Tik Tok

by John Sladek

Book Overview

"A murderously funny romp."--David Langford, White Dwarf. Something has gone very wrong with "Tik-Tok's "asimov circuits." Although everything looks fine from the surface, and "Tik-Tok maintains the appearance of a mild-mannered robot, his agenda is murderously different... This witty chronicle of one abnormal machine-man, and his dealings with an assortment of maniacal humans, truly showcases John Sladek's satirical genius. "A hilarious black comedy."--"The...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0886770483
• ISBN13: 9780886770488
• Release Date: June 1985
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Tik-Tok? Oh, Tik-Tok is a robot. He just is not a "normal" robot.

There is a mystery for me concerning this book, which is: I have (evidently) owned it for several years. Recently, I found it (and that's the end of the "mystery"). I read it, and after doing so, the next book I read was this book (again). It really is that good, and it also has some things that, for me, stimulated thought. Author John Sladek, now deceased, created an outrageously satirically hilarious book when he wrote "Tik-Tok." How did I miss the genius of Sladek? I really do not know, but I did. At times, the humor is dark, and some might not appreciate that, but for anyone who wants to read a truly unique Sci-Fi book and likes to laugh, this book would be 1 of the first books I would recommend. Besides the obvious humor, there is a deep current that is a tad bit harrowing, and that hopefully will stimulate you to think about many issues. Regardless, if you only read it to laugh, it is well worth purchasing. I do not believe you will be disappointed if you do buy it. Tik-Tok? Oh, Tik-Tok is a robot. He just is not a "normal" robot.

murderous robot?

fist of all 2 who doesnt have d time or d patience 2 further reading THIS NOVEL IS A MUST for all those who like science fiction & for learning how 2 write a story which is a warning sign , cynical , humorous & most important : interesting & fluent . usually when i read a book i can spot d points where d author has been " stacked " (if u know what i'm talking about if no just go 2 another review ). in TIK-TOK i just could'nt find this. it is (my humble opinion) a perfectly fluent story

Brilliant

Unfortunately i lent this to a friend years ago, he lost it, and now it can never be found! AAAARGH! Suffice to say, it is excellent.

Shockingly Entertaining.

John Thomas Sladek has mastered irony in rare form. This book is a 360 degree slap in the face. Perhaps even a warning. But not one that we will listen to. This story does not insult one's intellegence by depending upon technology, or smoke and mirrors. The plot is not self serving, or even patronizing. This is truely a tribute to our collective understanding of ourselves. Tik is easy to root for, hard to understand, and impossible to put down. 5 stars is easy to give Tik Tok. O.k. maybe 4.5, but only because I wish it was longer.

Sladek did it again, scarier this time.

I loved this book, with two reservations. First, you'll never find it, so this review can only torment you with false hope. Second, Sladek can give the impression of covering the same ground many times; this is at least his fourth book about robots, and the supporting cartoon cast of con men, college students, generals, etc., will be familiar to readers of _Roderick_ or _Mechasm_. Even _Roderick at Random_ was in some ways a remake of _Roderick_ rather than a sequel -- possibly because he knew the first book would go out of print and wanted to rescue some of the nicest bits. Having said all that, I will still be reading all of these books years from now, because Sladek is every bit as clever as he thinks he is, and there's always a careful and insightful process going on within his barrage of farce. _Tik-Tok_ is also a necessary and frightening counterpoint to _Roderick_. Roderick is an innocent lost in a world that doesn't believe in robots; Tik-Tok is a brilliant sociopath and self-appointed Satan in a world where obedient robots are everywhere. Sladek draws the obvious parallels to slavery, but more broadly the robots illustrate every possible way that people can use other people as objects; the real villain, who has set the scene for Tik-Tok's reign of terror, is the economy. (Sladek saw a few things coming in 1983: in his quest to do the greatest possible harm to humanity, Tik-Tok invents the HMO. If only the warnings of SF were taken seriously!) You can also ignore these insights and just go with the flow as the author squeezes jokes and trivia from his sponge-like mind, although this time some of the jokes are even sicker than usual (e.g., the mean letters that Tik-Tok writes to the families of his victims). His style is hard to describe but instantly recognizable; I say this although I haven't even read this book in English -- it just can't be found, but as usual the French have preserved all of our lost culture, and I read a very good translation that even saves most of the puns.