A light hearted, farcical, science fiction yarn featuring the robot protagonist, Charles – who reminded me of Kryton from Red Dwarf – also of the robotic butler/valet ilk.
A journey through a dark, dystopian world, encountering various characters and challenges until the not-quite-as-you-expect finale. It questions free will, and the search for meaning and purpose in life. I enjoyed this a lot, one of my favourite works by Mr Tchaikovsky.