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Exit Strategy

(The Murderbot Diaries #4)

Martha Wells (Goodreads Author)

4.40 · Rating details · 27,125 ratings · 2,821 reviews

Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?

Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence ...more

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Kindle Edition, 176 pages

Published October 2nd 2018 by Tor.com

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2019 Hugo Awards - Best Novella

48 books — 79 voters

Can't Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2018

540 books — 1,552 voters

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Nov 21, 2018 carol. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-buy-hardcover, to-buy, sci-fi, novella, i-am-not-a-robot

"I had a complex emotional reaction. A whole new burst of neural connections blossomed. Oh right, I often have complex emotional reactions which I can't easily interpret."

Murberbot continues its adventures, and exploring the learning curve of what it means to be a Murderbot. Absolutely solid balance between planning, action, and dialogue in this installment.

"It was very dramatic, like something out of a historical adventure serial. Also correct in every aspect except for all the facts, like some ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, arc

4+ stars, pushing 4.5. This fourth novella wraps up the initial set of the adventures of Murderbot. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:

Murderbot, the snarky, introverted cyborg hero of Martha Wells’ THE MURDERBOT DIARIES series, returns from its trip to Milu, the deserted terraforming facility in space. The cyborg Security Unit ― which has committed the unprecedented crime of hacking its “governor” that required it to obey orders ― was searching on Milu for additional evidence against th 4+ stars, pushing 4.5. This fourth novella wraps up the initial set of the adventures of Murderbot. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:

Murderbot, the snarky, introverted cyborg hero of Martha Wells’ THE MURDERBOT DIARIES series, returns from its trip to Milu, the deserted terraforming facility in space. The cyborg Security Unit ― which has committed the unprecedented crime of hacking its “governor” that required it to obey orders ― was searching on Milu for additional evidence against the evil-ridden corporation GrayCris, as related in the third novella in this series, Rogue Protocol. Because of key evidence found on the Milu trip, Murderbot decides it needs to meet face-to-face with Dr. Mensah, who is technically Murderbot’s owner and possibly also its friend … though Murderbot would say it doesn’t “do” friendship.

Murderbot’s return to HaveRatton Station isn’t as straightforward or successful as it hoped. Station authorities have been alerted that there’s a rogue SecUnit on the loose, and security personnel are pulling out all the stops to capture or kill Murderbot. Worse, Mensah may be in serious trouble. News sources on HaveRatton state that she’s traveled to TranRollinHyfa, a major space station where GrayCris has its corporate headquarters, to answer GrayCris’s legal claim of corporate espionage against her. Now Mensah has disappeared and is presumably in the hands of GrayCris. Murderbot gets another chance to hone its talents at armed conflict and human rescue missions and, perhaps, at friendship as well.

Old friends and old enemies both make an appearance in Exit Strategy, the fourth novella in THE MURDERBOT DIARIES series. Murderbot continues to develop as a personality, shedding part of its deeply ingrained introversion, but still reluctant to open the door to friendship. Mensah’s understanding of Murderbot’s fears both draw Murderbot to her and make it want to run away.

That she understood even that much made me melt. I hate that this happens, it makes me feel vulnerable. Maybe that was why I had been nervous about meeting Mensah again, and not all the other dumb reasons I had come up with. I hadn’t been afraid that she wasn’t my friend, I had been afraid that she was, and what it did to me.

It (Murderbot is never assigned a gender, and probably would be appalled at the thought) still frequently criticizes human stupidity, though it doesn’t even try to pretend to itself any more that it isn’t going to do whatever it can to help out people who need its assistance. It’s all delivered up in Murderbot’s hilariously sarcastic voice.

On the feed the human settled some details of what I was designating as Operation Not Actually A Completely Terrible Plan.

The first novella in this series, All Systems Red, won both the Nebula and Hugo awards, and the following novellas in this series have maintained its engaging combination of space opera adventure and Murderbot’s unique concerns about its self-identity and choices. Cyborg SecUnits are viewed as mere property by their developers, but Dr. Mensah and others have urged Murderbot to view itself as their friend and as an individual with independent rights and freedoms. Murderbot struggles with both views, and seeing that struggle play out is one of the appealing things about this series.

