My gut reaction to this story is to judge Davecat because, honestly, the concept of coming home to an apartment with a "synthetic woman" has a Steven King novel

My gut reaction to this story is to judge Davecat because, honestly, the concept of coming home to an apartment with a "synthetic woman" has a Steven King novel quality to it. But...when I try to get past that to offer a constructive comment, I can see one way in which the dolls are appealing. Having been in a longterm relationship (with an organic woman), I appreciate what Davecat called "consistencies" — the idea that another person will simply be present when you get home from work. After a while, I think, we learn to appreciate our partners' company without needing to speak or be doing things constantly. And I can see how a humanized object could serve that purpose for people who're unwilling or who don't want the added responsibilities of having an "organic" partner.