"John Sladek - Tik Tok" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sladek John)

TIK-TOK
by John T. Sladek

Flyleaf:


Isaac Asimov's renowned First Law of Robotics states: "A robot shall not
injure a human being, or through inaction allow a human being to come to
harm." Like every domestic robot in the 21st century, Tik-Tok is programmed
with "asimov circuits" governing his behaviour. Unfortunately in his case they
cease to work, and so Tik-Tok sets out to injure as many human beings as
possible -- preferably fatally.
Outwardly, though, he remains a mild-mannered artist and sincere
campaigner for robot rights -- and so, like any self-respecting crook and
murderer, he moves into politics, becoming the first robot candidate for
Vice-President of the United States.
The novel follows Tik-Tok's progress from humble beginnings. Along the
way he meets a typical cross-section of people: Clayton Culpepper, whose
attempt to build an exact replica of the Great Pyramid inadvertently turns the
state of Mississippi into a windswept desert; Colonel Jitney, who gets away
with passing off armadillo meat as duck in his chain of restaurants . . .
until customers start to show the unmistakable and bizarre symptoms of "dillo
fever"; trailblazing anti-Conceptualist architect Walter Chev, who not only
won't draw or write about his creations, but won't even _think_ about them;
and a host of others equally as normal.
Author of such novels as _The Reproductive System_ and _Roderick_, John
Sladek has long been recognised as the leading satirist of the coming machine
age. _Tik-Tok_, a devastating black comedy, is sure to win him a larger
audience than ever.


Copyright John Sladek 1983


First published in Great Britain October 1983 by Victor Gollancz Ltd, 14
Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8QJ

Second impression February 1985


ISBN 0-575-03336-3




To Tik-Tok of Oz, Talos of Crete,
the Golem of Prague, Olympia of Nuremberg,
Elektro of Westinghouse, Robby of Altair,
Talbot Yancy of America and to all decent,
law-abiding robots everywhere.