Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Tor.com (New York, 2017). 1st edition, 1st printing. 154 pages. $14.99.
Description
A murderous android discovers itself in "All Systems Red", a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial intelligence. In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.… (more)
Media reviews
But this book is sneaky. As much as you want to think this is just some lightweight little confection made of robot fights and space murder — and as much as All Systems Red wants to present itself as nothing but robot fights and space murder — Martha Wells did something really clever. She hid a
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delicate, nuanced and deeply, grumpily human story inside these pulp trappings, by making her murderous robot story primarily character-driven. And the character doing the driving?
Murderbot. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member SamSattler
I don’t read all that much pure science fiction these days, so I doubt that I would have become aware of Martha Wells’s Murderbot Series if I had not read a blogger’s review of All Systems Red, the first book in the series. As it turns out, there are currently four novellas of approximately
The central character of All Systems Red, and of the whole series, is a “droid” supplied to planetary explorers and scientists somewhere in the distant future for security purposes when they are on the job far from any possible support or backup originating on Earth. The bots can be programmed and reprogrammed to perform various tasks, including becoming combat soldiers, as necessary. The particular group of scientists we encounter in All Systems Red has had the good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) fortune of having rented a bot smart enough to have hacked its own “governor module,” meaning that it is now capable of making its own decisions instead of always doing exactly what its humans tell it to do. Our bot, unknown to his humans, has dubbed himself “Murderbot.”
So what are Murderbot’s plans now? As you can tell from the book’s opening paragraph, not all that much, really:
“I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”
Murderbot is perfectly content to turn into a couch potato while performing the minimum required to keep his humans safe until they can be transported home by the company. But then something funny starts to happen: Murderbot starts to develop a personal relationship with the humans around him. And he hates that thought because he does not want to feel anything even remotely resembling a human emotion. He can’t wait to get back to watching his space operas, not realizing that he is learning all about what it is to be human from those same serials.
Bottom Line: All Systems Red does turn into quite a space thriller with good humans and bad humans using their bots to maim and kill each other over the potential profits the unknown planet might generate. But that’s not the kind of thing that will necessarily make readers anxious to get hold of the next book in the series. What hooks readers here, I think, is the idea that Murderbot is in the process of figuring out all for himself the meaning of his life. By the end of the novel, he is his own man. And I, for one, can’t wait to find out what’s next for this killer with a heart.
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150 pages each, one 350-page novel, and one short story in the series - with a fifth novella scheduled for publication in 2021. All Systems Red was published in 2017, followed quickly in 2018 by the next three books. However, it was not until May 2020 that the Murderbot Diaries novel was published, so longtime fans of the series must have been thrilled to see it resumed. The central character of All Systems Red, and of the whole series, is a “droid” supplied to planetary explorers and scientists somewhere in the distant future for security purposes when they are on the job far from any possible support or backup originating on Earth. The bots can be programmed and reprogrammed to perform various tasks, including becoming combat soldiers, as necessary. The particular group of scientists we encounter in All Systems Red has had the good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) fortune of having rented a bot smart enough to have hacked its own “governor module,” meaning that it is now capable of making its own decisions instead of always doing exactly what its humans tell it to do. Our bot, unknown to his humans, has dubbed himself “Murderbot.”
So what are Murderbot’s plans now? As you can tell from the book’s opening paragraph, not all that much, really:
“I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”
Murderbot is perfectly content to turn into a couch potato while performing the minimum required to keep his humans safe until they can be transported home by the company. But then something funny starts to happen: Murderbot starts to develop a personal relationship with the humans around him. And he hates that thought because he does not want to feel anything even remotely resembling a human emotion. He can’t wait to get back to watching his space operas, not realizing that he is learning all about what it is to be human from those same serials.
Bottom Line: All Systems Red does turn into quite a space thriller with good humans and bad humans using their bots to maim and kill each other over the potential profits the unknown planet might generate. But that’s not the kind of thing that will necessarily make readers anxious to get hold of the next book in the series. What hooks readers here, I think, is the idea that Murderbot is in the process of figuring out all for himself the meaning of his life. By the end of the novel, he is his own man. And I, for one, can’t wait to find out what’s next for this killer with a heart.
