Major themes
Though the Roderick books are in many ways serious examinations of philosophical issues surrounding the idea of intelligent machines, their plot is (typically for Sladek) propelled by energetic farce and satire. Nearly every human institution, particularly academia and government, is portrayed as grievously incompetent (the Roderick project itself is originally an elaborate fraud), and the growing computerization of modern society causes no end of trouble for people—though Roderick is able to turn it to his advantage. A running joke throughout is that although Roderick is not particularly human-looking, people are unable to believe that he is a robot or simply fail to notice, and treat him instead as an insane man or a disabled child; but, like Candide or Prince Myshkin (from The Idiot ), he never complains and always seeks to please.
The story is also peppered with Sladek's usual puns and word games, and satirical jabs at other science fiction themes, particularly Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.
Diana Wynne Jones was an English novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote fantasy and speculative fiction novels for children and young adults. Although usually described as fantasy, some of her work also incorporates science fiction themes and elements of realism. Jones's work often explores themes of time travel and parallel or multiple universes. Some of her better-known works are the Chrestomanci series, the Dalemark series, the three Moving Castle novels, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland.
The Forge of God is a 1987 science fiction novel by American writer Greg Bear. Earth faces destruction when an inscrutable and overwhelming alien form of life attacks.
John Thomas Sladek was an American science fiction author, known for his satirical and surreal novels.
Restoree (1967) is a science fiction novel by American-Irish writer Anne McCaffrey, her first book published. It is the story of a young woman who survives being abducted by aliens and finds a new life on another planet.
The Hyperion Cantos is a series of science fiction novels by Dan Simmons. The title was originally used for the collection of the first pair of books in the series, Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, and later came to refer to the overall storyline, including Endymion, The Rise of Endymion, and a number of short stories. More narrowly, inside the fictional storyline, after the first volume, the Hyperion Cantos is an epic poem written by the character Martin Silenus covering in verse form the events of the first two books.
When HARLIE Was One is a 1972 science fiction novel by American writer David Gerrold. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1972 and the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1973. The novel, a "fix-up" of previously published short stories, was published as an original paperback by Ballantine Books in 1972, with an accompanying Science Fiction Book Club release. A revised version, subtitled "Release 2.0", was published in 1988 by Bantam Books.
"Blind Alley" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the March 1945 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, and later included in the collection The Early Asimov (1972).
The City and the Stars is a science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, published in 1956. This novel is a complete rewrite of Clarke's earlier Against the Fall of Night, his first novel, which had been published in Startling Stories magazine in 1948 after being rejected by the editor of Astounding Science-Fiction, according to the author.
The Müller-Fokker Effect is a satirical science fiction novel written by John Sladek in 1970. The first UK edition was published by Hutchinson with cover design by Bill Botten. It has long been out of print in the United States, having come out in a Pocket Books edition in 1973. A reprint was done in 1990 by Carroll & Graf. The title is a pun with the insult motherfucker, and the book itself is suffused with wordplay of all stripes.
Tik-Tok is a 1983 science fiction novel by American writer John Sladek. It received a 1983 British Science Fiction Association Award.
Roderick at Random is a novel by John Sladek published in 1983. It is the sequel to Roderick, or The Education of a Young Machine (1980); both novels were reissued together in 2001 as The Complete Roderick.
Richard M. Powers was an American science fiction and fantasy fiction illustrator. He was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2016.
Brandon Winn Sanderson is an American author of young adult high fantasy and science fiction books. He is best known for the Cosmere fictional universe, in which most of his fantasy novels, most notably the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive, are set. Outside of the Cosmere, he has written several young adult and juvenile series including The Reckoners, the Skyward series, and the Alcatraz series. He is also known for finishing Robert Jordan's high fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Sanderson has created several graphic novel fantasy series, including White Sand and Dark One.
"Supertoys Last All Summer Long" is a science fiction short story by Brian Aldiss, first published in the UK edition of Harper's Bazaar, in its December 1969 issue. The story deals with humanity in an age of intelligent machines and of the aching loneliness endemic in an overpopulated future where child creation is controlled.
The Year of Intelligent Tigers is a BBC Books original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz and Anji. It was also reprinted in 2011, along with a few other books in the series.
Opus 100 is a collection by American writer and scientist Isaac Asimov. It was published by Houghton Mifflin on 16 October 1969. Asimov chose to celebrate the publication of his hundredth book by writing about his previous 99 books, including excerpts from short stories and novels, as well as nonfiction articles and books. Opus 100 also includes five complete science fiction stories and one complete science essay.
"Huddling Place" is a science fiction short story by American writer Clifford D. Simak, originally published in 1944 in Astounding Science Fiction. It is one of several linked stories collected in City.
"Exploration Team" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Murray Leinster, originally published in the March 1956 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1956.
The Color of Distance is a science fiction novel by American writer Amy Thomson, published in 1995 by Ace Books. It was nominated for a Philip K. Dick Award in the category Best Paperback Original Novel. The sequel is Through Alien Eyes.
Clifford Donald Simak was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror Writers Association made him one of three inaugural winners of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. He is associated with the pastoral science fiction subgenre.
