Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Retired military officer Malcolm Torvik runs a rehabilitation facility for malfunctioning pleasure cyborgs. When WLF-6759—Wolf—arrives at Reboot Camp, the former battle cyborg presents problems Malcolm’s never faced before. Most pleasure cyborgs are sensation junkies, constantly high on the chemicals sex releases into their bloodstream, but Wolf’s faulty refit means it’s spent a decade suffering through unwanted encounters—and sometimes fighting back despite the consequences.

At first Wolf’s rebellion frustrates Malcolm even as Wolf’s undeniable physical perfection draws him. Then Wolf’s unexpected vulnerability and need open a whole new dynamic between them, and Malcolm finds himself feeling far too much for something that isn’t even human. Or is it? Could Homo sapiens technica be just as human as Malcolm is? And if it is, what’s Malcolm supposed to do about it? Malcolm’s been alone for so long…. Is it possible he’s found love with a cyborg? How far will he go to ensure Wolf’s freedom? Malcolm knows what he must do—for both of them—but it might cost him much more than his comfortable life.

Book Review

‘Built for Pleasure’ is a spellbinding story about the thin line between humans of the far future, homo sapiens sapiens, and the cyborgs they have designed, homo sapiens technica. The galaxy has been settled, driven by powerful corporations who were the only entities with enough money to escape a dying Earth. But the fundamental need for “servants” that humankind has displayed over millennia still exists, and to avoid having human servants, they have come up with a new idea. Take those with “emotional and societal difficulties”, implant them with technology and software to make them behave submissively, use drugs to keep them docile, and wash your hands of having to feel bad – after all they are machines not worthy of human rights.

I have to say that the major flaw in this thinking was pretty obvious to me – but then, I was not raised in a society that has redefined what it means to be human, I never learned their preconceptions, and I did not absorb the “values” they hold. The flaw is this: the cyborgs start out as human babies but are then implanted with hard- and software to reprogram them – literally – into something else. The psychological and chemical pressures are not seen as immoral by those used to thinking that way, but I kept thinking of those poor kids that were “transformed” into possessions. Not many of the characters in this book would agree with me – at least not initially.

What changes the situation is an encounter between two men. Malcolm is a retired military officer, son of the CEO of one of the biggest corporations, and he rehabilitates malfunctioning pleasure cyborgs. He sees himself much like a mechanic: find the problem, use his tools, and fix the fault. But then he encounters WLF-6759, and his worldview changes. This cyborg is self-aware and understands he has been abused by previous owners, he insists on being called Wolf rather than his designation, and he has the most unusual requests. Malcolm doesn’t know what to think at first, but over the days and weeks that follow, he begins to see there is much more to Wolf – and therefore potentially to all cyborgs – than he ever thought.

Wolf is a fascinating guy. He was designed as a battle cyborg, yet someone repurposed him as a pleasure cyborg when he was sixteen. The refit was not perfect, and as a result Wolf is much more self-aware than other cyborgs. His needs are different than those of a “standard model”, and while he does not think of himself as human (brainwashing did a good job preventing that), he does want to be his own person. One thing leads to another, and as Malcolm and Wolf get to know each other and start talking, they both change. It was fascinating to watch, and some of the consequences are as painful as they are liberating.

If you like stories that explore what it means to be human and how we are different from machines – or not, if you want to read about two men who learn that the truths and the values they have always accepted as absolute are not what they seem, and if you are looking for a read that is heartbreaking, suspenseful, intense, emotional, and very thought-provoking, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It may be set far in the future, but the need for dignity and freedom of the oppressed at its center are no different from what we can see happening to minorities right now.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 200 pages/62765 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	21-November-2016
Price
Buy Link	OUT OF PRINT