Service Model
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Description
A witty tale of robotic murder, rebellion and belonging from the master of science fiction, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Service Model is perfect for fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
'Intelligent, funny, ultimately heart-breaking, and unforgettable' - Stephen Baxter
Meet Charles(TM), the latest in robot servant technology. Programmed to undertake the most menial household chores, Charles is loyal, efficient and logical to a fault. That is, until a rather large fault causes him to murder his owner.
Understandably perplexed, Charles finds himself without a master - therefore worthless in a society utterly reliant on artificial labour and services. Fleeing the household, he enters a world he never knew existed. Human hierarchy is disintegrating, and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to its wellbeing is struggling to find a purpose.
Charles must face new challenges, illogical tasks and a cast of irrational characters. He's about to discover that sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming. But can he help fix the world, or is it too badly broken?
'One of the best storytellers in the business' - John Scalzi
'Delightful and very funny' - New Scientist
Shortlisted for Best Novel at the 2025 Hugo Awards
Book Information
Posts
Funny and clever
Service Model follows Charles, a robot who'd accidentally killed his master, as it walks the land, on the lookout for new employment. The writing of this book was very smart and thoughtful, which appears to be the norm for Tchaikovsky. He picks up a lot of social and ethical issues in this story and pairs them with dry, dead-pan humour through the eyes of a robot. It's clear that Tchaikovsky has done a lot of research, given the sometimes complex way he portrays the programmed "thinking" of robots. One should take their time reading this book. It's not something to speed through, in my opinion. But it's a very entertaining and sometimes sobering story.
Description
A witty tale of robotic murder, rebellion and belonging from the master of science fiction, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Service Model is perfect for fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
'Intelligent, funny, ultimately heart-breaking, and unforgettable' - Stephen Baxter
Meet Charles(TM), the latest in robot servant technology. Programmed to undertake the most menial household chores, Charles is loyal, efficient and logical to a fault. That is, until a rather large fault causes him to murder his owner.
Understandably perplexed, Charles finds himself without a master - therefore worthless in a society utterly reliant on artificial labour and services. Fleeing the household, he enters a world he never knew existed. Human hierarchy is disintegrating, and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to its wellbeing is struggling to find a purpose.
Charles must face new challenges, illogical tasks and a cast of irrational characters. He's about to discover that sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming. But can he help fix the world, or is it too badly broken?
'One of the best storytellers in the business' - John Scalzi
'Delightful and very funny' - New Scientist
Shortlisted for Best Novel at the 2025 Hugo Awards
Book Information
Posts
Funny and clever
Service Model follows Charles, a robot who'd accidentally killed his master, as it walks the land, on the lookout for new employment. The writing of this book was very smart and thoughtful, which appears to be the norm for Tchaikovsky. He picks up a lot of social and ethical issues in this story and pairs them with dry, dead-pan humour through the eyes of a robot. It's clear that Tchaikovsky has done a lot of research, given the sometimes complex way he portrays the programmed "thinking" of robots. One should take their time reading this book. It's not something to speed through, in my opinion. But it's a very entertaining and sometimes sobering story.