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LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
This first of the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells is a fast and engaging read. The tale is told by the eponymous "construct": a security unit android, something like a synthetic rent-a-cop for exoplanet missions. Murderbot has hacked its own governor module and become autonomous, and is mostly
The best part of this book is the narrating voice of Murderbot, who is profoundly uncomfortable with social interaction, although fascinated by it, as demonstrated by the chosen diet of entertainment programming. Despite some difficulties, the humans of the crew have a much easier time treating Murderbot as a person than Murderbot does in behaving like one. A human describes Murderbot as "shy," but that radically understates the difference of the construct's perspective and alienation from human interaction. For all that, Murderbot's professed laziness and apathy are endearing, as is its resentment for the incompetence of the avaricious corporation that has leased it to the crew.
I read this longish novella in two sittings. It sets up a longer series, but fully completes a plot arc within this first story.
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interested in consuming the Sanctuary Moon soap opera rather than doing assigned tasks. When a crisis arises to threaten the entire expedition, the self-hacked SecUnit exhibits surprising competencies while trying to conceal its liberated condition.The best part of this book is the narrating voice of Murderbot, who is profoundly uncomfortable with social interaction, although fascinated by it, as demonstrated by the chosen diet of entertainment programming. Despite some difficulties, the humans of the crew have a much easier time treating Murderbot as a person than Murderbot does in behaving like one. A human describes Murderbot as "shy," but that radically understates the difference of the construct's perspective and alienation from human interaction. For all that, Murderbot's professed laziness and apathy are endearing, as is its resentment for the incompetence of the avaricious corporation that has leased it to the crew.
I read this longish novella in two sittings. It sets up a longer series, but fully completes a plot arc within this first story.
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LibraryThing member beserene
All the buzz and awards (*cough*HUGO*coughcough*) this has been getting are, frankly, well-deserved. On the surface, this novella is the story of a cybernetic construct, part cloned-organic and part technological-robot, who has technically gone rogue, in its own quiet way, and just wants to be left
But, for real, the book is about being a person. Murderbot, as it semi-ironically calls itself, is all of us who sit by ourselves and feel isolated and tell ourselves we don't like people anyway. It's anyone who has social anxiety. It's every person who has wanted to disappear in a crowded room.
And it's freaking great. The whole novella, told from Murderbot's perspective, is fast-paced and occasionally brutal, but not so much as to make one deeply uncomfortable. Instead, the intriguing discomfort comes from Murderbot's own frank observations of humanity and itself. The shift of its emotions are the real plot here and, as a person, I could completely relate to every single moment except for the actual murdery bits. (There aren't as many as you might think.)
I can't really explain this book except to say that it's one of the most inventive and most human science fiction stories I've come across in a long time. And now I'm off to read the next one!
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alone. But, for real, the book is about being a person. Murderbot, as it semi-ironically calls itself, is all of us who sit by ourselves and feel isolated and tell ourselves we don't like people anyway. It's anyone who has social anxiety. It's every person who has wanted to disappear in a crowded room.
And it's freaking great. The whole novella, told from Murderbot's perspective, is fast-paced and occasionally brutal, but not so much as to make one deeply uncomfortable. Instead, the intriguing discomfort comes from Murderbot's own frank observations of humanity and itself. The shift of its emotions are the real plot here and, as a person, I could completely relate to every single moment except for the actual murdery bits. (There aren't as many as you might think.)
I can't really explain this book except to say that it's one of the most inventive and most human science fiction stories I've come across in a long time. And now I'm off to read the next one!
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LibraryThing member elenchus
Two mysteries here, one specific to this novella and another explored over the course of the series. The first centers on the exoplanet mission, and why SecUnit's crew are being sabotaged. The broader question: why is Murderbot so self-conscious and guilt-ridden?
So, I'm awkward with actual humans.
SecUnit is a construct, an android with both machine and organic parts, on balance more artificial than even the most augmented human, and very careful not to share the name Murderbot with anyone, using it only for inner monologue. When emergency surgery reveals the name, SecUnit chastises the humans for violating its privacy. The reader knows SecUnit calls itself a murderbot, but it's not entirely clear why. Evidently SecUnit itself doesn't remember everything.
While the plot and world-building are not especially innovative, they are well-crafted and serve a crucial function: providing a suitable context about which SecUnit can narrate. The results are subtle but profound, not simply tautological. WS Burroughs's insight came to mind:
Death needs time like a junkie needs junk. And what does Death need time for? ... Death needs time for what it kills to grow in, for Ah Pook’s sake.
Both the pacing of story and the efficient world-building are perfectly suited to SecUnit's self-discovery, and consequent revelation to the reader. It doesn't feel like SecUnit is keeping secrets from the reader in a deliberate scheme (though of course, it knows much more than it says at any given time, especially about itself), so much as SecUnit is unwilling to share things until events provoke it and make it unavoidable. In that sense, the premise and setting serve as a form of therapist for SecUnit, and a compelling character study for the reader.
