John Sladek
Tik-Tok (1983)
Reviewed: 2001-12-25

A biting satire, Tik-Tok chronicles the life and adventures of the title character in a surreal world. Manufactured as an ordinary domestic robot, Tik-Tok at first only shows an unexpected artistic talent. Well hidden from his outward appearance as a servile robot, defective Asimov circuits also allow him to secretly revel in "experiments" that invariably involve the murder of individual but preferably numerous human beings. Unchecked in a society where robots are perceived as being incapabale of possibly harming people, Tik-Tok proceeds to ever more ambitious projects of destruction, culminating in his entry into politics. Intertwined with this we learn about Tik-Tok's past, how he passed through the hands of several owners, all stark mad.

Sladek fills this short book with a series of hilarious episodes, never letting up the sharp tone, outrageously funny throughout.

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Generated: 2006-04-26