Electric Dreams: Sex Robots and Failed Promises of Capitalism

404 Inklings #22

by Heather Parry

Diving into the highly-charged (pun intended) topic of sex robots, Electric Dreams positions them not as a threat to human women and relationships but as the last impossible promise of a dying colonialist-capital narrative. Roboticists say they’re a distracting science fiction, yet endless books, films and articles are written on the subject. Campaigns are even mounted against them. So why are sex robots such a hot topic? Let's find out.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Technology, Adult, Politics

Paperback

Published March 1, 2024

About the author

Heather Parry is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her debut novel, Orpheus Builds a Girl, was shortlisted for the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year award and longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize.

She is also the author of a short story collection, This Is My Body, Given For You, and a short nonfiction book, Electric Dreams: On Sex Robots and the Failed Promises of Capitalism, and writes the Substack general observations on eggs. Her latest novel, Carrion Crow, was released in Feb 2025.

She was raised in Rotherham and lives in Glasgow with her partner and their cats, Fidel and Ernesto. 

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. It moves from genuine hilarity quickly into the stark reality of the relationship between the sexism wants of men and patriarchy, colonialism, capitalism, exclusionary feminism...

We need a future that privileges community over capital and if it takes a pick up artist getting his junk mangled by a sexbot to get us there then so be it. But let's hope we get there sooner than that.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smashing book! Smashing capitalism and the patriarchy, but also generally smashing.

Heather Parry starts out with a prediction that a well-regarded futurist bro has made, that by 2050 humans will be fucking, falling in love with, and marrying sex robots. She sensibly responds to this with a prediction the UN has made that by 2050, significantly more of Earth's habitable surface will be underwater and we will have significant crop failures, population movements, and general horror. It is possible that we could have both at the same time, but the worse one is more likely, although both futures really suck.

Sex robots already exist in the form of RealDolls, and some people are real RealDoll advocates, and those people all have the same gender and complexion, and Parry explores their collective shitty attitude towards human women. RealDoll is going to offer a lady robot for lesbians "soon," but why would any sane lesbian want to dry hump a mannequin when teledildonics has already been invented? We already have sex toys that do amazing things and we have humans. Why invent a human-shaped robot to do human things when we can invent any kind of fun shape we want to do sex things? RealDoll says sex robots will be great for the disabled and people with mental health issues that complicate their ability to find love, but they're not creating adaptive technology in their robots, they're just saying these things to look good, because people with difficulties can find love too, they don't have to be relegated to sex with robots just because the designers at RealDoll think they should. RealDoll also says things about diversity, and their product line shows that they really shouldn't.

Parry takes an interlude here to describe what it would take to create a robot that you would actually want to hang out with, and the computing power is astronomical, and we can barely make a robot that can open a door.

Despite nobody but a few weird incels actually wanting sex robots, and the technology being creepy and far away, there's already an anti-sex robot organization, with Andrea Dworkin heredity and TERFy credentials, because getting mad about robots that don't exist achieves a particular fringe feminist agenda.

In conclusion, most of us will never have sex with a human-shaped robot, because why would we? Heather Parry writes a great book about the absurdity of sex robots and their symbolic forms as extremely dumb bro tech.

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Parry’s writing is consistently insightful and irresistibly readable, and this little book is no exception. After diving into her fiction and discovering her wonderful Substack, I was thrilled to explore more of her non-fiction. My copy of Electric Dreams is filled with post-its and highlights, but I believe this quote perfectly captures the main issue with sex robots and capitalism:

"Modern capitalism is fantastic at promising to fix problems with products that only truly exacerbate them in the end."

Parry’s wit shines through as she tackles these complex topics with both humour and sharp insight.

Run and grab this little gem if you haven’t already

[Issy Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was extremely interesting, pretty short, and very funny at times. A couple of weird sentences and typos, but lots of thought provoking stuff (sad lack of discussion of McEwans awful Machines Like Me lol)

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found at book bar in finsbury park. Interesting read

[Grace Halsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My issue is, it wasn’t long enough, I think I could read 1000 pages on this topic. I love how this book tackles various Ai and Sex robot discourses. Chapter 4 stood out the most to me. Here, Parry discusses the issues of using the concept of sex robots as leverage to spiel dangerous transphobic rhetoric, where transphobic ‘feminists’ compare the trans experience to that of sex robots - being that they are ‘replacing women’. The fact that certain people are using the current concerns of Ai & sex robots entering the mainstream just as a tactic to further their own personal hatred of a group of people that couldn’t have anything less to do with the expansion of Ai, is disgusting. I’m glad that Parry draws attention to this side of the discourse. However each chapter investigates a different qualm or perspective on the effects of the rise of Ai and its relationship to sex and relationships and if you have a spare hour or two (it’s only 92 pages) it’s definitely worth the read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ended up far more harrowing than I expected when I picked it up.

