Service Model: A funny, dystopian tale of robot sentience and rebellion, perfect for fans of Douglas Adams

Adrian Tchaikovsky, master of imaginative science fiction, returns with a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder, rebellion and belonging – perfect for fans of Douglas Adams. Task List Item No. 1 – Become self-aware . . . Meet Charles™, 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 wider world he never knew existed. Here an age-old human hierarchy is disintegrating into ruins, 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 ‘Intelligent, funny, ultimately heart-breaking, and unforgettable’ – Stephen Baxter ‘Delightful and very funny’ – New Scientist Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel on 24th August 2016 – ASIN: 1035045664 | ISBN13: 9781035045662 | ISBN-13: 978-1035045662