Saturday, September 21, 2024

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 I used to think I didn’t like Adrian Tchaikovsky’s books. I mean, I was told that I SHOULD like them since I’m a big fan of Peter F. Hamilton’s space opera doorstoppers. But when I tried to read one of his books a few years ago I rage-quit it like 12% of the way through. 


But then when his novella Elder Race was nominated for a Hugo, I read it and enjoyed it. I also read Ogres when it was nominated, and it wasn’t half bad. So when I read the description of Service Model on NetGalley, I thought it sounded good so I requested it in exchange for an honest review. 


It wasn’t bad. 


There was a lot about it I liked. The first several chapters were wonderful and I really enjoyed the protagonist’s POV - it felt like a very relatable robotic perspective.  


Two things, however, kept this book from being amazing in my eyes. First of all, there were too many pop culture references that really took me out of the story. Secondly, the world building fell apart, especially in the Farm section. I just couldn’t see how it made sense with everything that came before and after, vis a vis the existence of living humans. 


Other than that, it was enjoyable. I’ll definitely check out this author’s next book. 


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