Description
Book Synopsis''Illuminating, witty and written with a wide open mind'' - Sunday Times
An exploration of humans, sexuality, interaction and technology through the lens of the sex robot.
The idea of the seductive sex robot is the stuff of myth, legend and science fiction. From the myth of Laodamia in Ancient Greece to twenty-first century TV shows such as Westworld, robots in human form have captured our imagination, our hopes and our fears. But beyond the fantasies there are real and fundamental questions about our relationship with technology as it moves into the realm of robotics.
Turned On explores how the emerging and future development of sexual companion robots might affect us and the society in which we live. It explores the social changes arising from emerging technologies, and our relationships with the machines that someday may care for us and about us. Sex robots are here, and here to stay, and more are coming.
Computer scientist
Trade Review
Illuminating, witty and written with a wide open mind. * Sunday Times *
A lively, waggish guide to these uncharted waters, tracing ethics, sexuality, intimacy and the uncanny. * Tatler *
A highly readable romp through the history of computers, robots and sex toys [...] A fascinating introduction to the state of sex-tech. * Science *
For fans of Humans, Westworld and I, Robot. Or anyone who's ever enjoyed a flirtation with Alexa. Devlin takes us right through the AI revolution and its potential impact on our relationships [with] a relaxed and chatty tone. * Cosmopolitan *
An engaging survey of the history of humanoids. * Financial Times *
A timely, vital treatise [...] With charm and wit she tackles thorny issues. * Wired *
An unusually cool-headed tour of the current sexbot terrain. [...] Devlin's calmer, more evidence-based middle path seems appealing, especially in an area where so much polemic has already risked deadening the nerves. * Harper's Magazine *
One of Devlin's achievements is to humanise the sex robot makers and users – we are invited not to laugh at them, but to understand them. * The Times *
Big on breadth and charm ... loaded with facts and anecdotes. * The Saturday Paper *
This brilliant book is an intelligent, clear-eyed and often very funny deep dive into the history and future of love and machinery. -- Warren Ellis, author of Transmetropolitan
After millennia of fornicating with foreign objects, the ultimate sex toy has finally arrived. Kate Devlin unpacks the very long, very dense history of the sex robot with style and wit. Spoiler alert: we haven't reached Westworld ... yet. -- Christopher Trout, Editor-in-Chief, Engadget
In Turned On, Kate Devlin – the thinking person's navigator to the complex and potentially life-enhancing terrain of the sex robot – looks at the history of AI-enhanced erotic toys, then ventures far beyond our wildest imaginings. -- Rowan Pelling, Editor of The Amorist
Table of Contents
Introduction Chapter 1: Been There, Done That Chapter 2: I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords Chapter 3: On Paperclips, Cats and Zombies Chapter 4: You Had Me at ‘Hello World’ Chapter 5: Silicone Valleys Chapter 6: Killer Gynoids and Manic Pixie Dream Bots Chapter 7: It’s All Academic Chapter 8: Utopia/Dystopia Chapter 9: Law and Disorders Chapter 10: What Comes Next? Epilogue: Better Loving Through Technology Select References Acknowledgements Index