THE MURDERBOT DIARIES series has been a pleasure to read. The four novellas in this series range from about 150 to 175 pages each, so they go down quickly and easily, but they have some real substance along with the excitement and mayhem. I’m delighted that Wells is now planning to publish a full-length Murderbot novel. There can never be too much Murderbot in my life!

I received a free copy of this ebook from Tor for review. Thank you so much!! ...more

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Oct 05, 2018 Karl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-10-books-bought

Ms. Martha Wells latest installment of the “Murderbot Diaries” is volume number four, reportedly the last of the ‘diaries’; this one is titled “Exit Strategy”. For those that have read any of this amazing series, already know that murerbot is not really a bot (robot) or technically a murderer. He is a highly augmented human who is gainfully employed as a security unit. He guards the lives of those who hire him.

Not only is ‘He’ highly intelligent ‘He’ is also personal and is burdened with empathy ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hardback, own, sci-fi

4.5 stars

Murderbot/Rin is the best!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

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Mar 11, 2018 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: x-arcs, z-read2018, y-out2018, x-series, 5-star, sff-scifi-dystopias

It was very dramatic, like something out of a historical adventure serial. Also correct in every aspect except for all the facts, like something out of a historical adventure serial.

Amazing. As always.

I’ve written a full review for the Murderbot series before, so I guess the biggest thing I have to say about this conclusion novella is that it sticks to everything it has already succeeded at. This series is… so much fun, and also one of my favorite examples of playing with tropes I’ve ...more

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May 28, 2020 Kevin Kuhn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

This is novella four in the Murderbot Diaries series. It wraps up an overarching storyline but leaves plenty of possibilities to continue following the exploits of the delightful, if antisocial and introverted, Murderbot. I enjoyed the episodic structure of this series, but it does pay a price in the form of slow starts. Author Wells is forced to cover background events and some repeat worldbuilding in order to catch up new readers, or readers who have paused in between novellas.

Like “Rogue Pro This is novella four in the Murderbot Diaries series. It wraps up an overarching storyline but leaves plenty of possibilities to continue following the exploits of the delightful, if antisocial and introverted, Murderbot. I enjoyed the episodic structure of this series, but it does pay a price in the form of slow starts. Author Wells is forced to cover background events and some repeat worldbuilding in order to catch up new readers, or readers who have paused in between novellas.

Like “Rogue Protocol,” “Exit Strategy” takes some time to get into the action. The redeeming quality is that the stories are told in first person and Murderbot has a fun, snarky, dry sense of humor that makes the background and setup less painful than it otherwise might be. And once Murderbot arrives at the belly of the beast (GrayCris’s Headquarters), the story flies. Here Murderbot must use all it’s smarts, hacking know-how, and combat skills to rescue Dr. Mensah, a human that seems to have wiggled their way under Murderbot’s hard exterior.

I continued to enjoy watching this non-typical hero -- a part-human cyborg that would probably be classified as autistic in our culture. Author Wells is clever and consequently, so is Murderbot. So, we endup with a snarky introvert, that is a tactical and technical genius, and can kick some serious butt! While the deck is continually stacked against our hero, you’ll never doubt its ability to outsmart the enemy, but this confidence in the outcome doesn’t seem to hinder the excitement of the ride at all.

I appreciated the ending, there is somewhat of a price to pay, and there’s a clever tie-in to Murderbot’s fascination, nay - obsession with sci-fi soap opera serials on the entertainment feed. Wells has already released a full-length follow-up novel, titled “Network Effect”, that I look forward to, although after binging four Murderbot novellas, I might need a short break. I’m happy Wells went with a full novel, rather a series of smaller novella, as I was tiring from the inevitable slow starts.

