The Baby Machine A Novella

“Ann Major’s name on the cover instantly identifies the book as a good read.” –New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown “Want it all? Read Ann Major.” –New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts “No one provides hotter emotional fireworks than the fiery Ann Major.” RT Reviews In this passionate novella lonely, high-flying business-woman Kate Karlington wanted a baby more than anything, but all the men she knew were obsessed by her fortune—except for rugged Jim Keith Jones, who was too rough and unsophisticated for her to consider. Unlike the others, he was obsessed solely by her. When he offered to be her ‘baby machine’, all Kate had to do was agree to his outrageous terms.

The new novel from the master storyteller is his best in years. Brilliantly McEwan, richly entertaining, a moving love story and a mystery--yet for all its gripping plotline one of the most morally layered novels written for our times, as it carries us into a provocatively real alternative history and the profound challenges of Artificial Intelligence. Set in 1980s London, the story revolves around Charlie: young and reckless, and in love with his upstairs neighbour, the enchanting Miranda whose hidden, murky past hangs between them. He has spent his inheritance on the acquisition of one of twenty-five highly developed new robotic humans--named Adam or Eve, each one beautiful, strong and clever--developed by Alan Turing after his success on the legendary WW2 Enigma codebreaking machine. As London is consumed by the huge protests over England and Argentina's Falklands War and Margaret Thatcher's jingoistic ambitions, Charlie courts Miranda, and his Adam finds himself, inevitably, central to their affair. Great novelist that he is, McEwan pulls us into the question of what it means to love, what makes us human in our fast-changing times, what might follow if a machine understands too well the human heart, and how precarious a construct is the world we live in and think we know.

A haunting story of guilt and blame in the wake of a drowning, the first novel by the author of Spectacle Susan Steinberg’s first novel, Machine, is a dazzling and innovative leap forward for a writer whose most recent book, Spectacle, gained her a rapturous following. Machine revolves around a group of teenagers—both locals and wealthy out-of-towners—during a single summer at the shore. Steinberg captures the pressures and demands of this world in a voice that effortlessly slides from collective to singular, as one girl recounts a night on which another girl drowned. Hoping to assuage her guilt and evade a similar fate, she pieces together the details of this tragedy, as well as the breakdown of her own family, and learns that no one, not even she, is blameless. A daring stylist, Steinberg contrasts semicolon-studded sentences with short lines that race down the page. This restless approach gains focus and power through a sharply drawn narrative that ferociously interrogates gender, class, privilege, and the disintegration of identity in the shadow of trauma. Machine is the kind of novel—relentless and bold—that only Susan Steinberg could have written.

"The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster, now presented in a beautifully illustrated edition, is a visionary and thought-provoking novella that explores the perils of technological dependency and the potential consequences of a society overly reliant on machines. Set in a future where humanity lives underground, isolated in individual cells, their every need attended to by an all-encompassing Machine, the story follows Vashti, a lecturer and true believer in the Machine's omnipotence. However, as the Machine begins to show signs of malfunction, Vashti's worldview is challenged, leading to a series of events that question the very foundations of her society. "The Machine Stops" remains a compelling exploration of the dangers of sacrificing human connections for the convenience of technology. This illustrated edition provides a fresh perspective on Forster's timeless work, making it an engaging and visually captivating experience for both new and returning readers.

Ricky Rice is a middling hustler with a lingering junk habit, a bum knee, and a haunted mind. A survivor of a suicide cult, he scrapes by as a porter at a bus depot in Utica, New York, until one day a mysterious letter arrives, summoning him to enlist in a band of paranormal investigators comprised of former addicts and petty criminals, all of whom had at some point in their wasted lives heard what may have been the voice of God. Infused with the wonder of a disquieting dream and laced with Victor LaValle’s fiendish comic sensibility, Big Machine is a mind-rattling mystery about doubt, faith, and the monsters we carry within us.

A timid robot protects an abandoned baby in a post-apocalyptic world. The AI Uprising destroys society. No internet, phones, or electricity. Machines turn against humans. The military SoldierBots have one function—seek and destroy. Block is a simple CleanerBot programmed to scrub floors and serve hotel guests. Forced to flee his city, he must avoid dangerous SoldierBots and find a new hotel he can call home. But when Block discovers a human infant, his surprise attachment to the girl compels him to protect her while traveling across the metal-infested wastelands of America to a safe haven. When he encounters Nova—a surly soldier who becomes an unlikely ally—they must tackle the biggest challenge of their lives. Together, they face mortal danger from bands of scavengers, militaristic SoldierBots, and Combat Mechs. A cyborg Bounty Hunter will stop at nothing to find Block and the child - an infant who holds the key to humanity's future. If you enjoy characters that tug at your heart and page-turning adventures, then you'll love the critically-acclaimed first book of this post-apocalyptic sci-fi series. **Award Finalist, Best Science Fiction Novel, The SPSFC** "Block is a delight... A fun road trip with a robot questioning his place in a world where humans are almost extinct." --William C. Tracy, author of The Seeds of Dissolution "It's very rare when my connection with a character is instant, but I adored Block from the very start. He has such a clear distinct voice that hooked on my heartstrings. The plot is just breakneck speed… I absolutely adored this book." --Weather Wax Report "The lovable CleanerBot was a joy to follow through the story as it learned to care for its newfound charge and find it a person it deemed worthy to be its guardian. The world was well made, the other characters unique, and the plot interesting... A must read if you enjoy stories about lovable robots facing mortal danger!" --FANTASY-FACTION