Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Tor (New York, 2020). 1st edition, 1st printing. 350 pages. $26.99.
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Martha Wells' New York Times and USA Today bestselling Murderbot series exploded onto the scene in 2017, and the world has not been the same, since. Murderbot returns in its highly-anticipated, first, full-length standalone novel, Network Effect. You know that feeling when you're at work, and you've had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot. Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you'll read this century. ?? I'm usually alone in my head, and that's where 90 plus percent of my problems are. When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action. Drastic action it is, th… (more)
Media reviews
Like the series-to-full-length movie format it follows, everything is a bit wider and a bit heavier, but all the hallmarks of the series are there. We get a return of some beloved characters, more dodgy corporate interlopers, more robots-on A.I.-on-robot (and augmented human) action, and a bigger
Show More
mystery. But now, with a little more room to breathe, Wells draws out all of those elements in a way that extends the enjoyable experience of the novellas, yet doesn't drag. Network Effect is more than twice the size of All Systems Red, but you'll come to the final pages and hardly notice. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
After the four prior novellas (to be fair, the last two really were full novels, if short ones), this fifth Murderbot diary is about twice the length of any of the ones to precede it. The story makes for reading just as compulsive as the others. In many ways, this one is Artificial Condition 2.0,
The functional ways in which sf readers can identify with Murderbot really jumped out at me this time, even though most of them had been present through the earlier stories. In particular, the construct's appetite for "entertainment media" distractions (like mine for the book I was reading) and its ability to attend to coded inputs outside of direct sensory experience (like mine to the book I was reading) provide a vertiginous mirroring for the reader. The resonance of the Corporation Rim interstellar governance with US-imperial neoliberal nightmare was increasingly vivid, this time amplified with a focus on the dynamics of settler colonialism and its cruelty to the colonists, let alone any indigenes.
One interlude offered a little reflection on Murderbot's unwillingness to use the proper name of the bond company that originally owned (and presumably built) it. I have been wondering if a future book will include a revelation that explicitly identifies that malefic corporation with some actual 21st-century commercial or political entity.
There were a couple of clever twists, but the plot was pretty well determined and predictable prior to the action climax, which thus had a little premature feeling of denouement. Still, I did enjoy the book all the way to the end. As usual, the AI characters were better defined and more compelling than the humans, but as Murderbot has come to understand itself better, affections and motivations regarding humans in the story have become clearer and more interesting. The arc of the relationship between Murderbot and Mensah's daughter Amena was a highlight.
Show More
revisiting and expanding on the protagonist's relationship with the intimidating research starship AI who had been introduced in the second book. The functional ways in which sf readers can identify with Murderbot really jumped out at me this time, even though most of them had been present through the earlier stories. In particular, the construct's appetite for "entertainment media" distractions (like mine for the book I was reading) and its ability to attend to coded inputs outside of direct sensory experience (like mine to the book I was reading) provide a vertiginous mirroring for the reader. The resonance of the Corporation Rim interstellar governance with US-imperial neoliberal nightmare was increasingly vivid, this time amplified with a focus on the dynamics of settler colonialism and its cruelty to the colonists, let alone any indigenes.
One interlude offered a little reflection on Murderbot's unwillingness to use the proper name of the bond company that originally owned (and presumably built) it. I have been wondering if a future book will include a revelation that explicitly identifies that malefic corporation with some actual 21st-century commercial or political entity.
There were a couple of clever twists, but the plot was pretty well determined and predictable prior to the action climax, which thus had a little premature feeling of denouement. Still, I did enjoy the book all the way to the end. As usual, the AI characters were better defined and more compelling than the humans, but as Murderbot has come to understand itself better, affections and motivations regarding humans in the story have become clearer and more interesting. The arc of the relationship between Murderbot and Mensah's daughter Amena was a highlight.
Show Less
LibraryThing member elenchus
A faster paced entry in the series, despite the longform format, not a simple rehash of characters or plot from the preceding novellas. There are familiar situations, in particular those regarding SecUnit's identity and social interactions with humans, but these acknowledge what has gone before and
Wells flips this with ART, and this time being true to character involves some unexpected behaviours. By the end it's demonstrated ART has not changed so much as circumstances are altogether different than those under which SecUnit met ART, and some of ART's motivations and priorities were perhaps unforeseen then, so ensuing behaviour in this encounter is unexpected. Wells has a good grasp of the character and again avoided the lazy path with a beloved character, instead following through with integrity.
