Service Model

A robot steps out of his regular routine as a manservant and discovers that the human world as we know it seems to have died out. What's left are robots stuck with their programmed conditions - to wait for guests to arrive to serve them tea, for instance.

But since there are no guests coming, they are destined to wait forever.

Although Uncharles the robot is quite fixed (well, programmed) in his ways, it's not in an annoying way, and his POV adds an interesting layer to the story as we more immediately grasp what's going on compared to the naivety of Uncharles. Another great book by Tchaikovsky.

putting the gnostic in "diagnostic"

* The allegory about trying to find work amidst suffering is a bit obvious but a bit clever.

* Lots of random cultural references. Not comedy per se, but not far off.

* Ending felt a bit obvious.

About halfway through the audio book. Very enjoyable - the ridiculous convoluted actions and conversations are very on the nose.

Yet another thought-provoking and often hilarious take on AI and purpose (featuring tea again!). The sharp writing and great pacing made it fun to read, even though some chapters felt a bit dragged out. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, slowly revealing what happened to the world. I also found Uncharles and The Wonk incredibly likable. Despite some slower moments, I loved every bit of this.

Great, lighthearted read. It especially appealed to my fondness for taking things as literally as possible.

Fantastic usual from Adrian. Maybe a little overlong, but a fascinating philosophical look at AI and tech being extensions of our cultural morality - and what that might look like taken to the extreme.

I loved the first half so much. It was so interesting to think about a creature having more defined decision trees and very firm logic.

Sadly the last quarter kinda became a lot for me. That subtle digs at society went heavy handed and the plot got even weirder and I just kinda raced to get to the end.

Overall a cute and different book

A bleakly humorous hybrid of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the Wizard of Oz. Not as satisfying as some of the author’s work, but a brisk read nonetheless.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. very plausible and very metaphorical. To say more would risk spoiling the story and its many nuances.

This is a philosophical parable masked as an SF dystopia narrated by a former house servant who is also a robot. It's likeable, with some genuinely funny stuff, but it's overlong. There's just not enough content to sustain the length. Tchaikovsky has done some really good work at novella length in the last few years, and I do wonder if this would have been better off fitting into that strand of his work.

I received an advance audio copy thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Service Model follows the travels of a robot valet (Charles, a gentleman's gentle robot) after the death of its master by its own hands. It doesn't remember killing the Master, or know why it would have done so, but the evidence is clear. Now UnCharles leaves the manor with instructions to go to Diagnostics at Central Services. What he discovers along the way is a society in collapse with very few humans left and most of the robots falling into disrepair and decay.

I really liked this book.  It was in turns funny, poignant, and topical without getting too preachy.  The audiobook is read by the author and he does a fine job narrating.  While the story telling is at time stilted, the POV character is a robot, so I believe this is intentional.  UnCharles' quest for new employment allows us to see the remaining human society and a number of different robot groups.  These are Asmovian robots, and as with Asimov, when they act contrary to their programming, there are reasons.   

About 2/3 of the way in, I wondered if we were going to get answers about the murder that started things off, but it all came together in the end with a satisfying conclusion.