{"product_id":"the-family-experiment-1","title":"The Family Experiment","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe One\u003c\/em\u003e, the BookTok sensation now re-released with exclusive content in \u003cem\u003eThe One \u003c\/em\u003eExpanded Edition, \u003cem\u003eThe Family Experiment\u003c\/em\u003e is a dark and twisted speculative thriller set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel \u003cem\u003eThe One\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Marriage Act, \u003c\/em\u003eabout the ultimate \"tamagotchi\"\u003c\/strong\u003e--\u003cstrong\u003ea virtual baby.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome families are virtually perfect...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called \u003cem\u003eThe Substitute\u003c\/em\u003e. It will follow ten couples as they raise a virtual child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel \u003cem\u003eThe One\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Marriage Act\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e The Family Experiment \u003c\/em\u003eis a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchi--a virtual baby.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDon't miss other suspenseful reads from John Marrs (you'll never see the twists coming!): \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Marriage Act\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Vacation\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Family Experiment\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe One \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 1335001123\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781335001122\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Marrs, John\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Hanover Square Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hanover Square Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback (May 2026)","offer_id":46291850428613,"sku":"9781335001122","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9781335001122.jpg?v=1780113177","url":"https:\/\/www.inveni.store\/products\/the-family-experiment-1","provider":"Inveni","version":"1.0","type":"link"}