Scenes in Colour from Chapter seven of The Uncanny Valley Club

Scottie convinces Henry to undertake psychological treatment at Scottie Fuennel Industries (her Cyborg Enhancement company) in exchange for treating his friend, Vince, with cyborg enhancements.

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Scottie tries to read between the lines of everything Henry has to say, but it seems Henry is being honest. ‘I’ll give you some advice, Henry. Some people have to help themselves before you can help them. It’s your friend’s choice. He shouldn’t be forced. If he wants to go through with it, I can help him—that’s easy—but I won’t let you anywhere near Fuennel Industries.’

‘I wouldn’t be too concerned, Scottie. If we wanted access to Fuennel Industries, it wouldn’t be hard. In fact, I’m sure we already have. I’m trying to be honest with you here. Listen, I can’t take him elsewhere; nobody will bother with his salty arse. I’m asking you to take the time to talk to my friend and explain to him what’s possible. Scottie, let me put it this way, what can I do for you to make this happen?’

‘There you go; that’s what I want to hear.’ Scottie raps a knuckle on the desk. ‘This is what I know about you, Henry: you have a problem, and I—’

‘No. I don’t have a problem.’

‘You sign up too, and have your problem examined, along with your friend, and we have a deal.’

Henry groans. ‘What do you want with me?’

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The Uncanny Valley Club Scenes from Chapter six

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To acquire bots for his new club, Benny the sexbot salesman does an underhanded deal with Quinn’s robotics company at their friend Henry’s expense—and Henry’s life begins to unravel

‘Put it this way, we’ll kill two birds here, Quinn. We’re sitting on a gold mine.’

Quinn lets a snort escape. ‘What birds shall we kill, and where is this gold mine, Benny?’

‘Henry is the bird. I can heal his Little Problem and put The Uncanny Valley Club in motion at the same time, and in case you haven’t realised it yet, the club is our gold mine. It’s a win-win for you, Quinn. If you back this idea, I’ll consider any suggestions for improvement from you. I’ll consider shares, and maybe even a partnership down the track? Put your spin on it—whatever takes your fancy—and at the same time, put the money into your best guy. I’m talking Henry here, not me.’

Win-win for you, Quinn. Quinn likes the sound of that. ‘Have Henry trial your club? You’re a smooth talker—I’ll give you that, Benn—but Henry won’t be fooled into that. He may be bored with himself right now, but he’s not stupid.’

‘You’re not hearing me, Quinn. We both know Henry won’t go for that. I’m not here to tell you how to do your job, of course, but this is what you should do: you ask him to look the club over for you to see if it’s worth the investment, and while he’s in the club, I’ll give him the royal treatment. He’ll love it. You have no idea, Quinn. Have you seen the European clubs? He’ll love it. You’ll love it. For fuck’s sake, we’ll all love it. You think he needs a holiday? This is better than a trip to the beach. Let’s bury him in The Uncanny Valley Club experience, and I guarantee you’ll have your old Henry back. We’ll razz him up good ’n’ proper. All he needs is a good going over from one of your best girls. You know what his problem is, right?’

‘I’ve heard the story.’

‘Let’s have him try out a new model. A man like you, I bet you’ve got an awesome new model in the works.’

‘You’ve got me interested, Benny—I’ll give you that.’ Quinn pokes at Benny’s nose on the gram. ‘Tell me this: how much will Scottie put in? Put me down to equal Scottie.’

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Who doesn’t love a book review?

Reader reviews are so good on so many levels. Mostly, they’re independent impressions of the book that help other readers to decide if they’d like to pick it up, but as an author, they also give an insight into how all those words you’ve laboured over, and rewritten and reassessed and finally let go, have landed. It’s so valuable and I’m always grateful when a reader takes the time to review.

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I is for Isobel—Amy Witting

When the next book on my TBR pile is by an Australian author, female, and set in Australia, I pour the coffee, grab the book and go back to bed. I is for Isobel is such a beautiful classic, a little bit sad, a little bit real, at times funny, and a lot lovely to read. Isobel’s attachment to words is fun and fascinating.

She turned her head to look at him, remote in sleep: delicate sallow oblong face, fluted upper lip, light-brown crimped hair drifting across his forehead…listen, you don’t have to paint his portrait.

Doctor, I have this problem. Some people count lamp posts. I describe them. You don’t think that’s a problem? You should try it sometimes, like five lamp posts one after the other, a word picture of each, to be handed in nowhere at the end of the day…

I is for Isobel, Amy Witting. 1990
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The Uncanny Valley Club Scenes In Colour Chapter Five

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Dale arrives in the city to join the anti-sexbot core.

Dale and Henry, the two pivotal characters in The Uncanny Valley Club, come together in this chapter, chapter five. Neither is who the other expects to be meeting. To Dale, Henry is the person she needs to get close to, a senior and dynamic business manager at Quinn Corp. Robotics. Someone with the reputation of a manipulator that she needs to be careful of. Upon meeting him, he comes across as a bit of a loser. To Henry, Dale is the new intern, more of an inconvenience to Henry than anything else, but she’s to become the person, along with the underground feminist group, who brings both him and Quinn Corp undone.

She embarked on this venture four weeks ago with the creation of a persona, one completely at odds with her own, allowing her to be the person she needs to be. But now, she’s rattled. She bolsters herself by reciting the list of attributes she had decided to take on: unflappable, uncaring, straightforward, daring—I don’t give a fuck. A personality to wear like a cloak.

She pulls her bag close against her legs. A woman heads toward her, her face focussed, and then moves on past while hurrying along her four small jiggling children—a family size that must be a pleasant throwback to the last government. The crowd thins. The trains become still. A fake vintage clock echoes throughout the station with a confected tick thunk, tick thunk, tick thunk, and the vast building pulsates with the emptiness.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket, and she takes it out. It’s Esther from QRC. She breathes in. It rings and rings. She breathes out. Train noise builds around her. Heels click, and the drones return to hover. The energised air needles her anxiety.

The Uncanny Valley Club, Julie Proudfoot
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Shatter it with Mammary Power—book Quotes: Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body.

There’s nothing I could say that would add to anything written by Jeanette Winterson, other than she does have a thing with words, doesn’t she?

The woman serving doughnuts with mechanical efficiency parked her bosom on the glass counter and threatened to shatter it with mammary power. Written on the Body, J. Winterson.

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