A really interesting overview of our failings as a society undercut by the concept of sex robots. There's a deeply strong underlying frustration which is almost infectious whilst reading it. This idea of looking at something so impossibly far in the future whilst realising in doing so none of us are looking to our immediate future, to making things better. Super readable, super engaging.

[Lucy Pearlman]

still one of my fave special interests even after I got told I couldn’t write a diss on it…I liked the part about how technology can be conducive to feminism and empowering as opposed to something to fear and also why women aren’t interested in sex robots

[Alex Sarll]

Ironic that a book about dissatisfactions should be far and away the most satisfying entry I've read in the intriguing but often frustrating Inklings series. Where some contributors struggle to turn a survey into an argument, or to find a tone that works between the rocks of academic waffle and the vortex of awkward matiness, Parry has crafted a compelling polemic that manages to be funny, friendly and fiery all at once. And where other volumes have been sorely in need of an edit to the extent that it could sometimes altogether obscure the intended meaning, the worst I spotted here was a couple - as in, literally two - of unresolved characters. Page after page contains telling arguments for why humanoid sex robots are not as imminent as a lot of people seem to assume, why they wouldn't really please anyone even if they were possible, and, not least, why if you do want to fuck a machine, there are far more interesting possibilities for that than slavish recreation of what already exists, ie human partners. All of which having been established, she then turns around and is at least as damning - even the exasperated amusement of earlier chapters now in short supply - when it comes to those vociferously lobbying for this non-existent menace to be pre-emptively banned, their supposed concern unmasked as one more retrograde manifestation of the same proscriptive essentialism which also manifests as SWERFery and TERFery. I didn't agree with everything here; the chapter on colonialism makes strong points about the racist assumptions evident in sex doll marketing, and the impact a sexbot industry would probably have on the world's poorest, but I think trips over its own feet with the line "Racist, misogynist and homophobic masculinity is not a new phenomenon; one might say it has been the dominant form of (European and North American) masculinity for many generations"; yes, as Parry points out, a lot of discriminatory legislation elsewhere in the world is an imperial legacy, but that's still letting an awful lot of the world's men off the hook in regions which were never or only very briefly colonised by the West, were indeed sometimes colonial powers themselves, and which are not noticeably patriarchy-free paradises (this recurs towards the end in a section determined to take Cuba's late embrace of gay rights at face value while picking every possible hole in the earlier liberalisation of openly capitalist countries). Still, that's a rare caveat for a book which, in poking moderately vicious fun at the too readily swallowed fantasies of incels and tech hustlers, avoids lazy 'why are men' sloganeering or sex negativity, and instead holds the problem in view as yet another manifestation of the usual culprit: "Modern capitalism is fantastic at promising to fix problems with products that only truly exacerbate them".

[Verity Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Electric Dreams is a bite-sized romp through a fascinating thesis: “The sex robot-industrial complex is not a threat to humanity; it is capitalism’s last gasp.”

I really enjoyed this short book/essay: Parry writes thoughtfully and accessibly (explaining terms, citing the work of others to contextualise ideas). The trappings of the brief format meant that there were points where I felt the stepping stones of Parry’s ideas deserved greater airtime, and arguments ‘jumped’ or ‘zoomed out’ suddenly. There is easily a whole book to be written on the topic, and hope that such a thing is in the works.

Ultimately, Parry covers enormous ground - from sex robot predictions and biologically essentialist ‘feminist’ critiques, to queer intimacy and climate change. I do wonder if some of that breadth could have been sacrificed for closer engagement with critics or alternative approaches.

[connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

by far my favourite in the inkling series, so well researched and parry brings a great balance of humour and serious thought on a topic not many people could handle this well. i've followed heather parry's podcast with kirsty logan for years, and i can't believe this is the first time i'm reading something written by her, it definitely won't be the last.

