Published : 1980 & 1983Pages : 609
Overall Mark : 8/10
Roderick is a robot who learns. He begins life looking like a toy tank, thinking like a child, and knowing nothing whatever of human ways. But as he will discover, growing up and becoming fully human is no easy task in a world where many people seem to have little difficulty giving up their humanity and descending to other levels. Published here for the first time in one volume, the two novels which comprise The Complete Roderick are John Sladek's satirical masterpiece.
JOHN SLADEK (1937-2000)
Born in the USA, John Sladek moved to Britain in 1966 and became closely involved with the British New Wave movement and New Worlds magazine, sometimes collaborating with his childhood frined Thomas M. Disch. His other novels include The Reproductive System, The Muller-Fokker Effect and Tik-Tok.
VERDICT
This is an incredibly witty, incredibly touching novel that portrays the life of a robt named Roderick and how he copes with life and essentially goring up. As an allegory for the human condition this manages to be largely successful and really shows us how people treat each other because of their differences. Those who expect thsi to be a serious discussion may be disappointed, in spite of the serious topic the novel attempts to address.