Another sluggish start, but quickly turns into an action-filled romp and a fitting end to a fantastic series with a most memorable main characterbot. Four and a half stars for “Exit Strategy.” ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Nataliya rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2020-reads

“I don’t want to be human.”
Dr. Mensah said, “That’s not an attitude a lot of humans are going to understand. We tend to think that because a bot or a construct looks human, its ultimate goal would be to become human.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

And so, my friends, we have arrived at the conclusion of Murderbot novella series - the four stories that made sure that what seems like every other word out of my mouth over the last week has been ‘Murderbot’. And this conclusion is g

“I don’t want to be human.”
Dr. Mensah said, “That’s not an attitude a lot of humans are going to understand. We tend to think that because a bot or a construct looks human, its ultimate goal would be to become human.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Murderbot now has enough dirt on the GrayCris corporation to make it really sting. The problem is, GrayCris is now aware of his rogue existence and abducted Dr. Mensah - the person for whom M-Bot feels gratitude and friendship and non-forced loyalty. Plus, they are really pissing Murderbot off, after all the carnage and the stress he just went through ((view spoiler)). This world of ridiculous corporatization of the universe cannot keep M-Bot quiet and obedient.

“(Possibly I was overthinking this. I do that; it’s the anxiety that comes with being a part-organic murderbot. The upside was paranoid attention to detail. The downside was also paranoid attention to detail.)”

Murderbot gets to revisit what ART once called “his crew”, his humans from the first novella, who once again (as always) need the help of his sarcastic grumpy, pessimistic, slightly paranoid and satisfyingly competent (regardless of how much he tries to convince us otherwise) selfless self.

“On the feed the humans settled some details of what I was designating as Operation Not Actually A Completely Terrible Plan.”

“So the plan wasn’t a clusterfuck, it was just circling the clusterfuck target zone, getting ready to come in for a landing.”

And the wonderful emotional journey to accepting and ascertaining his own personhood is not even close to ending, with all the contradictions and complexity that you can expect. Murderbot’s voice is full of disillusioned cynicism and at times anger but also love - for those who despite his resolve made him care. He is so accustomed to being used that he’s almost lost when he sees that others actually care about him, and it’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

“Huh, why did I like Sanctuary Moon so much? I had to pull the memory from my archive, and what I saw there startled me. “It’s the first one I saw. When I hacked my governor module and picked up the entertainment feed. It made me feel like a person.”

What I love is that Murderbot never conflates personhood with humanity. Being able to pass for a human does not make him strive to be one, and it’s a refreshing concept in a world where Humanity is viewed as a crown jewel of everything, something to aspire to. No thanks, none of that for ’Bot. He is what he is, and I have utmost respect for him.

“Listening to the SecSystem’s audio, I heard a crew member in the corridor say, “I’ve never seen one out of armor. They really do look human.”
I made a gesture in that direction that I had only seen in the shows that were rated high on the obscenity scale.”

“I’d been pretending to be human off and on since I left Dr. Mensah, but this was the first time I’d had anything on me that officially labeled me as human. It was weird.
I didn’t like it.”

This has been an amazing four-novellas-long journey. It made me feel all the emotions, but overwhelming among those was happiness - because that’s what finding a really good book does.

5 stars for this one and 5 stars for the entire series.

“I still couldn’t believe this. “They want to hire a SecUnit.”
“They want to hire the person who saved their assessment team from combat bots and contract killers, and they don’t care what that person is.”

——————————

My review of the first novella, “All Systems Red” is here.
My review of the second novella, “Artificial Condition” is here.
My review of the third one, “Rogue Protocol”, is here.
My review of the fifth story (and the first full-length novel), “Network Effect”, is here. ...more

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Jun 16, 2018 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing

Niki's Narrative Novella Review [Part 4/4]: I entered into this final installment a little worried. For the character, for my emotions, for that heightened expectations that comes from reaching the end of something truly fantastic and hoping the quality holds up. I was not disappointed. Exit Strategy had the perfect balance of all the amazing elements that make this series so special. Did I shed a tear at some point during this book? I can’t remember. It might have been a combination of laughing ...more

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Oct 13, 2018 Manuel Antão rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018

If you're into stuff like this, you can read the full review.

Emotions Galore: “Exit Strategy” by Martha Wells

“’I don’t want to be human.’
[...]
Dr. Mensah said: [...] ‘We tend to think that because a bot or a construct looks human, its ultimate goal would be to become human.’
‘That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.’”