[Mereida · Rating 5 out of 5]

great companion piece to 'the new age of sexism'. very entertaining, less so sounding the alarm bells of emerging technologies and more an investigation what societally has led us here. another reminder that capitalism stinks

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes lacking sources but overall a very interesting analysis of the capitalist system's control over bodies and sex, of the promise to break down some of the most intimate relationships available to humans, whether platonic, romantic or sexual.
Great empathetic discussion about incels and MGTOW based on Laura Bates' book 'Men Who Hate Women' and how the chimera of the sex robot promises to cull their violence only to isolate them further and fuel their resentment.
Definitely worth a read.

[Emily Flavell · Rating 4 out of 5]

make this mandatory reading for men I say

[Peter McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for those seeking to understand the motivations for, and implications of the pursuit of sex robots.

Parry eloquently (and often, hilariously) picks apart the structural and societal drivers of sex robot development. In doing so, she's forces us to re-consider the importance of human connection, in a world where hetero-normative values are keeping us from, simply, learning to love and care for one another, through thick and thin.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways not what I was expecting at all and given that the author does not feel that sex robots are ever likely to be a thing it was a fascinating polemic using the concept as a lens to assess societies reaction to their possibility and what this says about capitalism, misogyny, feminism, incels and a wide variety of other topics. Scary and necessary.

[Lucy Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say other than Heather Parry isn't just a masterclass in long and short for fictional narrative, but she's also an amazing non-fiction/ academic adjacent text writer! I' devoured this fairly short dive into the world of sex robots, capitalsm and the commodification of desire in a couple of hours, digesting it's ideas as I went and thinking about it long after. I had the honour of attending a talk by Parry where she highlighted a few of the points in her book but being able to refer to them and take her suggestions for further reading had flung me into a realm of interest in technology, robotics engineering, AI and sociological text that I didn't envision on picking the book up. I find it hard, with my ADHD to engage fully in these conversations not only from a "capitalist realism" kind of exhaustion but also through my own inability to focus on someone I don't find explicit interest in but boy has this text made that debate relevant and accessible to me. Great introductory text!

[Paricha duangtaweesub · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the end of the book, I genuinely believe that reading this with an open mind and a curious heart will make you a better person. The author weaves together an important narrative of sex robots as an unnecessarily part of a desirably intimate society, without much jargon or hyperbole (in my opinion). I appreciate the consideration of multiple view points both for and against the thesis. I appreciate that the author slowly zoomed out from the sex robots as objects in personal settings to symptoms of a messed up social system. I learnt a great deal about gender dynamics in the world we live in today. Perhaps the only thing I am not convinced of is the assumption that these robots are becoming and will be more popular (though I suppose the author did say here the sex robots are discussed as a once-futuristic concept that is presently realizable and in the public imagination). I personally cannot see how sex robots will become mainstream, but that opinion is beside the point of this book. A beautiful - if a bit tragic - read. Highly recommend.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read - a fairly intersectional view (with many references) that extends well beyond sexbots and into the reasons behind them. A few grammatical or spelling errors throughout, but remarkably poignant book that you might expect from a small publisher of largely ‘works that make you think’. It covers a range of topics like misogyny, climate change (which to be fair sometimes flows well and sometimes feels jammed in to make a point), the programmatic and purposeful degradation of society in late stage capitalism, and how the patriarchy harms men. She covers queerness, people of color, disabled people, and neurodivergent folks. I’m now thinking of picking up some of the referenced books… I’d definitely recommend it, though if you aren’t already familiar with leftist stances on such subjects, it probably isn’t the best entry point as there are some short hands and assumptions of the audience made.

[mymona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Really really packed a punch with this one.

I never thought much about sex robots coz it sounded ridiculous and horrible in ways I wasn't ready to engage with (mainly from a sexual violence angle).

When I picked up this book I was a bit apprehensive because I wasn't sure if I was ready to deal with the reality behind this conversation.

But this book is so so accessible in how it opens up the conversation and walks you through the topic through various intersectional lens. It is so well-researched and backed by case studies, theories and voices from the global majority and marginalised genders.

It was incredibly thought-provoking and encouraged action in new and personal ways that I felt moved when I finished it.

