All Systems Read by Martha Wells ★★★★

[John]

This quick and captivating read is the first novella in The Murderbot Diaries series, which introduces the relatable character, Murderbot, a self-aware security android. Murderbot is the novella's protagonist, a nongendered Human Bot Security Unit, called by humans as a "SecUnit." However, when he malfunctioned and killed a mining team, he hacked into his governor unit to prevent this incident from reoccuring giving himself free-will; however, he felt guilty about the incident and named himself, "Murderbot." Although very introverted, this android's primary interest beyond providing security for humans, is to seclude himself and binge-watch human media.

The author is effectively economical in building a world in such a small book. Political entities in the form of countries as been replaced by corporations, each vying for deep space exploration of limited resources. The characters' roles are determined by these corporate powers, whose motivations often conflict or are unknown.

Murderbot is an unforgettable character, and its voice is one of the most compelling aspects of the book. Although it is technically a machine, the author imbues Murderbot with a sarcastic, self-deprecating sense of humor and a deep sense of isolation and social-awkwardness. The number of members on the crew introduced so quickly after the beginning of this book created some difficulty in keeping them straight; however, thankfully, several are simply stereotypes and not necessary for the story's enjoyment. Now, I am ready to see how this book was translated into the Apple TV series.

[Joy D]

I admit I am hooked on the Murderbot books. I don't have Apple TV so I'll be interested to see what you think of the TV series.

[Robin P]

It's amusing that you typed it as All Systems Read!

This series grew on me. Because Murderbot is AI, descriptions of what's happening seem rather flat. On the other hand, I think the TV show went overboard in making the humans too emotional and ridiculous.

In the second book, Murderbot gets a "friend" and I think that adds a lot. Plus you fnd out more about its past.