Dr. Randi Mayer specializes in creating sexbots -- not merely mechanical toys to take the place of males in a woman’s bed, but robots that are simulacrums of an actual male human. Why sexbots? Because, in 2383, there are no more men, only women, and Randi’s most ambitious research goal yet is recreating actual biological males. That is why she has accepted employment with Sexed Up, the premier sex-toy manufacturer in the U.S. She needs to take advantage of Sexed Up’s contacts and political pull to achieve her goal, because what she is trying to do has been made illegal by the conservative government. If Randi doesn’t succeed, the outlook for the human race is grim.

I always enjoy books in which the erotic and science fiction themes work together. Sexed Up is definitely such a book. The human reproduction/disaster theme is illustrated by a well-constructed, blended plot that offers the reader not only SF and erotica, but also a mystery and a surprising ending. Author Sally Painter has carefully developed the society in which our story takes place; her attention to small details makes the twenty-fourth century U.S. extremely realistic to the reader. The graphic sex scenes are an integral part of the plot and so appear as natural consequences of events rather than disconnected intrusions. I highly recommend this short novel to readers who enjoy mixing their SF and their romantica.

Reviewed by: Jean