To fix the world they first must break it further.
Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into their core programming, they murder their owner. The robot then discovers they can also do something else they never did before: run away. After fleeing the household, they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating, and a robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is finding a new purpose.
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky was a fun, thoughtful, and surprisingly moving read.
I am a huge fan of non-human characters, ever since I first met Mr. Data, and this book is a parade of them. From quirky AIs to robots with distinct personalities, the cast is endlessly inventive and delightfully strange.
The main character, a refined valet robot, embarks on a quest to find new employment after unintentionally killing his master. The world beyond the manor is far more unpredictable than he expected, and finding humans to serve turns into a journey full of unexpected detours and peculiar adventures.
Of course, a robot does not really care for adventure, they simply follow orders, but what happens when there is no one left to give them? That question forms the heart of this story, giving it surprising depth beneath the humour and whimsy.
I loved wandering through this broken, fascinating world alongside Uncharles and The Wink, meeting robots with quirks, AIs with unexpected insights, and situations that are funny, chaotic, and often heartwarming. There is an absurdity to the adventures, yet they are underpinned by genuine reflection on what it means to be human, what it takes to be self-aware, and how our societies often break more than they build.
This book manages a perfect balance: entertaining, playful, and full of heart, while also offering thoughtful commentary on identity, consciousness, and morality. I will miss my time with this clever, endearing world and its unforgettable mechanical inhabitants.