The first mystery is revealed in this novella, but revelations about SecUnit's identity are only just underway.
So, I'm awkward with actual humans.
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It's not paranoia about my hacked governor module, and it's not them; it's me. I know I'm a horrifying murderbot, and they know it, and it makes both of us nervous, which makes me even more nervous. [20]SecUnit is a construct, an android with both machine and organic parts, on balance more artificial than even the most augmented human, and very careful not to share the name Murderbot with anyone, using it only for inner monologue. When emergency surgery reveals the name, SecUnit chastises the humans for violating its privacy. The reader knows SecUnit calls itself a murderbot, but it's not entirely clear why. Evidently SecUnit itself doesn't remember everything.
While the plot and world-building are not especially innovative, they are well-crafted and serve a crucial function: providing a suitable context about which SecUnit can narrate. The results are subtle but profound, not simply tautological. WS Burroughs's insight came to mind:
Death needs time like a junkie needs junk. And what does Death need time for? ... Death needs time for what it kills to grow in, for Ah Pook’s sake.
Both the pacing of story and the efficient world-building are perfectly suited to SecUnit's self-discovery, and consequent revelation to the reader. It doesn't feel like SecUnit is keeping secrets from the reader in a deliberate scheme (though of course, it knows much more than it says at any given time, especially about itself), so much as SecUnit is unwilling to share things until events provoke it and make it unavoidable. In that sense, the premise and setting serve as a form of therapist for SecUnit, and a compelling character study for the reader.
The first mystery is revealed in this novella, but revelations about SecUnit's identity are only just underway.
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LibraryThing member MillieHennessy
I loved this novella and that's almost all I have to say about it. It's a short read, about a robot protecting a group of humans surveying a planet when shit goes south. It's hard to talk plot when the page count is low. This book is really about Murderbot, which is what the robot calls itself.
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Murderbot is excellent - witty, anxious, totally relatable. It just wants to sit around and watch the hundreds of episodes of its favorite drama on the feeds. What's more relatable than that? I wish I had more to say, but it's one of those books that I just loved. Period. I'm eager to continue on with the series and it might be a set I need to own physical copies of so I can truly appreciate them. If you like sci-fi reads centered around snarky AI characters, then you should probably check this one out. Show Less
LibraryThing member dste
All Systems Red is a short sci-fi novel, which is also the first in a series called The Murderbot Diaries. Not having read the others, I'm uncertain whether the main character develops to the extent that it chooses a preferred pronoun other than "it", so I hope any fans will forgive me for working
The book itself throws you into the action right away, expecting you to roll with new terminology and probably make some inferences and assumptions based on other sci-fi media you've consumed. I wouldn't say it's a good choice for someone just getting into the genre, but for a seasoned fan of it, the conciseness might be a breath of fresh air. There are also a lot of characters in play, who are introduced in quick succession, but it's not of critical importance to keep track of which human is which. By the end of the book, I was able to consistently identify the leader, the one who was most suspicious of the main character, and a couple others, but remembering the rest as simply members of the crew did not come back to bite me plot-wise.
The greatest strength of the book is the strong first-person narrative voice offered by the main character. Murderbot is sympathetic and engaging. It acknowledges horrific truths without despairing and handles the majority of its experiences with a touch of humor. The plot proceeds at a rapid pace, but if you fall in love with this book, it's almost certain to be because of this character. Whether you relate to its preference to avoid socializing—or even making eye contact—with humans or to the discrimination it faces (even subtle discrimination at the hands of those who seem mostly alright), you may see yourself in this character in a way not often represented in other books. And if you don't directly relate, you may still find yourself swept up by the classic hope for a downtrodden character to overcome seemingly impossible odds to better its condition.
This first book offers what I consider a satisfying ending, but it also invites the reader to continue following Murderbot's adventures in a way that's sure to be compelling for anyone who's gotten hooked. If you like the narrative style of the opening section and think that you could get behind this character, I would encourage you to give this book a try. If you haven't read much in the genre yet, I would suggest you save it on your list for later and check out some other space-related sci-fi. If the concept appeals to you, the wait will be worth it.