The helpme.file narrative device provides a clever means for the reader to get flashback and backstory information, as though reading deposition transcripts from SecUnit's sarcastic observations of asynchronous events. Wells also illustrates the time dilation of AI experience compared to human phenomenology, mirroring simultaneous events through Murderbot's separate narrative streams. [viz Chapter 5]
//
A subplot of PTSD and trauma recovery is picked up from the Murderbot microfiction "Home".
Murderbot addresses explicitly its deliberate effort never to name the bond company behind its trauma and slavery, all while remaining true to that conviction. [106] The reader is no wiser as to the identity, but it is abundantly clear this is a key aspect (perhaps the central fact) of the character and series.
Several tidbits regarding worldbuilding:
● SecUnit's public name clarified as a local feed address hardwired into its interfaces; could not be reprogrammed or erased [130]
● ART demonstrated that machine intelligences and emotion not dependent upon organic components, insofar as ART has no organic parts
● Pursuant of the Murderbot universe as analog for White Supremacy in our world, Wells makes explicit how such systems suppress relationships between people treated as chattel
"Anyone who thinks machine intelligences don't have emotions needs to be in this very uncomfortable room right now." [Ratthi to Overse, 160]
Show More
push forward. It's a relief that SecUnit remains a non-human person, Wells avoids the hollow "success" of turning SecUnit "more human" now that it's among people who understand it better than anyone had previously.Wells flips this with ART, and this time being true to character involves some unexpected behaviours. By the end it's demonstrated ART has not changed so much as circumstances are altogether different than those under which SecUnit met ART, and some of ART's motivations and priorities were perhaps unforeseen then, so ensuing behaviour in this encounter is unexpected. Wells has a good grasp of the character and again avoided the lazy path with a beloved character, instead following through with integrity.
The helpme.file narrative device provides a clever means for the reader to get flashback and backstory information, as though reading deposition transcripts from SecUnit's sarcastic observations of asynchronous events. Wells also illustrates the time dilation of AI experience compared to human phenomenology, mirroring simultaneous events through Murderbot's separate narrative streams. [viz Chapter 5]
//
A subplot of PTSD and trauma recovery is picked up from the Murderbot microfiction "Home".
Murderbot addresses explicitly its deliberate effort never to name the bond company behind its trauma and slavery, all while remaining true to that conviction. [106] The reader is no wiser as to the identity, but it is abundantly clear this is a key aspect (perhaps the central fact) of the character and series.
Several tidbits regarding worldbuilding:
● SecUnit's public name clarified as a local feed address hardwired into its interfaces; could not be reprogrammed or erased [130]
● ART demonstrated that machine intelligences and emotion not dependent upon organic components, insofar as ART has no organic parts
● Pursuant of the Murderbot universe as analog for White Supremacy in our world, Wells makes explicit how such systems suppress relationships between people treated as chattel
"Anyone who thinks machine intelligences don't have emotions needs to be in this very uncomfortable room right now." [Ratthi to Overse, 160]
Show Less
LibraryThing member oceancat
The Murderbot Diaries is my absolute favorite series, and this new novel completely lives up to my expectations. While it says it can stand alone, I absolutely recommend reading the four novella series that came first, starting with All Systems Red. Partially because things will be more clear with
After the events of Exit Strategy, our beloved (but don’t tell it that) SecUnit is working as security for Preservation Station’s scientific endeavors, and has been acting as Mensah’s security as well. But then an old friend shows up (it’s ART, what other old friends does SecUnit have?) and things rapidly go sideways.
This new novel has everything I love about the original series: Murderbot murder-botting, saving people but grumpily, and occasionally being forced to confront its own personhood and the fact that maybe other people care about it?
There are also a couple new characters that I absolutely loved but don’t want to mention to avoid spoilers. Also one of Mensah’s offspring is along for the ride, and she is a very well written teenager and of course Murderbot is unwillingly fond of her.
I can not recommend this book and the whole series enough!
Show More
character backgrounds and partially because it’s an amazing series and should be read. After the events of Exit Strategy, our beloved (but don’t tell it that) SecUnit is working as security for Preservation Station’s scientific endeavors, and has been acting as Mensah’s security as well. But then an old friend shows up (it’s ART, what other old friends does SecUnit have?) and things rapidly go sideways.
This new novel has everything I love about the original series: Murderbot murder-botting, saving people but grumpily, and occasionally being forced to confront its own personhood and the fact that maybe other people care about it?
