The Marriage Act
The unmissable speculative thriller from the author of The One
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4.3 • 78 Ratings
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
'Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible' – C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of Darkness
What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Set in the same world as The One, now a Netflix Original Series, The Marriage Act is a dark, high-concept thriller from bestselling author John Marrs.
'A page-turning and thought-provoking read' – Daily Mirror
Britain. The near future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.
But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is supervising every aspect of our personal lives, monitoring every word, every minor disagreement – and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey . . .
Shortlisted for the Goodreads Awards 2023.
Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power.
‘One of the most exciting original thriller writers’ – Simon Kernick, author of Good Cop Bad Cop
'Brilliantly tricksy' – Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond
'Dark, immersive speculative fiction at it’s very best!' – Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat and The Sanatorium
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Marrs (Keep It in the Family) delivers a smart Orwellian thriller set in a near-future U.K. where the financial impact of several pandemics has led to drastic measures. Multiple economic reboots failed, leading the government to conclude that it could only turn things around by "making people understand that they're better off emotionally and financially when they're in a committed relationship," which would make "them want to work smarter and harder." Now incentives, including tax breaks and increased access to medical care, reward those who sign up for a "Smart Marriage," an arrangement which includes consenting to AI devices being placed in married couples' homes to randomly record conversations and send alerts when they detect potential problems between spouses. The impact of living in a world where privacy is minimal and those not "smart married" face discrimination is cleverly explored through several vividly portrayed characters, including vlogger Roxi, who wants government surveillance to be expanded, and Corrine, a member of the resistance to the oppressive regime. Marrs builds on techno-dystopian ideas explored in prior books (there are Easter eggs connecting this outing to both The One and The Passengers) to craft a scarily plausible world. Readers will be riveted.
Customer Reviews
Wow
John Marrs doesn’t fail to impress. I’ve only read one of his other books but that book quickly became one of my favourites so I knew I had to read more by him. This book was amazing, I’m not normally one for books set in the future but this had me hooked from the start it felt like I was watching an episode of black mirror and I absolutely loved it, I would absolutely recommend this book.
Gripping
The storyline, the character development, the little details, all of it pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. It was also set in my hometown so it was kind of trippy to read about places I have known all my life. Those small details made it feel like I was there with Roxi, Anthony, and the others in Old and New Northampton. I also have a newfound sense of pride for my hometown, that such a great writer was born where I was. I will definitely be reading more of your books John Marrs, thank you.
Another fine book
Set in the near future, this topical novel shows how humanity could take a wrong turn, if AI dependence is unchecked.
The villains are truly horrible in a plot carrying the reader towards a series of showdowns. Amazing!