Terraform, April 13, 2015

“Making Babies” by Laurie Penny

Reviewed by Kris Rudin

What do you do if you want children, but your mother suffered from severe post-partum depression and you’re afraid you’ll end up the same way? Well, if you’re a robotics scientist, you just might literally ‘make’ a baby. In this fun little story by Laurie Penny, Annie does just that. Simon, her husband, is trying very hard to think of little Tommy as a real baby, but sometimes it’s difficult. And then they both discover that, sometimes, having a robotic baby can be quite advantageous. This is a tightly written story, with good character development, even in such a short story. Simon’s struggles with the overly-complex coffee maker – and Annie’s slightly condescending, but still loving, attitude toward his struggles – feel very real for any married couple. Overall, it’s a fresh take on a relatively worn concept, executed with aplomb.