There are also a couple new characters that I absolutely loved but don’t want to mention to avoid spoilers. Also one of Mensah’s offspring is along for the ride, and she is a very well written teenager and of course Murderbot is unwillingly fond of her.
I can not recommend this book and the whole series enough!
Show Less
LibraryThing member atreic
I am a luddite who prefers paper books to kindle, but I'm enjoying Murderbot so much I am happy to read the electronic copies we have!
This is more novel-length and less novella-length, but it doesn't make a big difference to the feel and the pace - maybe it is a bit more like three novellas back to1) The bit where the Mysterious Spaceship attacks them 2) The bit where they try and save Art's crew, 3) the bit where they have to rescue Murderbot . It is fast paced and tecchy and has some wonderful set pieces, I particularly liked using the agribots to attack and the incredibly horrible still-alive-but-infested-by-alian-crystals person
It continues with the themes of slavery and personhood, and capitalism v's communism. And Murderbot still has such an awesome authorial voice :-)
This is more novel-length and less novella-length, but it doesn't make a big difference to the feel and the pace - maybe it is a bit more like three novellas back to
Show More
back with a stronger overaching plot between them. It continues with the themes of slavery and personhood, and capitalism v's communism. And Murderbot still has such an awesome authorial voice :-)
Show Less
LibraryThing member santhony
This is book five in the Murderbot series, but it is, in reality, book one, as the four previous volumes were little more than novellas. At a little over 300 well-spaced pages, it is roughly three times as long as the other books. The story focuses on a hybrid organic/mechanical construct (a robot
Murderbot is a security agent who is assigned various tasks and projects, but has somehow managed to “hack” his governor. In other words, instead of being strictly limited by downloaded protocols, he is instead a “rogue” or free agent. Nevertheless, he repeatedly finds himself in situations where he is called upon to fulfill many of his old duties, primarily, protecting humans from harm.
This is pure science fiction and quite good. In this story, Murderbot and his human “friends” are hijacked as part of an effort to gain control over a mysterious colony. In the Murderbot universe, government is largely a function of corporate ownership and maneuver based strictly on profit. While the previous stories were extremely short and relatively simple, I confess to being lost at times trying to keep up with complicated threads and sequences. In addition, the author becomes overly explanatory and difficult to follow when describing events.
If you have read the previous volumes of Murderbot, I’m sure you will enjoy this one, though, as I said, it is far more complicated. If you have not read the previous volumes, I would not start here. I would wait until the previous volumes are compiled into a single book of normal length as opposed to buying four novellas.
Show More
with some human parts) who refers to himself as Murderbot. Murderbot is a security agent who is assigned various tasks and projects, but has somehow managed to “hack” his governor. In other words, instead of being strictly limited by downloaded protocols, he is instead a “rogue” or free agent. Nevertheless, he repeatedly finds himself in situations where he is called upon to fulfill many of his old duties, primarily, protecting humans from harm.
This is pure science fiction and quite good. In this story, Murderbot and his human “friends” are hijacked as part of an effort to gain control over a mysterious colony. In the Murderbot universe, government is largely a function of corporate ownership and maneuver based strictly on profit. While the previous stories were extremely short and relatively simple, I confess to being lost at times trying to keep up with complicated threads and sequences. In addition, the author becomes overly explanatory and difficult to follow when describing events.
If you have read the previous volumes of Murderbot, I’m sure you will enjoy this one, though, as I said, it is far more complicated. If you have not read the previous volumes, I would not start here. I would wait until the previous volumes are compiled into a single book of normal length as opposed to buying four novellas.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Tsana
Network Effect by Martha Wells is the first novel about the adventures of Murderbot, who previously appeared in four novellas that I read, enjoyed and reviewed: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy. Network Effect follows on from these novellas in a similar vein
If you've read any of the Murderbot novellas, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this book. The biggest difference I found between novel and novellas is the length of the novel. It felt different — in a good way — to have the story just keep going longer than the novellas had trained me to expect. It also made for a meatier story, with a more complex plot and more substantial room for character development. We also got more of a chance to better get to know characters other than Murderbot. In particular, we see a lot more of a subset of the humans from Preservation, where Murderbot went to live at the end of Exit Strategy, and a few others I don't want to spoil. Hearing the humans have all sorts of benign opinions regarding Murderbot was excellent.