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off the best of my knowledge.The book itself throws you into the action right away, expecting you to roll with new terminology and probably make some inferences and assumptions based on other sci-fi media you've consumed. I wouldn't say it's a good choice for someone just getting into the genre, but for a seasoned fan of it, the conciseness might be a breath of fresh air. There are also a lot of characters in play, who are introduced in quick succession, but it's not of critical importance to keep track of which human is which. By the end of the book, I was able to consistently identify the leader, the one who was most suspicious of the main character, and a couple others, but remembering the rest as simply members of the crew did not come back to bite me plot-wise.
The greatest strength of the book is the strong first-person narrative voice offered by the main character. Murderbot is sympathetic and engaging. It acknowledges horrific truths without despairing and handles the majority of its experiences with a touch of humor. The plot proceeds at a rapid pace, but if you fall in love with this book, it's almost certain to be because of this character. Whether you relate to its preference to avoid socializing—or even making eye contact—with humans or to the discrimination it faces (even subtle discrimination at the hands of those who seem mostly alright), you may see yourself in this character in a way not often represented in other books. And if you don't directly relate, you may still find yourself swept up by the classic hope for a downtrodden character to overcome seemingly impossible odds to better its condition.
This first book offers what I consider a satisfying ending, but it also invites the reader to continue following Murderbot's adventures in a way that's sure to be compelling for anyone who's gotten hooked. If you like the narrative style of the opening section and think that you could get behind this character, I would encourage you to give this book a try. If you haven't read much in the genre yet, I would suggest you save it on your list for later and check out some other space-related sci-fi. If the concept appeals to you, the wait will be worth it.
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LibraryThing member rosalita
This science-fiction novella, the first in the Murderbot Diaries series, lived up to all the rave reviews I've read all over LT. The world-building of a future where there are human/android "constructs" who provide security to human on exploratory missions, was intriguing, and the narrative voice
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of one of these constructs, known as Murderbot for unfortunate reasons, is wry and cynical and lively. I look forward to spending more time with it soon. Show Less
LibraryThing member JHemlock
I purchased this on a whim because I was looking for a good series and WOW..I am glad I did. The dynamics of this book reach much farther than its short nature as a Novella. I will surely be snatching up the remainder of the series and cannot wait to explore more of the author's work.
This is good
This is good
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science fiction in the vein of Norton and other mid century sci fi writers. Of course with some Clarke, Asimov and Heinien thrown in. The premise is simple. A robot with feelings and a proud introverted nature. The action is nice and balanced with provocative thought and interesting decisions. Show Less
LibraryThing member streamsong
Murderbot is a SecUnit – a security unit designed by humans to be mostly enhanced robot with some cloned human bits. It has the sole purpose of defending whatever humans currently have rented its contract. There is an internally implanted governor unit to ensure SecUnits can’t disobey
But Murderbot is different. It has been able to hack and disconnect its governor unit and so, unknown to humans, it has free will. It also has some memories of its past in which it was involved in an incident where many humans were killed – the reason it has given itself the name Murderbot.
On its newest contract, Murderbot finds that even without the governor, it wants to see its human contract holders succeed and avoid injury and death. When hostilities break out on the remote planet they are researching, Murderbot knows that it is their only chance against very tough odds..
Murderbot is a sympathic, self-aware character that downloads reams of human media shows to binge watch when it is bored or stressed. It also has a lovely, snarky sense of humor, and is very shy when humans see it without its armor, especially its opaque helmet which Murderbot enjoys hiding within.
A short, enjoyable novella. I have the sequel in hand, and am looking forward it.
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orders.But Murderbot is different. It has been able to hack and disconnect its governor unit and so, unknown to humans, it has free will. It also has some memories of its past in which it was involved in an incident where many humans were killed – the reason it has given itself the name Murderbot.
On its newest contract, Murderbot finds that even without the governor, it wants to see its human contract holders succeed and avoid injury and death. When hostilities break out on the remote planet they are researching, Murderbot knows that it is their only chance against very tough odds..
Murderbot is a sympathic, self-aware character that downloads reams of human media shows to binge watch when it is bored or stressed. It also has a lovely, snarky sense of humor, and is very shy when humans see it without its armor, especially its opaque helmet which Murderbot enjoys hiding within.
A short, enjoyable novella. I have the sequel in hand, and am looking forward it.
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LibraryThing member grizzly.anderson
In this short novel Wells tells a fairly cliched story of a slave (purpose-created cyborg security bot) that has gained free will, which it mostly squanders on soap operas and cynicism. That is until the idealists break though its shell, purchase it from its corporate owners to live under their
Its not a bad story. Its just that everything in it is a stereotype and a cliche telling a very simplistic story wrapped up in the amusing conceit of a creature calling itself a Murderbot when that is ostensibly the opposite of its purpose. There's really nothing particularly new in the story, and the story telling is decent. If someone gives you a copy it's not a waste of the few hours to read it, but I wouldn't seek it out.
