Am I a robot?
A whiff of the icebox has persisted around the work of Ian McEwan (pictured), ever since the publication of his debut, the macabre short-story collection First Love, Last Rites and the grisly novel that followed in 1978, The Cement Garden.
Machines Like Me
Ian McEwan
(Jonathan Cape, 320 PP, £18.99)
Tablet bookshop price £17.09 • Tel 020 7799 406
A whiff of the icebox has persisted around the work of Ian McEwan (pictured), ever since the publication of his debut, the macabre short-story collection First Love, Last Rites and the grisly novel that followed in 1978, The Cement Garden. Later novels, The Comfort of Strangers, with its ghastly, amoral denouement, and Enduring Love, concerning stalking, only confirmed the impression of a chilly literary intelligence irresistibly drawn to dark material. While subsequent fiction has been warmer and lighter, and he’s even essayed comedy, it wasn’t going to be long before he swooped upon the ethical conundrums of artificial intelligence.
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £37.50 quarterly
Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.
Already a subscriber? Login
Help us keep The Tablet’s voice independent, clear and far-reaching.
Founded in 1840, The Tablet is the leading independent English-language Catholic weekly, celebrated for great writing, astute analysis, brilliant arts and books reviews and trustworthy reporting from correspondents in Britain, Ireland, Rome and across the world.
Independent, high-quality journalism is at the heart of what we do. The Tablet does not have deep pockets and we are not funded by rich donors. If you appreciate our work please consider supporting The Tablet’s Development Fund. It only takes a moment and you can cancel at any time.
- Support with £5 per month
- Support with £10 per month
- Support with other amount.