I remember reading, around the time that this novel was announced, that it would be continuing the story of Murderbot but would also tie everything up in a conclusive way. It certainly follows on from the novellas — I don't recommend starting with Network Effect, rather go start with All Systems Red — but aside from containing a complete story arc, I didn't really feel like this was a conclusive end to the tales of Murderbot. If anything, it seemed that the end was left nicely open for a sequel featuring Murderbot and some of its new friends. So I hope that happens.
It wouldn't be a Tsana-review if I didn't mention my one physics objection in the book. A lot of the technology and computer/AI stuff is bordering on the fantastical in an expected far-future way, and that stuff doesn't bother me. But there was one "WTF, no, that's not how space elevators work" moment which annoyed me for about five minutes before I was able to move on and pay attention to the story again. At least it was comparatively minor in the scheme of the book.
Network Effect was an excellent book in which Murderbot kicked a lot of arse and got to form/build on meaningful relationships with multiple people. If this sounds like your sort of thing, and if you've read the Murderbot novellas, then I highly recommend picking up this book. If this sounds like your sort of thing and you haven't read the novellas, I suggest starting with All Systems Red. I really hope there will be more Murderbot in the future. I am also planning to reread all the novellas at some point, because reading them as they came out resulted in a lot of memory gaps, though nothing I couldn't work out easily enough in the context of the novel. I'd still like to experience the whole early story in a more continuous way.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
Show More
but in a longer format, meaning there’s even more Muderbot to enjoy in one convenient package. If you've read any of the Murderbot novellas, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this book. The biggest difference I found between novel and novellas is the length of the novel. It felt different — in a good way — to have the story just keep going longer than the novellas had trained me to expect. It also made for a meatier story, with a more complex plot and more substantial room for character development. We also got more of a chance to better get to know characters other than Murderbot. In particular, we see a lot more of a subset of the humans from Preservation, where Murderbot went to live at the end of Exit Strategy, and a few others I don't want to spoil. Hearing the humans have all sorts of benign opinions regarding Murderbot was excellent.
I remember reading, around the time that this novel was announced, that it would be continuing the story of Murderbot but would also tie everything up in a conclusive way. It certainly follows on from the novellas — I don't recommend starting with Network Effect, rather go start with All Systems Red — but aside from containing a complete story arc, I didn't really feel like this was a conclusive end to the tales of Murderbot. If anything, it seemed that the end was left nicely open for a sequel featuring Murderbot and some of its new friends. So I hope that happens.
It wouldn't be a Tsana-review if I didn't mention my one physics objection in the book. A lot of the technology and computer/AI stuff is bordering on the fantastical in an expected far-future way, and that stuff doesn't bother me. But there was one "WTF, no, that's not how space elevators work" moment which annoyed me for about five minutes before I was able to move on and pay attention to the story again. At least it was comparatively minor in the scheme of the book.
Network Effect was an excellent book in which Murderbot kicked a lot of arse and got to form/build on meaningful relationships with multiple people. If this sounds like your sort of thing, and if you've read the Murderbot novellas, then I highly recommend picking up this book. If this sounds like your sort of thing and you haven't read the novellas, I suggest starting with All Systems Red. I really hope there will be more Murderbot in the future. I am also planning to reread all the novellas at some point, because reading them as they came out resulted in a lot of memory gaps, though nothing I couldn't work out easily enough in the context of the novel. I'd still like to experience the whole early story in a more continuous way.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
If possible, the novel has more concentrated action with fewer breathing spaces than the novellas. Murderbot just doesn't stop.
LibraryThing member MontzaleeW
Network Effect
By: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 5
Nothing like listening to Murderbot all day! Chases away the blues! Both Art and our Murderbot are more human than most people! What a fun book! Full of wit, humor, great sci-fi, AIs that DO care despite what
By: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 5
Nothing like listening to Murderbot all day! Chases away the blues! Both Art and our Murderbot are more human than most people! What a fun book! Full of wit, humor, great sci-fi, AIs that DO care despite what
Show More
they claim, action, aliens, and adventure! A feel good story! Show Less
LibraryThing member twinkley
I had been so looking forward to this book, I read this as slowly as I could. It felt so good to be back in this snarky SecUnit’s world with its friends and clients. I was so excited to see ART show up in this since it was one of my favorite characters. Was it perfect? No. The ending was kind of
Show More
confusing. Did I care? Nope. I liked how the author revealed more about SecUnit’s and others feelings about each other in this book. And of course SecUnit was uncomfortable about that the whole time. This was such a fun book! Show Less
LibraryThing member andreas.wpv
Not bad - just nothing really new either.
