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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story follows Charles (later referred to as Uncharles), a robot valet who inadvertently kills his human master and embarks on a quest to find a new purpose in a world where humanity is failing and robots are struggling to maintain order.
On the surface, this was a fun post-apocalyptic sci-fi read about a robot on the hunt for a new master. But it explores some great themes of purpose, free will, and the meaning of existence. I really enjoyed the start of this book, found it to be entertaining throughout, and even found myself chuckling due to how comical the interactions between the characters were.
What I didn’t catch on to straight away were the classical references and writing styles of the chapters that I now find to be absolutely genius. Each part is actually a reference to the writing style of an author and talks about classical themes of those authors (Agatha Christie, Franz Kafka, George Orwell, Jorge Luis Borges, and Dante). I can clearly see how each part references these authors, and this was done so well!
What I struggled with was the repetitiveness of the story, which I guess was to be expected with robots, but after a while, it became frustrating. I also really wanted more from the ending for the characters, which I am sure is just a personal preference.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I am a sucker for any book that can make me laugh. It’s deeper than it looks, which I also appreciate. If you are looking for a fun sci-fi story, I recommend giving this one a go!
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fantastic case-study of automating all the things. The chapter/section titles were a cute plus as well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Abandonment
Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Classism
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderful exploration of the world, what it means to be human, and the complexities of AI and computer processing. The story telling was beautiful and I never knew what was coming next. Was it a good book? Uncharles, Confirmed
SERVICE MODEL is a quirky book that follows Charles (UnCharles), a valet robot, as he tries to make sense of his existence after murdering his master. Initially, he tries to get diagnosed to determine why he committed this crime. After that he is just trying to figure out how to show up. What’s his purpose? Who is he supposed to be if he isn’t in service to someone? Is it ok to want to serve?
His journey to various places as the collapse of society unfolds is interesting. Beyond his own “dysfunction” everything that could possibly be going wrong with the world is going wrong…it is dysfunctional. I got “adventure of the week,” vibes, which I love! That choice makes the story move quickly and not lull. I had a great time! This book has a point of view about the state of technology use and the end of humanity that I truly found enjoyable and humorous.
I read this on a mission to complete all of the Hugo finalists before the award is given. Since it is my first Tchaikovsky book, and he has two in the finals this year, it will be interesting to see how the other book stacks up to this one and what his style is like.
I read this on a mission to complete all of the Hugo finalists before the award is given. Since it is my first Tchaikovsky book, and he has two in the finals this year, it will be interesting to see how the other book stacks up to this one and what his style is like.
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A fairly unique perspective of a near dystopia coming from a robots viewpoint. There is a lot of dry humour, mostly around beurocracy, but manages convey a good amount of mystery as we're trying to make sense of the world and what's happened. I enjoyed the perspective of the robot as it tried to compute the larger world, and it added to the mystery of what the world was like as we couldn't get a clear human perspective on it. Though at times it could be a bit slow. At times it felt like the author's message was surfacing a bit above the narrative, and it felt a little too on the nose at point. I'd have liked it if it had leaned a bit more into what we think constitutes free will / independent thougt, but overall an enjoyable listen with a solid theme.
An unusually light and funny read from Tchaikovsky, reminiscent of Asimov's Robot series+Murderbot+Psalm for the Wild Built
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Enjoyable and surprisingly funny for a dystopian novel. Thoughtful look at humanity and how we use technology. I noticed some Wizard of Oz references (I think)