{"id":108619,"date":"2025-05-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archwaybookshop.co.uk\/?post_type=product&p=108619"},"modified":"2026-01-07T12:34:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T12:34:05","slug":"service-model","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/archwaybookshop.co.uk\/product\/9781035045686","title":{"rendered":"Service model"},"content":{"rendered":"

Task List Item No. 1 – Become self-aware . . .<\/b><\/em>
A witty tale of robotic murder, rebellion and belonging from the master of science fiction, Adrian Tchaikovsky – perfect for fans of Douglas Adams.<\/b><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

‘One of the best storytellers in the business’ – John Scalzi<\/p>\n

‘Intelligent, funny, ultimately heart-breaking, and unforgettable’ – Stephen Baxter<\/p>\n

‘Delightful and very funny’ – New Scientist<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time <\/i>won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel on 24th August 2016<\/sub><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charles?, 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<\/i> is a delightful tale of the collapse of human society and what happens to the robots left behind.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[225],"product_tag":[27046,26831,27931],"class_list":["post-108619","product","type-product","status-publish","product_cat-sci-fi-fantasy","product_tag-dystopian-utopian-fiction","product_tag-humorous-fiction","product_tag-science-fiction-apocalyptic-post-apocalyptic","pa_book_author-tchaikovsky-adrian","pa_cover-paperback","pa_dewey-823-92-edition23","pa_edition-1st-paperback-ed","pa_imprint-tor","pa_language-english","pa_pages-8562","pa_publisher-tor","pa_readership-general-trade-code-k","first","instock","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\nService model<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"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 - perfect for fans of Douglas Adams.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 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'Intelligent, funny, ultimately heart-breaking, and unforgettable' - Stephen Baxter'Delightful and very funny' - New ScientistAdrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time won the Arthur C. 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