BOOK CLUB
ARTIFICIAL INTIMACY
Rob Brooks, NewSouth Books, $32.99
Of the 1000-plus books that have landed on my desk since the debut of this feature, not one has been as astonishing as this one. Brooks is Scientia Professor of Evolution at UNSW Sydney, where he founded and directs the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre. Sounds serious and formula-focused, doesn’t it? This is five books in one, but I suspect the most well-thumbed pages will be at the beginning and at the end.
Brooks kicks off with a look at dollbots. Roxxxy will do a customised model or you can choose off the shelf from Wild Wendy, Mature Martha, Frigid Farah (go figure) and Young Yoko, which the manufacturers insist is over 18.
However, legal requirements with respect to age don’t bother the manufacturer, Trottla.