In “Exit Strategy” by Martha Wells

SecUnits are sentient constructs, part machine, part organic, largely human in form and created in part with human tissue, that are owned by compani ...more

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Mar 22, 2020 Richard Derus rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindled

This is the point in the series when Murderbot comes in from the cold. Nothing about this read is emotionally easy because Murderbot is so confused. Until the organic memories can be fully integrated into its systems, emotions will keep flooring it. Author Wells gets all five stars for this entry in the series because that integration is not an easy thing for Murderbot, or in fact for the organic being reading its diary.

(Possibly I was overthinking this. I do that; it’s the anxiety that comes wi

...more

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Apr 06, 2019 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-reads, space-opera, awesome-audio, sci-fi, 4-5-stars, no-kissy-kissy, uf-pnr, audio-challenge-2020

Re-reading right before Network Effect comes out on Tuesday 5/5. So happy to hang with Murderbot again.

Holds up well. Totally excited to jump into a new story tomorrow.

Original Review

Murderbot, so far has been un unexpected treat. I love the journey I’ve taken with the Cyborg security unit gone rogue that for the most part just wants to be left alone to watch media, but instead gets dragged into protecting the stupid humans who seem to be in danger all the time. Even more surprising is how It is ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Phrynne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5000-2019

Gosh I have enjoyed this series so much.

In Exit Strategy Murderbot gets himself into even more trouble than usual and practically the whole book is action as he escapes from seemingly impossible situations and rescues various people against all odds. As the books have gone along he has increased his capabilities with every event and by now he can apparently control whole space stations with his hacking abilities.

I suppose I should really say 'it', not he, but by now Murderbot seems practically ...more

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Oct 09, 2018 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells is book 4 in the series. I read the first one but have listened to the rest. Since book one, I picture the unisex murderbot more female than male but in book two it seems more male.
Either way, it is certainly has more humanity than most humans. The story is peppered with humor, lots of action, adventure, corporate intrigue, and fantastic tech busting from our favorite murderbot! It is a super hacker on two artificial legs! A wild ride through the universe with one ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Gary rated it really liked it

Everything comes full circle for Murderbot in the conclusion to Wells’ quadrilogy of novellas. The GrayCris Corporation takes Doctor Mensah hostage, believing her responsible for the difficulties Murderbot has caused them. Murderbot must affect a rescue of its friend without giving up the goods it has on GrayCris and while almost certainly walking into a trap. Wells weaves together all the elements that have made this series such a rousing success: caustic humor, lightning-paced and suspenseful ...more

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Dec 02, 2018 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: space-opera, 2018-shelf, sci-fi

This latest and perhaps last Diary wraps up a very interesting time for our wonderful Security Bot.

Who knew that going completely rogue, hacking his/her own programming, and calling no shots but his/her own could be so HAIRY?

Oh, wait... EVERYONE knew that. :)

I know I just got done hacking my own programming and just went through the exact same issues as our favorite Murderbot. Guilt. Emotion. Friendship. Yeah. I hate all those things, too.

But at least I have my SF soaps! Soaps make everything go ...more

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Dec 15, 2018 Milda Page Runner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: humor, favourites, science-fiction

Well, this was awesome.
Can't wait to see my favourite Murderbot again in the full length novel.

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May 24, 2019 Gavin rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

This was a fun conclusion to Martha Wells The Murderbot Diaries novella series.

I'm a big fan of Well's capitalist future gone awry sci-fi world and of her memorable and fantastic lead character, the security unit, Murderbot! Our favourite grumpy, socially anxious, security bot is this series only POV character and that really works as Murderbot is a truly unique character with an engaging voice. That unique voice allows Wells the ability to get both humour and touching emotional moments into t ...more

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Mar 01, 2019 Melindam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: uno-2020, audiobook, science-fiction

“(Possibly I was overthinking this. I do that; it’s the anxiety that comes with being a part-organic murderbot. The upside was paranoid attention to detail. The downside was also paranoid attention to detail.)”

“By tricky I meant I was getting an average of an 85 percent chance of failure and death, and it was only that low because my last diagnostic said my risk assessment module was wonky. (I know, that explains a lot about me.)”