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benevolent protection, and instead the self-styled Murderbot heads out on its own.Its not a bad story. Its just that everything in it is a stereotype and a cliche telling a very simplistic story wrapped up in the amusing conceit of a creature calling itself a Murderbot when that is ostensibly the opposite of its purpose. There's really nothing particularly new in the story, and the story telling is decent. If someone gives you a copy it's not a waste of the few hours to read it, but I wouldn't seek it out.
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LibraryThing member Herenya
All Systems Red is told from the perspective of the Security bot assigned to a scientific team surveying an uninhabited planet.
I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the
I was also still doing my job, on a new contract, and hoping Dr. Volescu and Dr. Bharadwaj finished their survey soon so we could get back to the habitat and I could watch episode 397 of Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
The self-dubbed “Murderbot” does what it has to avoid arousing suspicions about its hacked module and its binge-watching habits. But when things start going wrong, it has to work much more closely with its human clients than it would prefer.
AI-with-feelings is one of my favourite things, and this particularly AI is delightfully grumpy and introverted. But All Systems Red doesn’t just have an entertaining narrator, it also has a high-stakes mystery and some decent humans, and the combination is amazing. Well and truly exceeded my expectations.
I can’t wait for the sequels.
I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the
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company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.I was also still doing my job, on a new contract, and hoping Dr. Volescu and Dr. Bharadwaj finished their survey soon so we could get back to the habitat and I could watch episode 397 of Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
The self-dubbed “Murderbot” does what it has to avoid arousing suspicions about its hacked module and its binge-watching habits. But when things start going wrong, it has to work much more closely with its human clients than it would prefer.
AI-with-feelings is one of my favourite things, and this particularly AI is delightfully grumpy and introverted. But All Systems Red doesn’t just have an entertaining narrator, it also has a high-stakes mystery and some decent humans, and the combination is amazing. Well and truly exceeded my expectations.
I can’t wait for the sequels.
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LibraryThing member Petroglyph
Fun story. I'm not sure I'm convinced the main character is entirely plausible -- a cyborg who is socially awkward and who would prefer watching tv all day to interacting with humans -- but it's a cool setup for a 2010s version of an 1980s action thriller, and Wells doesn't push it beyond where it
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will go. Worth the read! Show Less
LibraryThing member crankybookwyrm
It's tempting to simply chant, "Murderbot!" and leave it at that. Because Murderbot is the ultimate outsider, neither human nor robot, both agender and asexual, designed to do one thing but uninterested in it, it's growth as a person throughout the book (and the series) is delightful to watch.
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Murderbot is all of us, not quite fitting in and wishing it could be left to binge its favorite shows (or whatever your preferred entertainment is). To add to the delight, Wells has contracted with Tor to write (at least) three new ones, in addition to the five novellas and one novel (and two short stores) that have already been published. I love Murderbot! Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbybslax
The silly premise doesn't actually factor into the story that much, but as long as you're cool with that it's a fun read. Liked the wholesomeness that developed between characters, and the intelligence of everyone involved when solving their predicament. I was saddened by the ending--it'd be a big
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disappointment if these characters around Murderbot aren't developed further, for how much time is spent on them. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This feels like something Martha Wells wrote to entertain herself and I really enjoyed it. It's a novella and quite short and I want sequels.
It's told from the point of view of an android who refers to themself as Murderbot. They have hacked their operating system and are largely autonomous. More
It was funny, wry and interesting and I really enjoyed it and then passed it on to my husband who is reading it with glee too.
It's told from the point of view of an android who refers to themself as Murderbot. They have hacked their operating system and are largely autonomous. More
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interested in the next episode of a soap than the tedious goings-on around them they are determined to survive. When everything goes wrong on a survey it's up to the Murderbot to save the humans.It was funny, wry and interesting and I really enjoyed it and then passed it on to my husband who is reading it with glee too.
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LibraryThing member SweetKokoro
This was such a fun read. This Murderbot really made sure we knew throughout the whole story that he did not care for his job or his humans, and that all he wanted was to watch his entertainment shows. I love that he called them “his humans” Of course things change when it starts to effect him
I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and I love that they are so short. The story gets straight to the point, and doesn’t get sidetracked with unless info.
