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Children's story I read 13-15 years ago about a boy who finds out his whole life is part of a science experiment.

It would have been a fairly short book with easy to understand language as I couldn't have been older than 10-11 years old.

  • near the beginning of the book there is a car accident where the father "dies"
  • boy discovers not only is his father not dead he is actually a scientist and the boys life has all been a science experiment to see how he would react to certain things; especially grief over his father's death.

That's all I remember. Would be super appreciative if anyone knows any thing about it.

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    The boy is a real boy and the scientist is really his father? The boy is not an AI or an android or a clone or anything like that? Is the story a short story or a novel? How long ago did you read it? – user14111 Aug 8 '15 at 5:43
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    This sounds like The Truman Show, but TTS script was inspired by the 62nd episode of The Twilight Zone, Special Services, not a book. – Major Stackings Aug 8 '15 at 13:46
  • It was a short novel and I read it probably 10 years ago – Mal Feb 6 '16 at 11:07
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    @Mal Hi, it looks like you've lost access to your account used to ask the question and had to set up another one. You can follow the guidance here to merge your two accounts so that you only have one - might make things easier? – Rand al'Thor♦ Feb 6 '16 at 13:00
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    @Wikis a boys is living virtual lives as part of an experiment. That seems pretty scifi to me. – Moogle Mar 29 '16 at 9:12
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This might be "A rag, a bone and a hank of hair" by Nicholas Fisk. A boy has been brought up knowing about artificial people in his society, who have been made from parts of dead people (as in the title)

but doesn't realise that he is one himself.

They can be programmed with different characteristics or skills via an implant in their armpit.

As an experiment the boy is put into a family of these artificial people, who believe they are living during WWII. (The father is either away in the war or already dead.) Eventually they break out of their fake environment into the modern world.

I'm afraid I can't remember the end, except

the boy realises why his armpit is sore.

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Sounds like this might possibly be Race Against Time by Piers Anthony.

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    Welcome to SFF:SE. Please help the OP by explaining why you believe this is the novel in question. Excerpts are helpful. – Praxis Feb 28 '16 at 5:28

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