I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.

So we've all heard of cozy fantasy, this is cozy sci-fi. This book is lighthearted in the way of Becky Chambers.

We follow a domesticated robot, Charles, who murders their master. But how can a robot murder someone if they aren't self-aware?... We follow Charles as they are sent to get diagnosed in order to find out where their programming went wrong.

I love following Charles through this dystopian wasteland, trying to figure out what has gone wrong with their programming. The world is very interesting and I found Charles to be a fun character to follow.

UnCharles, a human-facing robot who, due to an "unfortunate incident" no longer has a master, travels the bleak landscape of our future in search of purpose. Told in parable style, this book is one large metaphor for the human condition, and a grim yet humorous warning against the tempting ease of automation.

It took me a little bit of time to get used to the parable style. Each section had UnCharles facing a new physical and philosophical dilemma. Once I got used to that plot structure, I enjoyed the book a little more. I think it would have benefited from either being shorter or being a collection of novellas. Sometimes the repetitive nature of UnCharles' quirks dragged the story.

I really enjoyed the audio, which was narrated by the author! It was fantastic. He was able to capture the dry humor laced throughout the story perfectly.

Overall I thought this book was a fun sci-fi adventure with a good message, even if the message was a bit heavy-handed.

I thought this book would be a perfect fit for my given the description, but I found it to be a bit more drawn out than I would have liked, which meant that in the audiobook I got very easily distracted. It would probably be a good fit for a more sci-fi heavy reader though!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

An enjoyable read, although slightly forgettable. Definitely will read more by this author though! Overall worth it.

I love a good sci fi book and find it so hard to find them. But this one fit the bill. It's a cross between a robot uprising and what is humanity.

It has humor, is heartfelt at times, and some social commentary. Uncharles, what a great name right?, embarks on a journey to unravel whether he killed his human, finds a fix so it doesn't happen again and find his new human.

This is the right mix of quirky and touching. It's a little bit of a slow burn, but so worth the wait.

The author does such a good job of narrating the audiobook. I am always wary of an author acting as the narrator since they don't usually aren't as practiced as professional narrators, but I had to look twice when writing the review as I was surprised. He did such a great job of bringing the story and all the feelings to life.

Thank you netgalley and McMillan for this audio arc. I dnf'd this book at about the 50-60% mark. I found it slow and couldn't connect to any of the characters. That being said, it's possible it was a me problem and not the book itself.

I'm sure this is a good story for someone, but I could not connect or stay interested in this book. The idea is one that I think will be of interest to lots of folks - dystopian and sci-fi - but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This started out as a circus and did not stop! I enjoyed the ride, and thought it was a very interesting read. Very engaging and thought provoking but with plenty of humor. The narrator did a good job.

This is officially on my keeper shelf. The world is very bleak, but Tchaikovsky injects so much humor into the novel that it's more than bearable. Like all good sci-fi, there's a lot to think about with regard to science, technology, the future... and what it means to be human.
Our main character is a service robot, designed to be a valet but with one tiny, insignificant system error. He slit his master's throat in the bath. Oops. Surely he can find a new employer though, right?
As it turns out, there are almost no humans left and all the robots are malfunctioning due to lack of maintenance. When the police arrive to investigate the murder, they just keep looping on the same few lines and nothing much happens. Our robot friend becomes more self-aware as the story continues, with limits. In the meantime, we get robot librarians, feuding war robots and a sinister "farm."
If you like a dose of humor with your sci-fi, this is a great choice. Reminded me a bit of Douglas Adams, but less silly.
Narration was excellent! Some narrators can't pull off dry humor, but this was executed so well. Kudos.

This is one of my top 5 books for the year (out of 75, so far). Service Model is such a unique, heartfelt, and hilarious book. Who knew robots could make me feel so much? It really has everything you could want in a book: a murder mystery, complex world-building, loveable characters, social commentary, and great humor. I can’t stop telling everyone to read this book.

