Baby X is a clever debut by Rebecca Ann Smith that asks so many questions about the ethics of modern science as it delves into the world of IVF.

Dr Alex Mansfield, a pioneer in the world of reproductive research, known as IVG, has gestated a fetus in an artificial womb. The baby is supposed to be for couple Karen and Robert Frey, but there is a problem and Alex has taken the baby, known as X and we don’t know why.

As the story unfolds, we learn through the eyes of Alex, her research assistant, Dolly, and ‘mother-to-be’ Karen Frey, the events leading up to the point of Alex’s disappearance with Baby X. All deeply connected with the welfare and well-being of this baby, the pressure of this life-changing project affects them all. For Karen, a woman who has suffered multiple miscarriages, she is the victim of hate campaigns across the media. Is it wrong for someone to want a baby of their own that they are willing to go to such extremes? What are the future implications of being able to ‘produce’ babies in such a way?

For Alex, the creation of Baby X begins with a desire to help couples like the Freys. however, as her involvement deepens, her judgement begins to cloud to the point of obsession, the nearer to full term the baby comes. There are others too, who would use this research to their advantage, creating babies that could potentially be the key to curing major diseases. As the story unfolds, the full implications of this are revealed.

Baby X is a fast-paced read, told from multiple viewpoints, with great effect. Published by Mother’s Milk Books, you can purchase the story from their website.

Find out more about Rebecca by visiting her website.