Adrian Tchaikovsky, master of imaginative science fiction, returns with a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder, rebellion and belonging – perfect for fans of Douglas Adams. Task List Item No.

1 – Become self-aware . .

. 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 wider world he never knew existed.

Here an age-old human hierarchy is disintegrating into ruins, 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.

Clarke Award for Best Novel on 24th August 2016. .