The author did an incredible job narrating, and I highly recommend the audiobook.

ARC received from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.

This was a highly enjoyable new release standalone by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and just as with Alien Clay it felt like something new and fresh from the mad scientist who releases at least four books a year and is just a continual wellspring of creativity. It's robot fiction in a classic Asimovian mold (there are even mentions of Asimov's rules of robotics as a nod) but with an engaging and clever voice that Asimov's robot stories always lacked for me. Tchaikovsky himself did just an incredible job with the narration -- engaging and professional.

In many of the robot stories I've experienced (through films like AI, Bicentennial Man, Wall-E, or in books like Murderbot), the robots think and feel in a way so similar to humans that there's not a very meaningful difference between them. In Service Model, Tchaikovsky makes no mistake about it -- robots think and act in utterly non-human ways, and refreshingly, this is not a tale of a robot protagonist trying to transcend their robot-ness and become human.

Our POV Charles is a robot valet and just wants to be able to serve and go about his tasks. The way that the world intervenes and prevents Charles from doing so is what drives the plot of the book, but it's Tchaikovsky's utter commitment to having all the robots actually think and act robotically that really makes this book the unique little gem that it is. Whether through Charles' inner monologue, dialogue with various humans he meets along the way, or (my favorite) his robot-to-robot communication, Tchaikovsky mines the way robots think and talk for endless bits of wry humor. While it had its dark and tense moments, the dominant emotional tenor of this read was one of dry comedy where I often found myself smiling or occasionally chuckling out loud.

That clever humor is deployed to brilliant effect to lighten the mood against what is a pretty grim situation the world finds itself in (the cover itself gives away that the setting is rather post-apocalyptic). There is plenty of acerbic social commentary going on here, so while you might be entertained by the witticisms and robot-filled plot, there's also thematic depth to chew on as well that adds to its impact with a bit of satirical weightiness. Overall a fun and worthwhile read!

This is a great, funny SF story.
I don't read a lot of SF, but I would love to read more books like this.
The author did the narration very well.

The first scene reminded me of the Red Dwarf episode when we first meet Kryton. Charles is a rich man’s valet.

Best library and robot librarians.

I enjoyed Charles/Un-Charles’ trek through a dystopian world in crumbles with his sidekick. Humanity is at the extinction point and they don’t seem to care.

I loved the robot valet who insisted he had no feelings or wishes. His search for a new job after that first scene is told in 5 parts and each is its own problem to be solved.

The library just made me smile. There’s pop culture and literary Easter eggs galore. I love a fun nerdy robot story & this didn’t disappoint! The narration was great!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio, I loved the story.

Service Model had many similarities to the Murder Bot series, and is written just as well as that series is. Tchaikovsky's satire and whimsy is intertwined with the brilliantly executed post apocalyptic world to deliver one of the most entertaining stories of 2024.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky is an interesting mix of a parable and a story about robots. It follows UnCharles, a robot who goes on a journey through a dystopian world after he mysteriously kills his master. Along the way, he meets The Wonk, a fun and rebellious character.

The story can feel a bit long and repetitive, but Tchaikovsky’s narration adds a special touch. The mix of influences from authors like Christie, Kafka, and Orwell makes the story unique. It’s not the best place to start if you’re new to Tchaikovsky, but fans of robot stories and philosophical themes might enjoy it.

A deeply satisfying and imminently charming novel that could, maybe, have occasionally benefited from some subtly. I can't complain too much, though, as I was having a really good time with this even as it got overtly parable-y. It won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me. The audiobook narration was phenomenal.

A big thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where was this book when I was in my Murderbot hangover?

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a science fiction novel about a murderous robot. To fix the world they must first break it, further. Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away. Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose. Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

This book is everything you need after reading Martha Wells' Murderbot series. Just read it and thank me later.