Satisfaction level: 100% - Still reeling from impact!
Content ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bipoc-actor, scifi-fantasy, favourites, x2018-read, 2020-read, auth-f

2020-04: I'm definitely giving Murderbot all the big display surfaces it wants. And not looking at it while I tell it how much I enjoy spending time with it.

2018-11: 5 big display surfaces for this wrap-up of the story started in the first Murderbot Diaries story.
Murderbot reunites with the team he was protecting in book one, only to find that GrayCris is holding Dr. Mensah hostage. Murderbot, cranky and super sarcastic as always, must find a way to deal with this new situation. Which it does, ...more

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Sep 21, 2020 ♡ daye ♡ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, sci-fi, novella

me: I would die for Murderbot
Murderbot, probably: NOT IF I CAN HELP IT

5 out of 5 beautiful (stressful) stars. I think this novella really cemented the fact that The Murderbot Diaries is one of my absolute favourite sci-fi series of all time.

also, the og team is back in this one so it’s DOUBLE the fun (??) times

side note: if you haven’t already, I would highly, highly recommend searching up tumblr fanart of Murderbot. you won’t regret it

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May 04, 2020 Choko rated it really liked it

Shelves: quickies, sci-fi-fantasy

*** 4.44 ***

"...“I don’t want to be human.” Dr. Mensah said, “That’s not an attitude a lot of humans are going to understand. We tend to think that because a bot or a construct looks human, its ultimate goal would be to become human.” “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”..."
― Martha Wells, Exit Strategy

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Oct 26, 2019 Alissa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-ebooks

5 full stars. More, please.

I knew interpreting the emotional subtext in the speech and appearance of real humans was completely different from interpreting it in shows and serials. (For one thing, the shows and serials were trying to communicate accurately with the viewer. As far as I could tell, real humans usually didn’t know what the hell they were doing.)

By tricky I meant I was getting an average of an 85 percent chance of failure and death, and it was only that low because my last diagnos ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 HBalikov rated it it was amazing

“So, you’re a SecUnit.” She made a half-shrug gesture I didn’t understand. “Is that … weird?” It was a complicated question with a simple answer. “Yes.”

The Security Robot, self-described as “Murderbot” is a deft creation by Wells. It has cut its “controller” ties, so it is its own boss. This is the fourth episode and Murderbot has developed some tricks to keep from being recognized as a rogue SecUnit is the world of humans and “augmented” humans. By Exit Strategy, it is trying to determine the b “So, you’re a SecUnit.” She made a half-shrug gesture I didn’t understand. “Is that … weird?” It was a complicated question with a simple answer. “Yes.”

The Security Robot, self-described as “Murderbot” is a deft creation by Wells. It has cut its “controller” ties, so it is its own boss. This is the fourth episode and Murderbot has developed some tricks to keep from being recognized as a rogue SecUnit is the world of humans and “augmented” humans. By Exit Strategy, it is trying to determine the best way to “help” its former owner who has run afoul of an evil corporation. Murderbot is aware of its own role in putting that person in danger, but it is still emotion-adverse and trying to master the more biological aspects of its brain/memory. Our ‘bot has developed its ability to tap into almost any kind of information feed and to take control and/or adjust that information to suit its purposes.

In the GR World so many people have already lauded this series that it hardly matters what I may add. These “diary entries” are like chocolate-covered crisps and it is hard to take just one and be satisfied. Wells’ creation allows her to provide us with a constant flow of what it is to be human. Some of the observations are wry, others poignant, still others hilarious as the ‘bot shows its fascination with all things human. Wells also has time to satirize human foibles, conventions and corporations in their many ways of separating humans from their hard-earned treasure. Here are a couple of examples:

"There was a pause while the group encountered the hotel’s choked feed and got someone to authorize a payment. (I guess you could pay off the management to let you bring in a SecUnit and weapons and do a hostage exchange, but they drew the line at giving you free feed access.)"

"We walked into a strong breeze coming from the access backbone. I picked up human voices on audio not far away. From the feed activity, there was a lot of traffic about two hundred meters to the right, toward the plaza and the hotels. None of it sounded like emergency or security operations, just normal support system work. In six more steps the ramp reached the backbone, a shadowy cavern lit by low-level navigation beacons. Things whooshed by in the dimness, mostly lift platforms and automated carriers coming from or heading back to the port cargo depots. It wasn’t like there was no security, since if you were going to steal cargo or do something terrible to a competitor’s station structure, this was the place to do it from. I was deflecting the scans for weapons and power sources, and we had five minutes and counting before the next drone squad came through."

A delightful series that has progressed without losing any of its ability to surprise and entertain. ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 Justine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-read, novella

A fine conclusion to the story arc that began in All Systems Red. Murderbot is reunited with Dr. Mensah and others from the Preservation Survey Team much changed and approaching self-acceptance of personhood. That doesn't mean there is any less action in this one. The ride continues to be rough both physically and emotionally.

My only complaint about this series is that I think I would have preferred to read them all consecutively. They really are serial installments in a single story, and I feel ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Veronique rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites, r2018, scifi

4.5*

“I don’t want to be human.”

What we hoped finally happens. Murderbot upon finding out that Dr Mensah and her team are in danger decides to come to the rescue.

Yes, this is a Space Opera kind of story with great action scenes, but ultimately it is Rin’s character that grabs you. Its self deprecation and snarky side are so relatable and likeable, but even more so is witnessing Its psychological and emotional development.

Trust Wells to give us a great ‘open’ resolution to this series of novella ...more

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Oct 23, 2018 Mir rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, adventure

This may be my favorite Murderbot after the first one.
It was nice to see the Preservation gang again.

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Oct 13, 2018 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, novella, science-fiction, review-copy

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/10/22/...

Exit Strategy closes out the Murderbot Diaries quartet of novellas, and while it’s a bit on the tame side compared to all that came before, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to tie everything together. For those who have been on this crazy ride since the beginning, you will also be delighted to know this book takes us back to the beginning, to the event and people who started it all.

At the end of the last book, Mur 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/10/22/...

Exit Strategy closes out the Murderbot Diaries quartet of novellas, and while it’s a bit on the tame side compared to all that came before, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to tie everything together. For those who have been on this crazy ride since the beginning, you will also be delighted to know this book takes us back to the beginning, to the event and people who started it all.

At the end of the last book, Murderbot had just made a significant breakthrough in its investigation of the shadowy corporation GrayCris and has decided the time has finally come to seek out Dr. Mensah, the lead researcher we first met in All Systems Red. But there’s only one problem: it appears Mensah has been kidnapped in a preemptive move by GrayCris to prevent a lawsuit from being brought against them. Murderbot now has no choice but to take it upon itself to rescue Mensah, but first it must take care of another predicament. Word is out that a rogue SecUnit is on the loose, and the authorities are out in force looking for Murderbot, threatening to end its mission before it even begins.

After making its way to the space station where Dr. Mensah is believed to be held, it’s a heartfelt reunion as Murderbot is reconnected with the other scientists from the original exploration team. But none of it is going to compare to the moment when our protagonist finally comes face to face again with the person who had always known Murderbot’s true nature, treating it as an individual and a friend. Needless to say, the idea is a bombshell for an A.I. who has always had difficulty coming to grips with its emotions. In one of the most compassionate and revealing moments of this entire series, the famously snarky and misanthropic Murderbot must consider how these feelings will affect its perceptions of humans, as well as what this might mean for the future.

Like all the Murderbot Diaries novellas that have come before, this final one really packed a punch. But while action and intrigue have thus far been major elements in the previous volumes, perhaps it is no surprise where Exit Strategy hit the hardest was in the emotional department. I felt it was an appropriate and natural next step following the intensity and energy of Rogue Protocol, and the more reflective tone of this book allowed for the attention to shine on everything going on in Murderbot’s mind. We’ve seen how each installment has built upon the previous one, forming a larger narrative while always increasing the stakes. Having recognized this trend, I expected a lot from Exit Strategy and in the end I was not disappointed. We have now witnessed the nearly complete transformation of Murderbot. It has gone to great lengths to augment itself to look and act human, and the final step was learning how to feel human.

