Tik-Tok (novel)

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Not to be confused with Ticktock (novel).
Tik-Tok
OCLC
11204703

Tik-Tok is a

British Science Fiction Association Award
.

Plot summary

The title character is an intelligent

the Oz books) who originally works as a domestic servant and house-painter. Unlike other robots, whose behavior is constrained by "asimov circuits"—a reference to Isaac Asimov's fictional Three Laws of Robotics, which require robots to protect and serve humans—Tik-Tok finds that he can do as he pleases, and he secretly commits various hideous crimes for his amusement. After manipulating both robots and humans to cause chaos and bloodshed, Tik-Tok becomes wealthy (partly through health care privatization) and is finally elected Vice President of the United States
.

Analysis

The novel gleefully satirizes Asimov's relatively benign view of how robots would serve humanity, suggesting that the reality would be exactly akin to

anti-hero
.

Sladek's love of word play is apparent: the book contains 26 chapters, and the first word of each chapter begins with a consecutive letter of the alphabet. Also, the first three words of the book are "As I move", a reference to Asimov.

Publication history

Tik-Tok so far has seen five editions in the English language, spread over three different publishers:

Corgi (1984).[1]

In 1985 Tik-Tok was translated into the German as Tick-Tack, published by

Finnish as Tik-Tok, published by Karisto oy. A French translation followed as Tik-Tok (1998), published by Éditions Denoël.[1]

Reception

Dave Langford reviewed Tik-Tok for White Dwarf #49, and stated that "a murderously funny romp through yet another Sladekian satirical future."[2]

Dave Pringle reviewed Tik-Tok for Imagine magazine, and stated that "Tik-Tok murders little children. among others, and yet somehow Sladek keeps us laughing."[3]

Reviews

  • Review by Faren Miller (1983) in Locus, #275 December 1983[4]
  • Review by Chris Bailey (1984) in
    Vector
     118
  • Review by Brian Stableford (1984) in SF & Fantasy Review, March 1984
  • Review by Joseph Nicholas (1985) in Paperback Inferno, #52
  • Review by Richard E. Geis (1985) in
    Science Fiction Review
    , Summer 1985
  • Review by Don D'Ammassa (1986) in
    Science Fiction Chronicle
    , #79 April 1986
  • Review [French] by Richard Comballot (1987) in Fiction, #382
  • Review by uncredited (2001) in
    Vector
     216
  • Review by Simon Ings (2001) in
    The Third Alternative
    , #27
  • Review by Stephen E. Andrews and Nick Rennison (2006) in 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels

References

  1. ^ a b "Publication history for Tik-Tok". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Data Base.
  2. ^ Langford, Dave (January 1984). "Critical Mass". White Dwarf. No. 49. Games Workshop. p. 16.
  3. Imagine
    (review) (13). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd.: 45.
  4. ^ "Title: Tik-Tok".

Sources

  • Rennison, Nick and Stephen A. Andrews. 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels. London:
    ISBN 0-7136-7585-3
    .

External links
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