Charles is a robot valet, a human facing model meant to be the right-hand-man for any proper gentleman. Every day there is a queue of tasks that he must complete in order to serve his master to the best of his ability, but one morning Charles makes a discovery that upsets the vital order of things upon which he depends; his master is dead, this throat slit. While Charles has no memory of having done the horrendous deed, he concludes that it must have been him. Seeing a trip to Diagnostics as his only choice, Charles heads out, taking the first step in a journey that will take him across a dystopian wasteland. Along the way he earns the new designation of UnCharles and meets the rebellious The Wonk, all while desperately attempting to bring order to the chaos that he finds himself amid.

On the surface Service Model is an extremely entertaining novel that I was hooked on after the first few minutes of listening to the audiobook version. Even though Charles/UnCharles is a robot, I still found myself having compassion for him and the situations that he finds himself in; I wanted him to be happy, well, as happy as a robot can be. It was an audiobook that I listened to every chance I got, not being able to get enough. That being said, I did not receive a digital copy until I was practically done with the novel, and I feel that I missed a lot by not reading the novel while I listened to it. For example, the five parts of the novel are KR15-T (Cristie), K4FK-R (Kafka), 4W-L (Orwell), 80RH-5 (Borges) and D4NT-A (Dante), but not having seen the names of the sections with my eyes and only hearing the numbers and letters stated I did not make the connection that the sections represent authors, and I feel that there was a lot that I missed and parts I did not fully understand; I had noticed that the various sections were very different from each other and I was confused as to why. Regardless of this fact, however, I was blown away by Tchaikovsky’s narration. The voices used for the various characters, along with his accent, made this such a pleasurable novel to listen to.

I highly recommend Service Model, but if you are going to listen to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s amazing narration I would recommend reading a physical/digital copy as well in order to fully enjoy the story. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with digital and audio copies of Service Model, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own. Service Model is out now!

Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Service Model" is a delightful dive into a future where robots and artificial intelligence have seamlessly integrated into daily life. This novel stands out not only for its insightful exploration of AI but also for its quirky humor that keeps readers thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

In "Service Model," Tchaikovsky crafts a world where AI and robots are indispensable parts of society. The story follows a group of service robots as they navigate a series of unexpected adventures and mishaps, revealing the complexities and absurdities of their programmed existence. Through their eyes, we witness a society grappling with the ethical and practical implications of advanced AI.

The novel delves into themes of autonomy, ethical programming, and the essence of consciousness. Tchaikovsky’s treatment of AI is both thought-provoking and refreshingly humorous, avoiding the typical dystopian narrative. The robots in "Service Model" are not mere mechanical beings; they are fully-fledged characters with distinct personalities and quirks. From the overly meticulous housekeeping bot to the sarcastic, self-aware security droid, each character is beautifully brought to "life" by Tchaikovsky, both in his writing as in his narration.

Tchaikovsky’s prose is sharp and witty, effortlessly blending technical jargon with everyday language. His ability to inject humor into the narrative without undermining the seriousness of the underlying themes is commendable. The novel’s episodic structure allows for a series of comedic and poignant vignettes, each highlighting different aspects of AI integration in society. This format keeps the pace brisk and engaging, making it hard to put down.

One of my favourite stylistic devices in science fiction is a non-human point of view that reveals the absurdity of our way of life. Tchaikovsky delivers from page one. Contrary to works that portray AI as quasi-human, here we see their inner workings described much more realistically - perhaps a step or two removed from how AI is already functioning today. And that is where its beauty lies. The robots diligently follow their protocols, different for each type (and often incompatible with one another), yet those protocols cannot account for the complexity of the world around them. Once a robot encounters an unforeseen matter, it will analyze it according to its logical routines and base its next action on their outcome. To a reader, this may seem bizarre at first, until we realize we do the same thing, though it happens in the fraction of a second.

In summary, I highly recommend "Service Model" to anyone looking for a smart, funny, and engaging read. Adrian Tchaikovsky has created a novel that not only entertains but also challenges readers to think deeply about the role of AI in our future. A welcome contribution to contemporary science fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.