Kian Ryan reviewed The Complete Roderick by John Sladek
Review of 'The Complete Roderick' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Roderick is a machine intelligence and conciousness, embodied in a mechanical body. Strictly speaking, he is a robot.
Most stories about robots and robotics revolve around the robot themselves and their impact on society. Roderick's impact is relatively zero-sum, he is distinctively a footnote, an observer for things that happen to and around him.
"Roderick" looks at the early years of Roderick's life, from his initial inception from the mind of a deranged genius (with a healthy nod to Frankenstein), his adoption by Ma and Pa, early education, later education and eventually reaching adulthood. Sladek clearly does not like authority, be it education, church or government and slaps all with a healthy amount of ridicule. Each scene introduces new characters in a new setting, and inevitably, things go wrong around Roderick. Rarely is Roderick the direct cause of the distress, although he is often blamed for it. Science Fiction itself …
Roderick is a machine intelligence and conciousness, embodied in a mechanical body. Strictly speaking, he is a robot.
Most stories about robots and robotics revolve around the robot themselves and their impact on society. Roderick's impact is relatively zero-sum, he is distinctively a footnote, an observer for things that happen to and around him.
"Roderick" looks at the early years of Roderick's life, from his initial inception from the mind of a deranged genius (with a healthy nod to Frankenstein), his adoption by Ma and Pa, early education, later education and eventually reaching adulthood. Sladek clearly does not like authority, be it education, church or government and slaps all with a healthy amount of ridicule. Each scene introduces new characters in a new setting, and inevitably, things go wrong around Roderick. Rarely is Roderick the direct cause of the distress, although he is often blamed for it. Science Fiction itself is not safe, and Sladek takes a shot at Asimov, in a discussion between a priest and Roderick about the implications of the three laws. The book ends on a pleasant high, setting up well for the sequel.
"Roderick At Random" starts where "Roderick" left off and we see Roderick leading the typical life of a young adult - a low paying job, an employer that has some real issues, and trying to deal with the direction of his life. There's less humour in the sequel, and the overall tone is darker. As the book progresses we are given the impression that computers are becoming more intelligent, and developing their own consciousness, making Roderick no longer alone. But rather than identify with them Roderick is scared by them, and at one point performs an act which likens him to a human more than a machine. Religion is explored, and given a heavier treatment than the first book. Not content at just ridiculing the Catholic church, Sladek turns Zen Buddhism in to a stock-trading and gambling sham, and takes aim at a celebrity religion which smells not unlike Scientology. The darker tone of the book reflects in the conclusion, which is enough to make you go away and think for a few hours.