Reviews - Service Model | The StoryGraph

1.78k reviews for:

Service Model

Adrian Tchaikovsky

4.05 AVERAGE

josh_fosse's review against another edition

4.0

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Gets a little heavy-handed at the end and I'm not sure Tchaikovsky has a super deep understanding of AI or computers, but it's a fun read, and thought-provoking.

richardrbecker's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s “Service Model” is a dazzling, inventive, and engaging science fiction novel that showcases the author’s remarkable ability to breathe life into the inanimate while delivering a story that is both thought-provoking and delightfully entertaining.

With its straight-forward prose and brisk pace, the novel delivers a near-perfect read, marred only slightly by an overly simple plot, occasional repetitiveness, and a somewhat predictable ending. Yet these minor flaws do little to diminish the sheer joy I felt while reading it. Tchaikovsky is a master at writing an accessible and entertaining novel.

The story follows Charles, a domestic robot (valet) that performs tasks for a wealthy human master in a post-apocalyptic, tech-dependent world. Charles is our non-human protagonist endowed with just enough sentience to question his purpose, yet constrained by programming. It’s the thoughtful limitations placed on his autonomy that makes Charles delightful, even when he discovers that he has inadvertently committed a shocking act. He murdered his master.

The murder thrusts Charles, later called unCharles, into a journey of self-discovery, navigating a fractured society populated by rogue AIs, malfunctioning robots, and a few random humans struggling to survive in a world where automation has outlived its creators. Chief among them is the Wonk, a robot that seems especially keen to have unCharles discover sentience.

For fans of Tchaikovsky and newcomers alike, this is a must-read, earning a well-deserved 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 elsewhere for its inventiveness and charm. Adrian Tchaikovsky proves himself a remarkable writer, and “Service Model” is a splendid addition to my science fiction collection. I’ll have to look for more of his books.