Sex Robots & Vegan Meat

Thoughtful and diverting … Kleeman’s sceptical, humane instincts help her to unpack the possibilities of frontier tech … Even if it doesn’t have the answers, this elegantly written and eye-opening book poses the right questions – Ed Cumming * inews.co.uk *Mesmerising * Daily Mail *Kleeman’s entertaining survey of the latest advances in life sciences … a little like Louis Theroux channelling Margaret Atwood. She is an accomplished storyteller – Johanna Thomas-Corr * New Statesman *A pleasingly sceptical investigation into the innovations that could change the way we eat, have sex and die … Reading [Kleeman’s] book, you are left dismayed not so much by what lies ahead as by the current reality of the men with planet-sized egos vying with one another to control birth, food, sex and death. It’s a habit that’s as old as the hills – Fiona Sturges * Guardian *Sex Robots and Vegan Meat is a tour of the lurid fringes of the tech world, which will appeal to fans of Mark O’Connell’s To Be a Machine. Kleeman is an acerbic guide, whose understated common sense contrasts with the grandiosity of her interviewees. * The Times *Fascinating … an epic exercise in concision – all four of these sprawling chapters could have run to books on their own, and at times I wish they had’ – Eleanor Halls * Daily Telegraph *The real treat is Kleeman’s insatiable curiosity, pushing her to ask the difficult questions, even when conversations take an awkward turn (as they so often do) … A moreish page-turner of a book that will leave you feeling informed and ready for the next dinner party. * Press Association *Kleeman goes behind-the-scenes of some of the most futuristic creations out there … a fascinating look at what the future holds and what it means to be human * Dazed *This eye-opening debut is a compelling investigation into the implications of the cutting-edge technologies that aim to deliver the perfect partner, the perfect gestation, the perfect meat and the perfect death. The sceptical Kleeman makes a witty and tenacious guide – Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice *A fascinating examination of what the future holds, and of what it means to be human. Jenny Kleeman writes with wit and a wealth of knowledge that ensures you will never look at a chicken nugget in quite the same way again. – Elizabeth Day, author of How to Fail and The PartyThe future is a fairly scary place, but there is no better guide to it than Jenny Kleeman. By turns alarming, funny, thought-provoking and fascinating, this is a book that brilliantly shows us where much of our life (and death) is heading. – Stig AbellAn unforgettable journey into the near future by a fabulously gifted writer – Will Storr, author of Selfie and The Science of StorytellingA brilliant, thought-provoking book full of strange details, fascinating people and challenging ideas. A necessary book that wears its wealth of research lightly. As Jenny Kleeman says, this isn’t science fiction, and yet some of the images will haunt me for years to come. – Nell Frizzell, author of The Panic YearsI loved this book. A fascinating and often frightening dispatch from the near future, where we have sex with robots and grow babies in artificial wombs … and the craziest thing is that this isn’t decades away, it’s happening right now. Jenny Kleeman writes in such an engaging way – as well as posing big questions about what these developments mean to humanity, we get to know the quirks and obsessions of the individuals driving these huge changes. It’s a very human book about the people who might change humanity forever. – Marianne Power, author of Help Me!Kleeman approaches the future as a reporter firmly grounded in the present; her method is to journey to the frontier and take a long look around … Kleeman’s capacious curiosity opens up a kaleidoscopic view of an issue … her insights feel earned … Kleeman recognizes that technology has the power to shape human life, of course, but she is also interested in interrogating that power, and understanding who exactly gets to wield it. – Amanda Hess * New York Times *

Jenny Kleeman is a journalist and documentary-maker. She writes for the Guardian, Tortoise, The Times and the Sunday Times. She has reported for BBC One’s Panorama, Channel 4’s Dispatches and VICE News Tonight on HBO, as well as making 13 films from across the globe for Channel 4’s Unreported World. Sex Robots & Vegan Meat is her first book.