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Love And Sex With Robots by David Levy
01/05/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Duckworth. 334 page illustrated with index enlarged paperback. Price: £12.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-7156-3740-1. Buy Love And Sex With Robots in the USA - or Buy Love And Sex With Robots in the UK  check out website: www.ducknet.co.uk
The sub-title of this book is 'The Evolution Of Human-Robot Relationships' which should give the subject matter a bit more of a serious note. Actually, I doubt if author David Levy actually means robots because most of the serious examples here are androids, looking more human than the book cover illustrates. As this is a subject that comes up in Science Fiction there is good thought here for those interested in the subject as well as writers wanting to be clued in on the current developments.
Levy's contention is that technology will be sufficiently advanced in the next few decades for robots or androids to be available as sex models for humans to have as playmates or where normal relationships have failed to take off or never likely to have a conventional partner as well as the experimenters. He makes valid points that both genders have used artificial aids for sexual stimulation and that it isn't that far a step to have an automatic lover. Indeed, much of this book examines Man's fascination with sex and the ability to love which is quite illuminating a subject itself.
There are some areas that Levy neglects to cover. The movement and mechanics of robot or android depends on hydraulics which means not only weight but noise and no doubt will bring a whole new dimension to pumping action. Sorry about that. It's going to be very hard not to avoid double-entendres with this review. There's also the matter of a power source. Internal batteries add to the weight and external cables will produce their own limitations. Whether an android can really simulate traditional movement or just be a rubber doll substitute is somewhat of a grey area. If the mechanics of this can be resolved, I suspect androids will have more uses than purely as a sex toy although it might help garner greater acceptance if you could afford to have one around the home. Whether or not they can totally simulate all human wants or desires does raise odd questions in this reviewer's eyes if things go wrong. Not in the mad android sense but more to do with things failing in...er...mid-action or going beyond a certain point. Levy points out an early automated sex aid for women which although brough fulfilment that needed some assistance in stopping for instance.
A couple places I also felt Levy didn't examine further are worth pointing out. In Chapter Two, he didn't examine that people with pet dogs recovering from heart attacks might have more to do with exercising their animals than the effect of affection in their recovery. Likewise, nothing is said in Chapter Three about what happens to the virtual Tamagotchi pets when their owners get tired of or find a more physical partner as this might have an effect on any mechanical lover. A thing of attention will only last as long as interest is attracted that way. With android lovers being so costly it might make a lot of people reject the idea and look for the more human touch.
Having said all of this, I did find this book an interesting read and certainly food for thought. It certainly brings a whole new dimension to the name 'Roger Robot' although I suspect only the hardiest male will call his female android 'Pris'. At least the relationship will not look anything like the white robot on the cover unless anatomical variations are restricted to human placement. There's certainly enough material in this book for you to examine human as well as android love needs.
GF Willmetts
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