Murderbot Diaries #1-6 by Martha Wells
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
A refreshing take on high-suspense hard sci-fi, with found family, an exasperated construct and lots of fighting and swearing.
Murderbot Diaries is from the point of view of a Security Unit (SecUnit), who is part human, part machine - and prefers the machine side better than the gooey human side. While SecUnit’s have no name, ours has named itself, Murderbot, and has hacked the part of it’s brain that keeps it following commands. However, free will comes with near-constant existential crisis.
“I’d hacked my governor module and kept doing my job because I didn’t know what else to do (except you know, a murderous rampage, but murderous rampages are overrated and interfere with one’s ability to keep watching media)”
So far there are seven books in the series, set in the far distant future, where many planets have been terriformed and are inhabited by humans. Spaceships, AI’s and augmented humans (with lots of high-end hardware implanted in them) is the norm. In book 1, All Systems Red, a small group of scientists are exploring a new planet and are contractually obligated to bring a SecUnit with them for protection. Unknown to them, Murderbot has already hacked it’s governor module and just wants to spent it’s time watching TV dramas. Naturally, nothing on this planet is as benign as it seems, and Murderbot’s free will, empathy and purpose all crash together while keeping the scientists safe.
Book 1, All Systems Red, sets up a conspiracy by powerful corporations, which Murderbot and the scientists (now friends) try to unravel.
This series is funny, and action packed and heartwarming all at the same time. My favourite book in the series is book #5 Network Effect (which is the first full length book in the series, the rest are novellas). This book won the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 2020 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 2021 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. It’s my favourite because of its length. I love hanging out with Murderbot, and giving the story over 300 pages to build gives us lots of time with the characters and so much fighting.
“You know, if you don’t want to be manually eviscerated with your own energy weapon then maybe you shouldn’t go around killing research transports and antagonizing rogue SecUnits.”
This series is best read in a storage container at the back of a drop ship on your way to an unknown, possibly hostile planet. Make sure to bring enough drones and new episodes of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
Murderbot Diaries is one of my favourite sci-fi series, and I love to re-read them. The Murderbot Diaries #7 System Collapse comes out November 14. And I promised TorDotCom a kidney for an advanced reader copy (which they gave me and magnanimously allowed me to keep the kidney). Full review here!