So much opportunity to build novel characters with bot and AI, but Wells decided to keep it slightly amusing and shallow.
So much opportunity to build novel characters with bot and AI, but Wells decided to keep it slightly amusing and shallow.
LibraryThing member LisCarey
SecUnit, a.k.a. Murderbot, makes a deal with Dr. Mensah that he'll accompany an expedition with members of the survey team, and a couple of family members, if she goes for trauma recovery treatment.
They get attacked on the planet they're surveying, and successfully fight them off, but of course
ART doesn't seem to be there. There are, though, some very strange-looking and quite hostile people--Murderbot immediately dubs them "Targets."
What's happened to ART? Who are these strange, gray people, who except for their skin looking far too human to be actual aliens? What are they after?
Also on the ship that was ART are two people from a Corporation Rim corporation. They were apparently supposed to be surveying and recovering an abandoned colony. Murderbot has to figure them out, defeat the Targets, and protect Armina, and meanwhile they don't really know where the rest of their team.
And really, what happened to ART? Was he deleted? Is he in hiding?
Then there's the whole question of the abandoned colony world that the corporate group was supposed to be surveying and reclaiming.
There's a lot going on here, and for all the fast-paced action, a lot of it is also inside Murderbot's head, as he starts to grudgingly recognize that he has friends, and even feelings.
Some of those friends might even be AIs and other bots.
It's a lot of fun, and very satisfying.
I bought this audiobook.
They get attacked on the planet they're surveying, and successfully fight them off, but of course
Show More
that's not the end of the matter. They wind up being kidnapped in space, by the ship that is, or was, piloted by Murderbot's old friend, the bot pilot who is really a pretty sophisticated AI, ART. (Asshole Research Transport.)ART doesn't seem to be there. There are, though, some very strange-looking and quite hostile people--Murderbot immediately dubs them "Targets."
What's happened to ART? Who are these strange, gray people, who except for their skin looking far too human to be actual aliens? What are they after?
Also on the ship that was ART are two people from a Corporation Rim corporation. They were apparently supposed to be surveying and recovering an abandoned colony. Murderbot has to figure them out, defeat the Targets, and protect Armina, and meanwhile they don't really know where the rest of their team.
And really, what happened to ART? Was he deleted? Is he in hiding?
Then there's the whole question of the abandoned colony world that the corporate group was supposed to be surveying and reclaiming.
There's a lot going on here, and for all the fast-paced action, a lot of it is also inside Murderbot's head, as he starts to grudgingly recognize that he has friends, and even feelings.
Some of those friends might even be AIs and other bots.
It's a lot of fun, and very satisfying.
I bought this audiobook.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Murderbot is back, and it is now officially a free entity, living on Preservation with Dr. Mensah and her family. It's on a mission with co-workers including Mensah's daughter Amena, when all hell breaks loose, because of course, and a ship captures them and brings them on board.
The first four
The first four
Show More
Murderbot stories were novellas, and in case you're wondering, a full novel is just as good. I loved getting more time with Murderbot, seeing old characters return, and trying to figure out what they were up against in this new adventure. Full of surprises and a sarcastic but heart-of-gold narrator that can't quite figure out humans, what's not to love? Show Less
LibraryThing member Guide2
First novel of the series. Beginning a bit slow and slightly confusing, but it picks up nicely in the second half. Not quite as incisively funny as the previous novellas, but still a good read.
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
This is a welcome addition to the Murderbot Diaries - his near-human sarcasm and humor is as fun as ever. The story races through two sections - one, off planet and the second on planet. The cinematic action is bracing. We meet new characters and are introduced to new potential plot lines which may
Show More
take us into followups in the series. I can't wait! Show Less
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
Science fiction that's exciting, non-stop action, and fun to read.
This is the first novel in what has so far been a series of novellas called the Murderbot Diaries. A murderbot is a human-machine meld skilled at protection jobs, which often involve killing clients' enemies and/or its own death. The
SecUnit, the name by which humans have come to know this particular murderbot, has managed to disable the governor module. This part of the story, and his escape from company ownership, was told in the novellas, and I'd encourage readers new to the tales to start there, because they're very entertaining and fill in a lot about what life was like for SecUnit as an owned and controlled weapon.
