Books like All about Emily by Connie Willis

Claire Havilland, a celebrated stage actress on the brink of a career twilight, finds her world turned upside down when her manager arranges a media event with the teenage niece of a famed artificial‑intelligence pioneer. The teen, Emily, visits backstage and immediately captivates Claire with a charisma that seems eerily familiar. Claire cannot shake the sense that Emily is the living incarnation of a legendary actress from a famous Hollywood classic, raising questions about destiny, originality, and the nature of fame. As the story unfolds, the themes of choice, free will, and identity are explored amid the glitz of the theater world and the emerging world of robotics and artificial intelligence. Through appearances, backstage encounters, and quiet introspection, both Claire and Emily confront what it means to be oneself in a world that keeps demanding much more. The novel continually probes the tension between honoring a storied past and forging a unique future, all set against the backdrop of 21st‑century performing arts.

First publish date: 2011