WonderKin

Propulsive, clear-eyed, and surprisingly tender, WonderKin is PEN/Faulkner finalist Colin Winnette’s profound portrait of love in our unpredictable future.

When Charles wakes in the night to find a humanoid machine named Saul trying to break into his home, he is more bemused than terrified.

The city is filled with these ‘models’. Originally designed for service, they now roam freely as part of a controversial government initiative to create the illusion of a populated world. As a father of two, Charles does not have much time for politics; tomorrow is his twin sons' tenth birthday, and he wants nothing more than to give them one perfect day. But here is Saul, inexplicably asking for Charles’ help, and it becomes impossible to turn him away.

As the pair embark on a haphazard mission, the trappings of family, work, driverless cars, AI death cults, and a mysterious company named WonderKin begin to collide. It soon becomes clear that Saul is not who he says he is – but neither is Charles.

Written with humour and grace, Colin Winnette’s indelible story lights the way forward, guiding readers through the strange new world already taking shape around us.