Older novels often leave the impression that while many heterosexual men might have had lust in their hearts, they didn’t actually like women much. Some seemed to outright hate women, or at least wives. Based on these portrayals, it seems that for many men, marriage was simultaneously something to be sought out and something to be avoided at all costs.
Writers noticed this, thus a wealth of stories featuring high-tech solutions for happier marriages. Better to embrace radical technological innovations rather than stooping to, I don’t know, actually talking to spouses or considering that they might be people… Or might such scientific approaches simply blow up in the innovators’ faces? Here are five (mostly critical) works about robot partners and the pitfalls inherent in such approaches.
“Helen O’Loy” by Lester del Rey (1938)
Eager to determine the limits of artificial intelligence, bachelor chums Dave and Phil upgrade a domestic robot’s memory circuits. Result: a robot indistinguishable from an attractive, affectionate woman. Dave is smitten with the supposed Helen O’Loy. Conveniently, Helen is just as smitten with Dave.
What follows is a heartwarming tale of domestic bliss between a man and his household cleaning robot, with just two catches: Helen does not age but mortal Dave most certainly does. And what of poor Phil, who’s just as smitten with Helen as Dave is?
Some readers may wonder why cleaning robots are provided with a chassis that gives them the appearance of a real human woman. They might wonder just how anatomically correct that chassis is. I am simply grateful that the 1938 publication date prevented del Rey from answering those questions.
“Marionettes, Inc.” by Ray Bradbury (1949)
Marionettes, Inc. offers escape from burdensome marriage for people like Braling and Smith. In exchange for a small fortune, Marionettes provides almost perfect android duplicates. While the androids languish in domesticity, the human originals are free to pursue more rewarding activities. Everyone wins!
Smith discovers that husbands aren’t the only people trapped in unendurable marriages. As for Braling? There’s such a thing as a too-perfect replica; his is determined to be a better husband than Braling could ever be.
People who considered themselves to be decent, upstanding middle-class citizens rarely got divorces when this was written, thus the allure of expensive replicas. Bradbury has an unsympathetic perspective on the two unhappy husbands, one of whom sees his wife as an impediment to his dreams and the other of whom complains because his wife is too affectionate.
“The Perfect Woman” by Robert Sheckley (1953)
Morcheck is a very modern man. Not for him Primitive Women, with their neuroses and flaws. Nothing will do for Morcheck but the very best Modern Woman. Modern Woman Myra dotes on Morcheck. Indeed, she could not do otherwise. Life for Morcheck is perfect domestic bliss… or, almost perfect.
Modern Woman is inferior to Primitive Woman in one way. Modern Woman wears out. When his beloved Myra begins to slow down, there’s nothing for it but to take her back to the factory for a shiny new replacement… no matter how much Myra might beg him to spare her.
This story was almost immediately anthologized and remained in print (on and off) until the present day. I wonder how many of the readers noticed that Sheckley isn’t on Morcheck’s side in this story? That is the problem with cautionary tales: people sometimes mistake them for blueprints.
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (1972)
Joanna Eberhart, her husband, and their children move to Stepford, Connecticut. It does not take Joanna long to notice something disturbing about Stepford housewives. Wives long resident in Stepford all seem to be unusually devoted to their husbands, almost to the point of parody. Newcomers may start off independent and liberated but soon they too become entirely focused on satisfying their husbands.
Is this simply small-town conformity? Is there something in the water? Or are the men of Stepford completely evil bastards who would cheerfully murder and replace their wives with android replicas to ensure their patriarchal way of life prevails? Unfortunately for Joanna, she will soon unearth the answers to those questions.
None of the husbands seem to love their wives enough to try to save them. This may be because Stepford vets men before recruiting them. However, one scene suggests that sons are aware of the scheme and none of them try to save their mothers. It may be that the overwhelming majority of males in Levin’s world are terrible, terrible people and vetting isn’t necessary at all.
“Till Death Us Do Part” by James P. Hogan (1981)
Unhappily married Harry Stone rejects divorce because of its price tag. Rather than have his wife Lisa walk away with half of their shared wealth, Stone endures marriage. Technology offers some escape: transferring his mind to a remote-activated Biovehicle half a planet away, Stone can conduct affairs without Lisa being the wiser.
When Stone falls for Sandra, these illicit affairs lose their allure. Stone is determined to marry Sandra. Divorce being off the table, he decides the only solution is murder. With Sandra’s assistance, Stone can poison Lisa, avoid a divorce settlement, and collect life insurance as well. The plan is perfect. In fact, the plan is more perfect than Stone could know.
***
I know it may (in this age of AI-powered plagiarism engines) seem odd and peculiar to refuse to improve our lives with the blind application of cutting-edge technology. Nevertheless, that’s what the five authors above appear to counsel. Even in the del Rey tale, the most positive of the five, poor Phil is left pining for a robot he can never have. Which is probably for the best.
In the words of fanfiction author Musty181, four-time Hugo finalist, prolific book reviewer, and perennial Darwin Award nominee James Davis Nicoll “looks like a default mii with glasses.” His work has appeared in Interzone, Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times as well as on his own websites, James Nicoll Reviews (where he is assisted by editor Karen Lofstrom and web person Adrienne L. Travis) and the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Aurora Award finalist Young People Read Old SFF (where he is assisted by web person Adrienne L. Travis). His Patreon can be found here.
