'She belongs to me – property rights will prevail.'
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​Evie is a near-perfect bioengineered human. In a broken-down future England where her kind has been outlawed, her ‘husband’ Matthew keeps her safe but hidden. When her existence is revealed, she must take her chances on the dark and hostile streets where more than one predator is on the hunt.
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THE ACTUALITY is a powerful, atmospheric journey into a dark future in which the brilliant Evie - curious, soulful and aware of her limitations - forces us to question the essence of what it is to be human.
THE ACTUALITY - Paul's debut novel, is published by Sandstone Press.
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Recognition for The Actuality:
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British Science Fiction Association
Awards for Fiction 2021 - long list
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Written with flair and humanity, The Actuality catches the tenor of a mind similar to but nonetheless very different from our own ... mesmerising
Simon Ings The Times
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​The Actuality offers a rich contemplation of ethical and philosophical questions about artificial life and intelligence.
John Self BBC Culture
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Exquisite... Not since Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? have I felt so strongly about where artificial intelligence might lead us.
Highly recommended.
Christina Dalcher (Vox & Q)
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Engaging, fast-moving and surprising ... The novel gives familiar science fiction themes a fresh and compassionate look, and makes of them something new.
​Ken Macleod (Corporation Wars)
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Jane Eyre meets Humans ...
Highly Recommended!
Dan Brotzel (Hotel du Jack)
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Smart, literary science fiction ... those who like to savour every last sentence will find much to enjoy here.
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With an endorsement from Christina Dalcher and rights optioned for TV by BBC Studios, The Actuality certainly has the commercial makings of a hit. What is most striking and buzz-building about this book is how powerful it is in its own right.
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The Actuality is a stimulating and thrilling read, the technology and science, AI and the nature of sentience, are cleverly and insightfully woven into a story of what it is to be human.
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​The Actuality ... will trigger thought processes and send shivers down the spine.
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Animated Evie... click here!
Evie's Memory
by Joshua Hickin