16 of the most memorable brothels and whorehouses in sci-fi

Hey, it’s the oldest profession out there. It’s also been a major part of sci-fi over the years.

Brothels are a big part of history, and they’ve also popped up quite a bit in sci-fi TV, movies and books. The latest example? Syfy’s new hit series Defiance -- the latest episode of which airs tonight at 9/8C -- which features the NeedWant brothel as a key part of the city. 

But lots of folks love a good dash of sexiness with their sci-fi, and Defiance isn’t the only franchise to have a brothel play a major role in a story. Not surprisingly, there've been mixed results over the years. Some are iconic (i.e., Total Recall), while some were just a big pile of cheese (Tales From the Crypt).