William

Hardback Published on: 03/10/2024
Price: £14.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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William
You're telling me there's a ghost in this machine?
Maybe my scariest read so far this year! Edge-of-your-seat, heart-racing kind of scary. A perfect halloween read, William feels like an indie slasher film ... READ MORE
Esmé at Bluewater
William
Excellent, creepy, genre-blending horror novella
Reclusive engineer, Henry, has spent his wife’s entire pregnancy shut in his office working on his magnum opus. What he has created is William, as disgusti... READ MORE
Hannah at Hanley
William
Don’t read home alone!
This was a genuinely creepy read. The short chapters propel you forward through the book at breakneck speed. Each chapter is almost a perfect horror film v... READ MORE
Kyrsten at Chester
William
The perfect Halloween read
This book had me tightly in its clutches until the final word. If you want a compulsive and unsettling read that will have you jumping at the slightest noi... READ MORE
Leo Hynett

Synopsis

Henry, a brilliant but reclusive engineer, has achieved the crowning discovery of his career: he's created an artificially intelligent consciousness. He names the half-formed robot William.

But there's something strange about William.

It's not that his skin feels like balloon rubber and is the colour of curdled milk, nor is it his thick gurgling laugh or the way his tongue curls towards his crooked top teeth. It is the way he looks at Henry's wife, Lily.

Henry created William but he is starting to lose control of him. As William's fixation with Lily grows and threatens to bring harm to their house, Henry has no choice but to destroy William.

But William isn't gone. Filled with jealousy for humanity, for its capacity to love and create life, William starts to haunt the house.

He lurks behind each locked door. You can hear him muttering in the eaves of the attic. He is whispering in Henry's head. And he will be the one to take control.

William is a new kind of ghost story, where the haunting is not from another world, but from inside your home. Inside your head.

Publisher information

  • Publisher: John Murray Press
  • ISBN: 9781399812757
  • Number of pages: 224
  • Dimensions: 280 x 232 x 22 mm
  • Weight: 296g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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William
Better than usual AI robot murder-mystery
Stories about man-made humanoids go back at least as far as the Golem in the Jewish Talmud; a raw and unfinished man-shaped creature. The modern image has... READ MORE
Denis
William
Dark, creepy and brilliant!
Oh what a dark and very clever book this is. It will get inside your mind, for sure. You know how those tag lines promise you a twist you won't see coming?... READ MORE
Philippa  Mckenna
William
Creepy yet tender and all too realistic horror!
My Review - Thank you so much to Tandem Collective for arranging this readalong over Halloween, and thank you so much for my copy of William. I reall... READ MORE
Judith Wright
William
Intriguing and disturbing read
Henry is an incredible engineer but he suffers from agoraphobia so never leaves the house and has converted the attic into a laboratory where he has create... READ MORE
Teresa Nikolic
William
Gave me the creeps.
Loved this weird, chilling read. It's not very long, but it's packed full of shivers, it's creepy, atmospheric and William is very weird. The twist at the ... READ MORE
Shellbee
William
Chills perfectly
If you like horror this is for you. Short horror thriller, with surprising twists to thrill and haunt you - a house without an attic and any smart devices ... READ MORE
Peter Thorburn
William
Read-in-one-day psychological thriller
The short chapters of this horror propel you through a story about the wonders (and dangers) of AI technology. A gripping read with some predictable plot... READ MORE
Liam C
William
Futuristic Drama
Henry an agoraphobic man , spends his time making robots at home.One day his wife Lily invites former colleagues Davis and Paige to visit for snacks and a ... READ MORE
Nigel Firth
William
Excellent tender & creepy horror with a heck of a twist!
My Review – Thank you so much to Tandem Collective for arranging this readalong over Halloween, and thank you so much for my copy of William. I reall... READ MORE
Judith Wright
William
The perfect read for Halloween.
*3.5 stars* Henry is a brilliant engineer, however, suffering from agoraphobia means he’s completely reclusive and never leaves home. He’s spent his t... READ MORE
Maureen Ellis
William
A one sitting Halloween tale.
William Henry and Lily are a young couple whose marriage is under strain. Lily is pregnant with their first child and they live on the money that she made... READ MORE
Carole Tyrrell
William
Great spooky season read!
4+ Reclusive robotics engineer Henry, creates William and eventually greatly wishes he hadn’t. Foolishly, he thinks he can control William but the AI ha... READ MORE
Celia Short
William
A chilling read
It’s almost Spooky Season! I love October book releases as a chance to indulge my love of the Horror genre. My first October release read for 2024 is Willi... READ MORE
KindigBlog
William
Deliciously creepy
I do enjoy a quick horror read every now and again, not so much science fiction, but William is a bit of both and I really enjoyed it. I don't want to g... READ MORE
readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk
William
Creepy
This is truly creepy. Mason Coile has done a fantastic job in giving William, an AI creation, personality. One which is threatening and ever present. I w... READ MORE
Anita Wallas
William
Perfect for Hallowe'en.
"William" by Mason Coile is a quick read with a fantastic twist. I have to say that the blurb didn't do the book justice (in my opinion) and although it ca... READ MORE
Mel Pretorius
William
Great for Halloween
A weird and wonderful book, about the perils of AI and our apparent.mastery of it -just right for Hallowe'en! I particularly liked the ending. Thank you t... READ MORE
jean
William
Creepy
Henry is a robotics engineer and keeps his creation William hidden away in the attic. Henry never leaves the house due to agoraphobia. He introduces Willia... READ MORE
Christine  Revely
William
Terrifying view into the computerised home
Henry, a robotics wizard, lives with his wife, Lily, who is a computer nerd/genius. They sleep in separate rooms because Lily is currently pregnant and she... READ MORE
Sonya Chullan
William
Delightfully creepy quick read
A very intriguing story from start to finish. Concept was great with some excellent twists and turns along the way. If you are looking for a spooky read th... READ MORE
AJ Dawson
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