Loneliness & Company

Charlee Dyroff (Author)

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Pre-order. Available 06 Jan 2026

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Description

A timely, beautifully observed debut novel set in near future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret Government project combating loneliness.

Lee knows she's the best. A professor favorite and fellowship winner, there's no doubt she'll land one of the coveted jobs at a Big Five corporation. So when, upon graduating, Lee is instead assigned to an unknown company in the dead city of New York, her life goals are completely upended.

In this new role, Lee's task is to gather enough research to train an AI how to be a friend. She begins online and by studying the social circle of her clueless, outgoing roommate Veronika. But when the company reveals it's part of a classified government mission to solve loneliness-an emotion erased from society's lexicon decades ago-Lee's determination to prove herself kicks into overdrive, and she begins chasing bolder and more dangerous experiences to provide data for the AI.

How far will Lee go to teach the algorithm? As the mysterious affliction spreads, Lee must decide what she's willing to give up for success and, along the way, learn what it means to be a true friend.

Loneliness & Company is an enchanting, gorgeously written novel about finding meaning and connection in a world beset by isolation.

Product details

Published	06 Jan 2026
Format	Paperback
Edition	1st
Extent	288
ISBN	9781639736454
Imprint	Bloomsbury Publishing
Dimensions	210 x 140 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Charlee Dyroff

Literary fiction for the concerned citizen who can't put her phone down.

The New Yorker
Dyroff's near future-set book is a bewitching story about technology and isolation. It will grip readers with mesmerizing writing and a tautly-paced plot.

Debutiful, “Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2024”
Inventive . . . The novel's view of the future is particularly distinct in its depictions of dating life . . . Dyroff nails the ways in which single-minded ambition can obscure opportunities for connection. This brims with clear insight and unsettling visions of the world to come.

Publishers Weekly
“Dyroff's debut is fun to read, taking place in a world that's entertaining to ponder: what will our priorities be after the full AI renaissance? Dyroff is beyond imaginative, specifically so in building a world that's just close enough to present reality. Perfect for fans of Dave Eggers' The Circle.”

Booklist
Charlee Dyroff's Loneliness & Company is a sharply etched and strangely propulsive story about artificial intelligence and authentic feeling: a canny, tender exploration of the stories we tell about our bonds with each other, and the realities we'd rather not face about our bonds with the technologies that shape our days.

Leslie Jamison, New York Times bestselling author of THE EMPATHY EXAMS and MAKE IT SCREAM, MAKE IT BURN
Naturally intelligent. An inventive, timely, and perceptive story about human connection and being alive.

Emily Austin, author of EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD