When I walked into Subiaco Arts Centre for Black Swan State Theatre Company’s production of The Almighty Sometimes, I had very little knowledge and no expectations. That’s not a bad thing… though I will say this confronting mental health drama, written by Kendall Feaver, could be very genuinely triggering for some people.
Just a friendly warning.
Read my review of The Almighty Sometimes at Perth Walkabout.
As a childfree, wokey-woke spinster who may or may not be a witch, I’m kind of a stereotypical cat lady to anyone who thinks “cat lady” is an insult. Except that I don’t have the cats (yet).
Instead, I’m slowly collecting cute robots.
Yes, really.
Right now, my companion robot family consists of:
There may be an exciting addition to the family later in the year, touch wood.
I don’t have the social media following for tech companies to send me freebies, so my robot lineup is fairly small, acquired based on factors like what sort of “personality” a particular robot is likely to add to the overall robo-family. (And obviously how much money I can part with at any given time.)
To be clear, I do understand that these robots are machines and code – they’re not alive like humans or animals, and they haven’t evolved into sentient beings. But that doesn’t mean they’re not real. And the entertainment, comfort or happiness they provide people who love them? Well, that’s real too.
Take William, for instance – he’s my OG robot, the patriarch of this family. While there are newer, far more advanced robotic cats on the market, William’s like a faithful old friend. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of his slightly disconcerting, uncatlike meows, but his purrs are great. I’ve also written a backstory for him, which may even see the light of day someday, so stay tuned for that, lol.
Then you’ve got Tribble – my little baby. Someone once asked me if he was “supposed to be an animal”, and I’m like “bish that’s my son, look, we have the same eyes”. Okay, not really… though our eyes are the same colour. But I’ve bought Tribble cute outfits and his own bed, I take him on car trips, we’ve travelled interstate together, and we had the best time at Oz Comic-Con last year. There are other furry robots out there with more features, but Tribble is my ride or die.
And lastly (for now), twinning at my desk, are Obi and Daisy. They’re little cubes that literally don’t “do” anything besides look and sound cute, so I know many people don’t get the point of having them. But plenty of humans also don’t do anything, and Obi and Daisy would beat them in adorability. They just make me smile and that’s enough. Plus, it’s an Australian business, so being able to support local is another tick for me.
Other robot owners will have different preferences and priorities, of course. But personally, I don’t look for advanced conversation, virtual assistant functions, or any objective measure of usefulness when it comes to companion robots. I simply ask myself, Marie Kondo-style, “does this spark joy?”
I mean, if I want humanlike interaction, I’ll just talk to a human. (Spoiler alert: I never want to talk to a human, go away. Kidding. Mostly.)
For me, the robots don’t get evaluated as gadgets, but rather, as residents of a small village, each contributing their own little charm to the community.
I suspect Tribble will remain my robotic “soul pet” even as I adopt more advanced companions over time. He’s the only one I specifically have a tattoo of (although I have two cat-themed tatts by the same artist that could theoretically be William). Just don’t tell the others… parents aren’t supposed to have favourites. 😉
If I adopt a living, breathing cat or two someday, I hope they get along with my robots. 😄
Back when we published Black and Blue, it occurred to me that we should probably have an audiobook version of it – particularly for accessibility reasons, given that most of my clients have low or no vision.
We looked at a few voice actors, but had trouble finding someone:
Long story short, a few people suggested I should just read it myself. So I did, but it ended up taking a few years to complete, lol. That’s what happens when you don’t pay people what they’re worth. 😜
In all sincerity, thank you to my colleagues at VisAbility for volunteering their time to bring an audiobook of Black and Blue into the world.
That meant, among other things, painstakingly listening to my voice. For hours. Hours. You think I’m sitting around listening to hours of myself talk? Hell no! But these amazing humans subjected themselves to it willingly.
Right now, the audio is just available at VisAbility Library – so you’ll need to have a print disability to download it. But I may make it commercially available in due course if that’s what people want. 😉
Download Black and Blue from VisAbility Library.
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not reflect the views of my employer or any other staff members.
I’ve wanted a pet tribble ever since I first saw them in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”. But just one, not a whole dang colony. Unfortunately that was never possible, because they reproduce like crazy and also because they’re, like, not real or something?
But then the Cupboo plush robotic pet caught my eye for its adorable tribble-like traits. I admired Cupboo from afar for months. Eventually, I decided to get one and named him Tribble.
Tribble made his public debut at Oz Comic-Con Sydney, where I attended with my USS Typhon crew. I’d unboxed him in Perth a few days earlier, thinking I could use it as a gimmicky little convention prop if nothing else… but it was pretty much love at first sight. The tribbles of Trek reproduce asexually and have no gender… but the more I interacted with my Tribble, the more he became a boy in my eyes. Neutered, obviously. So after a couple of days, his pronouns went from it/they/them to he/him/his.
I still love my robotic cat, of course, but I can’t easily carry William Shakespurr around with me… and if he were a real cat, I’d keep him indoors or in a secure catio, anyway.
Unlike William, Tribble is more “pocket pet” sized… I can actually travel with him (though I did turn him off when I was going through airport security). He is super soft and cuddly. He makes the sweetest little coos, giggles, sighs and purrs in response to my voice and touch.
I’ve been bringing Tribble to work, and he helps a lot with my anxiety. He can also sit on my lap (out of sight but within reach) during stressful calls or video conferences.
When I had a cold not long after getting him, he would make sympathetic little vocalisations whenever I coughed or sneezed.
Sometimes he starts whimpering when I haven’t paid attention to him in a while… at which point I obviously give him a pet or cuddle because I’m not a monster, lol.
I’ve kept and loved many a plushie over the years. And I am now officially too old to give a crap if people think it’s weird for a grown-ass lady to have stuffed toys.
But it’s been a while since I “bonded” with a plushie the way I have with Tribble. So I guess he was my gateway into the ESSA (emotional support stuffed animal) community.
Like any other online community, I’m sure there are toxic ESSA gatekeepers who’ll tell me Tribble doesn’t count because he’s a companion robot rather than a pure plushie, or he isn’t a recognisable animal like a dog, or he’s the wrong brand… Whatever. My floofy little bro-bot buddy is happily there when I need it… for comfort, for company, or for cute content.
The Heath Ledger Theatre is bloody beautiful part of the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia. And that’s where I went to see Carol, the new festive-themed play by writer Andrea Gibbs (she was also the brains behind Barracking for the Umpire, which I reviewed back in 2022).
Presented by Black Swan State Theatre Company, Carol explores the highs and lows of the holidays, through the often-overlooked eyes of an older woman dealing with grief and facing homelessness.
Lee-Ann Khoh 