Charlie Friend

Charlie Friend is the 33-year-old first person narrator of the novel. Living in London during the fictionalized year of 1982, Charlie is overwhelmed by the technological advancements and political turmoil of his time. However, Charlie lives mostly in his own head, and prefers to spend time alone in his apartment than anywhere else. Instead of finding a job in his field, Charlie halfheartedly buys and sells stocks online. Any money he makes he readily spends on new gadgets, inventions, or schemes.

At the start of the novel, Charlie inherits a significant amount of money after his mother passes away. Instead of saving or investing the money, Charlie spends it almost immediately on the newest model of an artificial human, called Adam. Charlie uses Adam as a means of advancing his relationship with his upstairs neighbor and friend, 23-year-old Miranda Black. He hopes that involving Miranda in Adam's programming...