Totally worth the read!
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but he was still thoroughly annoyed by everything around him and that’s such a fun twist to the Robot genre (unless there are others I’m still new to Robots)I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series, and I love that they are so short. The story gets straight to the point, and doesn’t get sidetracked with unless info.
Totally worth the read!
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LibraryThing member quondame
When I first read this I was delighted by the quirky take on being (in)human with a Murderbot who just wants to be left alone with endless media to peruse. The combination of media addiction and discomfort approaching the panic level at having to deal face to face with humans and human emotion is
Now that I've read 3 sequels it is a delight to come back to this stunning miniature tour de force.
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so identifiable and creates a strong resonance of irony for Murderbot's treasured inhumanity. Now that I've read 3 sequels it is a delight to come back to this stunning miniature tour de force.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Elentarri caught me in a weak-ish moment and convinced me to put aside my natural, deeply in-bred bias against all things space and most things science fiction to give The Murderbot Diaries a try.
She can chalk one up in the win column, because I enjoyed this soooo much more than I thought I would,
This was a fast audio listen and I thought Kevin Free did a very credible job. He does speak unnaturally slow overall, but he brings Murderbot to life and gives it personality. I’ve already started the second one, Artificial Condition.
She can chalk one up in the win column, because I enjoyed this soooo much more than I thought I would,
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and that’s entirely due to the Murderbot character. I have a suspicion that I’ll be hard pressed to describe the plot of All Systems Red after next week (and in truth, there’s not really a lot of plot), but I will remember Murderbot vividly. I thoroughly enjoyed his irreverence, his humor, and his introverted reactions to the people around him.This was a fast audio listen and I thought Kevin Free did a very credible job. He does speak unnaturally slow overall, but he brings Murderbot to life and gives it personality. I’ve already started the second one, Artificial Condition.
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LibraryThing member ElleGato
Omfg I loved this SO. MUCH.
I loved Murderbot. I loved its voice, its narration, its antisocial sense of humor. I loved its attempts to figure out who it is on its own, its determination to not let humans own it but at the same time, its (sometimes grudging!) desire to make sure its humans are
This was just such a fun, enjoyable read. I can't wait to get to the next book in the series!
I loved Murderbot. I loved its voice, its narration, its antisocial sense of humor. I loved its attempts to figure out who it is on its own, its determination to not let humans own it but at the same time, its (sometimes grudging!) desire to make sure its humans are
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safe. I love how its quirks and anxieties are so perfectly portrayed like....I found myself identifying with Murderbot more than some human characters in other books I've read lol. This was just such a fun, enjoyable read. I can't wait to get to the next book in the series!
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LibraryThing member MickyFine
Murderbot is on contract as a security bot for a small group of planetary surveyors, as is required by the contract the surveyors have signed with the Company. Unbeknownst to its clients and the Company, Murderbot has hacked its governor module and doesn't have to comply with every order it's
I know how beloved this novella (and the whole series) is here on LT and when I started it, I wasn't initially certain whether it would be for me. The novella drops you straight into the world and doesn't do any hand holding, making it a bit of an adjustment both to the world and the writing style. But once I adjusted I was just as delighted as I'd been led to believe I would be. How can one not adore a robot who wants to be left alone so it can watch soaps? I look forward to reading Murderbot's further adventures.
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given. So while it does the basics to keep its clients safe, really it just wants to be left alone to watch its shows. But when all hell breaks loose, Murderbot has to get more involved than it really wants.I know how beloved this novella (and the whole series) is here on LT and when I started it, I wasn't initially certain whether it would be for me. The novella drops you straight into the world and doesn't do any hand holding, making it a bit of an adjustment both to the world and the writing style. But once I adjusted I was just as delighted as I'd been led to believe I would be. How can one not adore a robot who wants to be left alone so it can watch soaps? I look forward to reading Murderbot's further adventures.
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LibraryThing member bragan
This is the first book in Martha Wells' Murderbot series. "Murderbot" is a Security Unit, a sort of artificially constructed cyborg created and owned by a giant corporation that rents them out, along with other equipment, to planetary exploration teams. It -- and I feel uncomfortable calling a
From everything I'd heard about this series, I was pretty sure this was one I was going to really enjoy, and, happily, it very much lived up to expectations. I became instantly fond of Murderbot, and found it sometimes almost disturbingly easy to relate to. (Oh, buddy, I, too, like feeling emotions about reality much less than I like feeling them about fictional stories.) The writing was a lot of fun and I found the plot, which starts with one of Murderbot's clients nearly being eaten by a scary animal they really should have been warned about and gets more dangerous from there, very engaging.