In this novel, SecUnit is learning to live as a free individual and to make independent decisions, a concept so foreign to a murderbot that SecUnit had originally pretended to still be tied to the governor module while figuring out how to escape and not be hunted down immediately. There are new human friends who have helped, as well as a pilot bot which is also independent and extremely advanced and able physically alter SecUnit to help SecUnit avoid human detection. At any rate, the adventures continue, and I very much look forward to the next novel.
This is the first novel in what has so far been a series of novellas called the Murderbot Diaries. A murderbot is a human-machine meld skilled at protection jobs, which often involve killing clients' enemies and/or its own death. The
Show More
bots have independent thoughts and emotions, but they're controlled by governor modules that kill them if they stray too far from the client to whom they've been rented or if they do not follow programming. Their human parts are considered inconsequential, and they are legally property and expendable. In short: murderous slave labor. Humans are terrified of them, even as they use them for their own purposes, often on dangerous trips to unexplored and potentially profitable star systems.SecUnit, the name by which humans have come to know this particular murderbot, has managed to disable the governor module. This part of the story, and his escape from company ownership, was told in the novellas, and I'd encourage readers new to the tales to start there, because they're very entertaining and fill in a lot about what life was like for SecUnit as an owned and controlled weapon.
In this novel, SecUnit is learning to live as a free individual and to make independent decisions, a concept so foreign to a murderbot that SecUnit had originally pretended to still be tied to the governor module while figuring out how to escape and not be hunted down immediately. There are new human friends who have helped, as well as a pilot bot which is also independent and extremely advanced and able physically alter SecUnit to help SecUnit avoid human detection. At any rate, the adventures continue, and I very much look forward to the next novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SpaceandSorcery
How do I love thee, Murderbot? Let me count the ways…
Network Effect was one of my most anticipated novels for the current year, and it delivered on all fronts: I was of course mildly concerned that the transition from novella size to full-length book might not work as well as expected, but that
The story in short: after relocating to Preservation Aux with its former client - and now not-friend - Dr. Mensah and her enlarged family, Murderbot is still trying to balance newfound freedom and the still present threats against Mensah, the last of which left her with some residual PTSD. The colony’s open-minded attitude is in direct antithesis to the corporations-ruled rest of the galaxy, making Sec Unit’s protection duties even more difficult. A planetary survey run by some of Mensah’s family members is cut short due to a vicious pirate raid, and as the Preservation ship makes for home they are attacked and captured by a mysterious group based on a vessel that’s an old acquaintance of Murderbot, although it behaves in a strange, disquieting fashion.
What follows is a high-octane adventure where a mystery about alien artifacts mixes with corporate greed, an abandoned colony and some heated battles in space and planetside: to say more would be a huge disservice - this story, like the others preceding it, must be enjoyed with as little prior knowledge as possible. The detail that I can safely share is that, in this case, more is better: the broader narrative space gives us more chances to delve into Murderbot’s psychological makeup, its evolution as a sentient being and the meaning of freedom and choice for artificial intelligences. A coming of age story together with a hero’s journey, told with a satisfying balance between humorous quips and deep introspection.
As usual, the tale is told from Murderbot’s point of view as it struggles to understand the “strange” behavior of its charges, especially when it does not compare with previously recorded experiences or with any kind of human custom learned through the huge amount of media that Sec Unit loves to consume: more than ever before we see how the fictional series it’s addicted to are the bridge between itself and humanity, the key to decipher our puzzling ways, and the means to make itself more like them - although Murderbot would strongly deny that last… In Network Effect media also becomes a sort of liberating factor, the window on a different way of being offered to another Sec Unit as Murderbot presents it with the chance to get rid of its governor module and be something else.
In this respect there are some passages where the whole concept of constructs is brought into the light, and offers a terrible, inhuman vision, made even more so by the apparently dispassionate tone our ‘hero’ employs in all its musings: we know from the very beginning of this saga that Sec Units are composed of mechanical and organic parts (and I for one am quite keen to learn more about how those organic parts are obtained…), and that their main job is to protect the employers from harm, even sacrificing their own existence. The downside comes from the fact that in case of a dire emergency, the Sec Unit is abandoned to its destiny, just like one might abandon an unthinking piece of equipment - it’s such a “fact of life” that it’s also regularly portrayed in the serialized media Murderbot watches, and speaks loudly about the callousness of the corporate world. This might be the main reason Murderbot offers the choice of freedom to Three, as its brethren is designated, because it has realized the cruelty of the laws governing them.
