Talk to a Real, Live Girl and Other Stories — Paul Clayton

Alex has fled a broken marriage and a dysfunctional society on Earth. Landing on the mining planet, Kratos, known to its male work force as Boyz Wurld, he hopes to lose himself in hard work, drinking, and the illusion of female companionship provided by sexbots. Will that be enough? In time, Alex finds himself longing to Talk to a Real, Live Girl. Predictably, there are not many on Kratos. Then he finds Traci, as well as the dream of a new beginning back on Earth—a normal life—if only the forces controlling Kratos will permit it. A genuine love story, Talk to a Real, Live Girl explores consequences of a war of the sexes run amok, and of adaptations brave individuals may be forced to make.