Shops have already stocked advent calendars and gingerbread – which means it is time for our traditional book recommendations for the holidays.
Books are a classic gift. We have a few new recommendations for this year:
I’m your man: A love song
Dr. Alma Felser is a famous couples therapist who believes that love exists only between real humans. But when her long-term relationship fails, she secretly orders herself an android, naturally designed to be the ideal partner she always promotes in her articles. What follows is a touching story about longing, control and the question of what ‘human love’ really means.
by: Emma Braslavsky
Link to book
Machines like me
Charlie, a likeable bon-vivant, 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 generations of synthetic humans. From the beginning, their love story includes a third: Adam.
By: Ian McEwan
Link to book
2084: The end of the world
In the kingdom of Abistan, the worship of a single god and the denial of the past determine the system of government. Autonomous thought has been banned: an omnipresent surveillance system instantly informs the authorities of every deviant act, thought, or idea. The kingdom is blessed, and its citizens are happy, filled with a sense of purpose and piety.
by: Boualem Sansal
Link to book
The Test
Idir wants to build a better life for his family in the United Kingdom and sits for a citizenship test. The system — overseen by a human examiner but driven by a sophisticated AI — replaces the usual questions with a moral simulation. Unaware that every decision is being monitored and scored, Idir’s responses will determine whether he is deemed “fit” to be a citizen. The story asks: can machines ever truly understand human morality?
By: Sylvain Neuvelthe
Link to book
ISBN numbers and more details on where to find these suggestions, as well as our suggestions from previous newsletters can be found in our overview.
The overview is currently only available in German – if you would like an English version, please let us know.
We hope you find something you like! Do you have any other exciting book or movie recommendations?
Feel free to send us your suggestions, which we can include next time. You can choose whether or not to include your name (for privacy reasons 😉).
Wishing you a wonderful holidays season and a relaxing time with great reads.