The ending definitely made me feel some of those emotions I like feeling about fictional stories, too. I am absolutely going to be on board for the rest of this series. In fact, I've already ordered the rest of the books.
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sentient being "it," but that's the pronoun it uses for itself -- has found a way to disable the governor that forces it to obey human commands, but mostly just uses its newfound freedom to half-ass its assigned jobs while spending as much time as possible watching television (or the futuristic equivalent, which still basically seems to be television even if you can get it on a direct feed into your brain).From everything I'd heard about this series, I was pretty sure this was one I was going to really enjoy, and, happily, it very much lived up to expectations. I became instantly fond of Murderbot, and found it sometimes almost disturbingly easy to relate to. (Oh, buddy, I, too, like feeling emotions about reality much less than I like feeling them about fictional stories.) The writing was a lot of fun and I found the plot, which starts with one of Murderbot's clients nearly being eaten by a scary animal they really should have been warned about and gets more dangerous from there, very engaging.
The ending definitely made me feel some of those emotions I like feeling about fictional stories, too. I am absolutely going to be on board for the rest of this series. In fact, I've already ordered the rest of the books.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
I tore through this adorable novella, the first of a series. The protagonist, part robot with organic parts, calls itself Murderbot, because of an incident in its past for which it wasn’t guilty, but the appellation stuck. In any event, Murderbot is a security robot, or SecBot, designed to
In this installment we meet his clients who continue to feature throughout the series. Murderbot particularly like and respects Dr. Mensah, the head of the survey group he is protecting. When it is clear a rival group is trying to kill his clients, Murderbot steps up to the plate.
But if it sounds like all violence, action, and adventure, it is more than that. Murderbot’s dry sense of humor, sardonic wit, and constant existential angst are supremely entertaining.
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protect its clients - who are humans - from any threats. But Murderbot as gone “rogue,” having hacked its controlling module so that it now has free will. Murderbot would like nothing better than to spend its time watching all the space adventure series it has downloaded, but still can’t resist the pull to rescue humans from all the scrapes they continually get themselves into.In this installment we meet his clients who continue to feature throughout the series. Murderbot particularly like and respects Dr. Mensah, the head of the survey group he is protecting. When it is clear a rival group is trying to kill his clients, Murderbot steps up to the plate.
But if it sounds like all violence, action, and adventure, it is more than that. Murderbot’s dry sense of humor, sardonic wit, and constant existential angst are supremely entertaining.
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LibraryThing member humouress
{First of 4: The Murderbot Diaries. Sci-fi. Kindle single}
LT recommended
I was looking for some quick reads to try and make my '75 books read in 2018' quota in the last couple of weeks in December. I found this as a Kindle single deal and since this has been getting a lot of (favourable) noise on LT
This novella is told in the first ... er ... person from the Murderbot's point of view. It (although, for some reason, I think of it as feminine) is a cyborg (part organic, part robot), rented out by The Company (which is never named) as a security unit to a scientific team which has an option to investigate an area of a new planet. There is another, larger team (on a different area of the planet) which rates more SecUnits rented out by the company but, as a robot, Murderbot feels no affinity to them. In fact, it has infiltrated it's governor module which is normally used by the company to give it instructions.
The novella opens thus:
'I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realised I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.
I was also still doing my job, on a new contract, and hoping Dr. Volescu and Dr. Bharadwaj finished their survey soon so we could get back to the habitat and I could watch episode 397 of Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.'
The Murderbot has to be careful that no-one finds out that it has gone rogue but it does also seem to have developed a conscience as well as an addiction to space soap operas.
The mission goes disastrously wrong (possibly sabotage - but who?) and it has to make decisions that will save the humans it has been assigned to - but only by going against the programming from the governor module.
I don't tend to read much sci-fi and when it is, it's space opera like the Vorkosigan saga and I haven't read AI pretty much at all since I read most of Assimov's I, Robot series about thirty years ago, so this genre was quite fresh to me. I liked the protagonist and the team it worked for. The team was a good mix of (Earth) ethnicities and genders and I liked the way they approached situations relatively calmly. What surprised me was the way the Murderbot thought, rationalised and (despite constantly convincing itself otherwise - or trying to) cared. The ending was bitter sweet, but it opens the way for further [Murderbot Diaries].
Nicely done. A sentimental view of a 'non-sentimental' being.