I would recommend to anyone remotely interested in reading about the effects and state of capitalism even in its broadest sense.

community >>>> capital

[Jack Birrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly incredible piece of writing and deconstruction and even reconstruction of desire in the tightening throws of capitalism. Truly an invigorating and inspiring piece of work.

“‘Why not aim for sex itself as being deeply mutually pleasurable?’ she asks. ‘Why not aim for a culture that embraces and enables women’s sexual pleasure, in all its complexity, and admits the complexity of male desire too? Could we not aim for a wondrous, universal, democratic pleasure detached from gender; a hedonism available to all…?’
Why not, then, reject the sex robot as anything worth consideration, and see it as it really is: a desperate capitalist totem….. The sex robot-industrial complex is not a threat to humanity; it is capitalism’s last gasp.”

[Irene2160 · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I think this book is just a major oversimplification of every point it tries to make, which probably worked for readers like me who've not read much in this genre, but nothing new is being said, it's just taken a slightly comedic tone in using the "inevitable" future use of sex robots as the means to get the points across. So take what I'm about to say with a pinch of salt, I think it's very easy to just blame everything on capitalism and that is what this book does. Quotes like "It is designed to distract us from how reliant we are on the people around us, in small and major ways, every single day." but what am I as an individual supposed to do about that? I understand that that is something I can change amongst my social group and relationships but what is the supposed outcome of the book really aiming for? Idk how I will ever be able to contribute towards sex robots not becoming a thing.

[空 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex robots seem to me to be a very Western thing (?) and I’ve never thought about them one way or another unless they show up in a BL manga/manhwa that I can sneer at. But Parry’s explanation for their persistence as a concept makes sense. She gets down to the heart of the matter quickly (even though there were some typos — why didn’t you edit harder, McDaid??).

When we build bonds and societies that are less isolated, capital is undermined; a communal home is more self-sustaining. Where several people are caregivers for a child, less money is spent towards childcare companies.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, a super interesting books. The author isn’t clearly against technology, but the exploration of these companies and the implications they have make it clear they’re not currently well intentioned or something ideal to support….

I did find it a bit repetitive and sometimes too formal sounding at points. It felt like I was reading a dissertation trying to get credit for certain writing styles and quotes (like an overly long spiel about capitalism which dragged), but the substance of it was great

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex robots are honestly kind of fascinating. This was less about literal sex robots and more about the implications of sex robots on society, both current and potential. There's a lot of good points in this, and it goes way beyond sex robots into feminist theory and capitalism, but a lot of it wasn't really any new to me. Fun little book though!

(also now I'm looking at realdoll 'robot' reviews on youtube half horrified half fascinated, thank you heather parry)

[Rakie Keig · Rating 5 out of 5]

These little Inkling books are all great, but this is my favourite so far. If you have even the slightest interest in robotics, sexual politics, Robot Wars, the follies of capitalism, and smashing the patriarchy, then this is the books for you. I intended to gift my copy to a friend after I finished reading, but instead I'll have to buy another copy (or two) because I'm certain I'll want to reread this again and again.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much. A fantastic short intro/thesis/musing on gendered desire, mechanised labour and ofc sex robots. Really liked the reading/use of the cyborg manifesto in particular. This short work gives rise to so many thoughts outside and beyond the (admittedly slightly sensational) question of the sex robot. Still thinking about this and may update with a more reasoned/expansive review upon a reread/further discussion after I force others to read this.

[Liliana Duchini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok go off!

Obsessed with Parry detailing how the possible commodification of sex robots insidiously reiterates colonial structures by (once again) creating a substructure of the 'unperson' or the 'other' to which man can assert 'the pretense of power' is wild.

I ate it up to say the least................

very eloquently written, easy to understand but concise. I recommend

[sasha• · Rating 4 out of 5]

only removed a star because i noticed some typos in the book. apart from that, this covers vastly different topics, the kinds that one wouldnt associate with the topic of sex robots on first instinct, yet all make a lot of sense and work towards the same conclusion. very interesting read, the kind of text i like to think im writing during my finals

[Jimmy Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

For such a small book, I truly wasn’t expecting such a punchy, witty and well-researched indictment on capitalism, masculinity and regressive feminism.

I feel like this will soon become required reading for anyone who wishes to know me, my political beliefs and my concerns for the future of the world.

Simply fantastic and highly recommended.