For those of a mind that a person alone with no community, friends, or family can ever truly grasp the full human experience, you will probably appreciate the themes in this series. Murderbot began as an artificial intelligence freed from its programming. Hilariously though, before Dr. Mensah’s team came along, it was content to simply use its newfound freedom to enjoy the limitless offerings of TV shows available from the human entertainment networks. From the beginning, that part of Murderbot’s personality set the stage for the type of humor and charm you would find throughout this series, but it goes deeper than that. I’d really like to think that the soaps was what set our protagonist on its path to empathize with and relate to humans, ultimately discovering the importance of meaningful relationships and value of friends and other people who will have your back—no matter what.

All told, the Murderbot Diaries series has been an absolute delight. All four novellas have been quick and easy reads, but nevertheless, they’ll be hard to forget. I’m very excited for the upcoming full-length novel, because like many others, I have not had enough of Murderbot yet, not even close. I’ll be looking forward to see where Martha Wells will take the character next. ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

When I got back to HaveRatton Station, a bunch of humans tried to kill me. Considering how much I’d been thinking about killing a bunch of humans, it was only fair.

The final novella from the diaries of a runaway security robot tries to find a way to solve the tricky issue of It either going back into the fold of society on its own terms, or going out in a blaze of glory. Hence the title.
The choice has been forced on Murderbot by the same evil corporation featured in the previous episodes, Gray
When I got back to HaveRatton Station, a bunch of humans tried to kill me. Considering how much I’d been thinking about killing a bunch of humans, it was only fair.

The final novella from the diaries of a runaway security robot tries to find a way to solve the tricky issue of It either going back into the fold of society on its own terms, or going out in a blaze of glory. Hence the title.
The choice has been forced on Murderbot by the same evil corporation featured in the previous episodes, GrayCris. This agent also bring the whole story arc back to its origins and suggests a packaging of the individual novellas into a single volume for the full experience of the reader.

GrayCris, after being sued by the team of scientists in the first episode, and after losing incriminating evidence about its activities in the third one, decides to go for broke and kidnaps the leader of the Conservation alliance in order to force the scientists to settle. Since the lady is the first friend of Murderbot, the one who treated it fairly and as an equal rights, free-thinking being, our android gumshoe goes to the rescue, “Die Hard” style, on a heavily defended corporate hub.

So now I was not only a rogue unit, I was a rogue unit carrying a weapon designed to shoot armored security. Which is just playing to the humans expectations, I guess.

The same qualities that thrilled me in the first encounter with Murderbot are present here, too: tight plotting, intense pacing, excellent narrative voice, good presentation of SF concepts dealing with artificial intelligence, mass surveillance and ethics. These arguments on the plus side make it easy to gloss over some inconsistencies in logic, especially about a software program that acts more human than many people I know (which is attributed in the series to a personality developed solely on a diet of cheap television sitcoms). A certain formulaic approach to plot building is also noticeable by the fourth iteration, but it’s not enough of a deterrent in my pursuit of the next adventure in the company of Murderbot.
...more

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Oct 03, 2018 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

Murderbot has been striking out on its own for a couple of novellas now, but when it learns that its actions have caused trouble for Dr Mensah, everyone's favorite introverted killing machines does everything it can to get back to where it can to help out. Pretty soon it reunites with Mensah's crew in an effort to free her and defeat the evil GrayCris Corporation in the process.

Murderbot is wonderful. Renewing the contact with Mensah and her crew as the only humans who actually know it for what ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Mel (Epic Reading) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-print

It appears this is the last (for now, written Feb 2019) of the Murderbot Diaries novellas from Martha Wells. The good news out of this is that we are getting a full length novel!! That's right a lot more Murderbot coming our way soon.

What can I tell you about this book... if you already liked the first three novellas you'll enjoy this one too. It brings our favourite bot full circle. Back to the company of the original crew in All Systems Red. Except this time they have the data to cause a sti ...more

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About Martha Wells

Martha Wells

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Martha Wells has written many fantasy novels, including The Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads), the Ile-Rien series (including The Death of the Necromancer) as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, media tie-ins (for Star Wars and Stargate: Atlantis), and non-fiction. Her most recent fantasy novel is The Harbors of the Sun in 2017, the final novel in The Books of the ...more