."—Kirkus