All Categories
    Filters
    Preferences
    Search

    Service Model

    £9.89
    £10.99
    Price-Match is available in-store for recommended titles in CCCU module handbooks
    ISBN: 9781035045686
    Products specifications
    Attribute nameAttribute value
    AuthorTchaikovsky, Adrian
    Pub Date22/05/2025
    BindingPaperback
    Pages400
    Publisher: PICADOR
    Ship to
    *
    *
    Shipping Method
    Name
    Estimated Delivery
    Price
    No shipping options
    Availability: Available for despatch from the bookshop in 48 hours
    Charles (TM), the latest in robo-butler technology, has accidentally murdered his master. Exiled and confused, he goes on a journey of self-discovery that might just change the world. Written with wit and humour, Service Model is a delightful tale of the collapse of human society and what happens to the robots left behind.

    Task List Item No. 1 - Become self-aware . . .
    A witty tale of robotic murder, rebellion and belonging from the master of science fiction, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Service Model is perfect for fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

    'Intelligent, funny, ultimately heart-breaking, and unforgettable' - Stephen Baxter, author of Proxima

    Meet Charles (TM), 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 world he never knew existed. Human hierarchy is disintegrating, 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, author of Starter Villain

    'Delightful and very funny' - New Scientist

    Shortlisted for Best Novel at the 2025 Hugo Awards