SEX ROBOTS AND VEGAN MEAT

Intriguing updates from the protean worlds of food, companionship, death, and beyond.

Chronicling a far-flung, five-year research project, journalist and documentary filmmaker Kleeman provides a vigorous introduction to several inventions poised to alter essential industries. In Southern California, the author visited Abyss Creations, “the home of RealDoll, the world’s most famous hyperrealistic silicone sex doll.” One model, “Harmony” (cost: $15,000), was embroiled in a competitive frenzy to perfect a “synthetic companion convincing enough that you could actually have a relationship with it.” Kleeman also relates her interview with a man who lives with three synthetic playmates, one of whom is his “wife.” In other sections, she creatively spotlights pioneering advancements in the production of sustainable, plant-based food systems and vegan “clean meat” and fish. An unrepentant carnivore, the author addresses six key reasons why an increasing proportion of the populace considers meat and fish production indefensible industries. The author is a focused and charming tour guide, with the kind of breezy writing skills that make each section immensely intriguing. Even readers with no interest in reproduction or childbirth will be intrigued by the section on fertility specialists who offer unique “social surrogacy” options and fetuses incubated in an ectogenetic “biobag.” Besides clinical risks, this particular subject encompasses complex ethical dilemmas, which Kleeman explores. In the morbid yet fascinating concluding section, the author looks at rational euthanasia options like Sarco, described by its developer as a “world-first 3D Printed Euthanasia Machine.” Though most of these initiatives are male-driven, women do appear throughout the narrative, most notably as neonatologists and/or fierce advocates for voluntary euthanasia. Behind Kleeman’s profiles and research lies the belief that life can be vastly enriched with the aid of technology and without discomfort, inconvenience, or sacrifice even as these modernizations remain in development. Fans of Mary Roach will be pleased.

Provocative, exuberant perspectives on the “disrupting technologies” primed to enhance the human experience.