The Substitutes

December, 1987

The Most optimistic scientists agree that massive overcrowding is just getting started (wait until we all try to pack ourselves aboard the spaceship!), and it's just begun to dawn on us that many living creatures we enjoy or need are space-wasting and could easily be replaced with computerized, mechanical substitutes.We all wanted childhood friends, sure, but they often ate cookies we expected to eat, and they selfishly refused to let us play with their toys, so we often had to beat them, which...