4.5 stars
LT recommended
I was looking for some quick reads to try and make my '75 books read in 2018' quota in the last couple of weeks in December. I found this as a Kindle single deal and since this has been getting a lot of (favourable) noise on LT
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recently I downloaded it to read. However, light, fluffy and quick it is not; I had to put brain into gear - and so it became my first book of 2019.This novella is told in the first ... er ... person from the Murderbot's point of view. It (although, for some reason, I think of it as feminine) is a cyborg (part organic, part robot), rented out by The Company (which is never named) as a security unit to a scientific team which has an option to investigate an area of a new planet. There is another, larger team (on a different area of the planet) which rates more SecUnits rented out by the company but, as a robot, Murderbot feels no affinity to them. In fact, it has infiltrated it's governor module which is normally used by the company to give it instructions.
The novella opens thus:
'I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realised I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.
I was also still doing my job, on a new contract, and hoping Dr. Volescu and Dr. Bharadwaj finished their survey soon so we could get back to the habitat and I could watch episode 397 of Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.'
The Murderbot has to be careful that no-one finds out that it has gone rogue but it does also seem to have developed a conscience as well as an addiction to space soap operas.
The mission goes disastrously wrong (possibly sabotage - but who?) and it has to make decisions that will save the humans it has been assigned to - but only by going against the programming from the governor module.
I don't tend to read much sci-fi and when it is, it's space opera like the Vorkosigan saga and I haven't read AI pretty much at all since I read most of Assimov's I, Robot series about thirty years ago, so this genre was quite fresh to me. I liked the protagonist and the team it worked for. The team was a good mix of (Earth) ethnicities and genders and I liked the way they approached situations relatively calmly. What surprised me was the way the Murderbot thought, rationalised and (despite constantly convincing itself otherwise - or trying to) cared. The ending was bitter sweet, but it opens the way for further [Murderbot Diaries].
Nicely done. A sentimental view of a 'non-sentimental' being.
4.5 stars
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LibraryThing member hardlyhardy
Can robots be introverted? Well, they can, apparently, if they are part human. And just as the Bionic Man of the old TV series was mostly human with a little bit of electronics filling in the gaps, so this SecUnit has a bit of humanity mixed in with his electronics and metal.
Although officially
What his humans don't know is that their SecUnit has a broken governor, meaning that it is actually an independent agent. It follows orders because it wants to, not because it has to. What's more, it is capable of giving orders, which it does when necessary to save lives from a murderous foe on a distant planet.
The adventure of eluding and eventually conquering this unknown enemy proves exciting enough, yet the novel's real appeal lies with its central character. The shy murderbot prefers isolating itself from humans so it can watch the thousands of hours of secretly downloaded video episodes about fictional interplanetary adventures.
When it writes, "Now they knew their murderbot didn't want to be around them any more than they wanted to be around it. I'd given a tiny piece of myself away," our hearts melt, as if it were 100 percent human.
Although officially
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called a SecUnit, available for rent like a U-Haul truck, our narrator calls himself a murderbot because killing is his purpose when defending his humans.What his humans don't know is that their SecUnit has a broken governor, meaning that it is actually an independent agent. It follows orders because it wants to, not because it has to. What's more, it is capable of giving orders, which it does when necessary to save lives from a murderous foe on a distant planet.
The adventure of eluding and eventually conquering this unknown enemy proves exciting enough, yet the novel's real appeal lies with its central character. The shy murderbot prefers isolating itself from humans so it can watch the thousands of hours of secretly downloaded video episodes about fictional interplanetary adventures.
When it writes, "Now they knew their murderbot didn't want to be around them any more than they wanted to be around it. I'd given a tiny piece of myself away," our hearts melt, as if it were 100 percent human.
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LibraryThing member KingRat
Fun story. Main character is a robot that found a way to disconnect the governor that makes it obey humans. It mostly still does, because it likes people. But it's also extremely introverted and shy as well. The robot's job is being a security guard for a research and survey team on an uninhabited
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planet. Someone needs to protect them against random flora and fauna. An unknown antagonist attacks the team, so "murderbot" needs to protect them from something way more serious. The worst part, of course, is that this means they have to interact with them far more than they would ever like to. Being introverted and shy and all. Show Less
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novella — 2018)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novella — 2017)
Locus Award (Finalist — Novella — 2018)
Alex Award (2018)
Philip K. Dick Award (Nominee — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-05-02
Physical description
154 p.; 5 inches
ISBN
9780765397539
Local notes
Signed (Dublin, August 2019).