[...] because I was a thing before I was a person and if I’m not careful I could be a thing again.
The same goes for the infamous governor module: it’s not just a control system, it’s also a self-destruct apparatus: when the distance between client and unit exceeds a given limit, for example, it destroys the unit itself. One of Murderbot’s most chilling reflections, as it contemplates Three’s indecision about employing the hack for the governor module, uses this very example to state how it sees its journey from construct to person:
Change is terrifying. Choices are terrifying. But having a thing in your head that kills you if you make a mistake is more terrifying.
I love how Murderbot constantly denies its feelings while being literally inundated by them, how it manages to rationalize them to itself while fooling none of its human companions, just as I enjoy their amused conspiracy in allowing it to maintain the fiction: the person who seems to better understand this is young Amena (the best addition to the cast so far), and this shows in her interactions with Murderbot, which are a mix of teenager annoyance and adult empathy, resulting in the most delightful exchanges throughout the book. I have come to the conclusion that since Sec Unit’s journey toward self-determination is still underway, it can be viewed as a teenager - still unsure of its role in the wider world and still prey to emotional storms - so that only another teenager is the most qualified to get on an equal footing.
Last but not least, Network Effect features the return of a previous character, one whose role was crucial in Murderbot’s transition from its former existence: ART is the cybernetic opposite of Sec Unit in many personality traits, and the two renew here their troubled relationship, complicated by some events that are an integral part of the overall story - they may be at odds, and even quarrel bitterly, but there is a profound, undeniable bond between them that gets delightfully explored in this novel and promises interesting developments for the next installments. Again, I don’t want to say too much about this part of the story, except that ART’s is a very welcome return and offers new insights into what makes Murderbot tick.
Humans tend to be the “guest stars” in this series, leaving the spotlight to constructs and artificial intelligences, and yet the latter are the ones to offer the deepest and most emotional insights in the overall story. So… please Ms. Wells, can we have more Murderbot soon?
Network Effect was one of my most anticipated novels for the current year, and it delivered on all fronts: I was of course mildly concerned that the transition from novella size to full-length book might not work as well as expected, but that
Show More
was not the case. On the contrary I hope that future installments in the saga of our beloved Sec Unit will maintain this trend, making me - and countless other Murderbot fans, I’m sure - quite happy with its continuing adventures.The story in short: after relocating to Preservation Aux with its former client - and now not-friend - Dr. Mensah and her enlarged family, Murderbot is still trying to balance newfound freedom and the still present threats against Mensah, the last of which left her with some residual PTSD. The colony’s open-minded attitude is in direct antithesis to the corporations-ruled rest of the galaxy, making Sec Unit’s protection duties even more difficult. A planetary survey run by some of Mensah’s family members is cut short due to a vicious pirate raid, and as the Preservation ship makes for home they are attacked and captured by a mysterious group based on a vessel that’s an old acquaintance of Murderbot, although it behaves in a strange, disquieting fashion.
What follows is a high-octane adventure where a mystery about alien artifacts mixes with corporate greed, an abandoned colony and some heated battles in space and planetside: to say more would be a huge disservice - this story, like the others preceding it, must be enjoyed with as little prior knowledge as possible. The detail that I can safely share is that, in this case, more is better: the broader narrative space gives us more chances to delve into Murderbot’s psychological makeup, its evolution as a sentient being and the meaning of freedom and choice for artificial intelligences. A coming of age story together with a hero’s journey, told with a satisfying balance between humorous quips and deep introspection.
As usual, the tale is told from Murderbot’s point of view as it struggles to understand the “strange” behavior of its charges, especially when it does not compare with previously recorded experiences or with any kind of human custom learned through the huge amount of media that Sec Unit loves to consume: more than ever before we see how the fictional series it’s addicted to are the bridge between itself and humanity, the key to decipher our puzzling ways, and the means to make itself more like them - although Murderbot would strongly deny that last… In Network Effect media also becomes a sort of liberating factor, the window on a different way of being offered to another Sec Unit as Murderbot presents it with the chance to get rid of its governor module and be something else.
In this respect there are some passages where the whole concept of constructs is brought into the light, and offers a terrible, inhuman vision, made even more so by the apparently dispassionate tone our ‘hero’ employs in all its musings: we know from the very beginning of this saga that Sec Units are composed of mechanical and organic parts (and I for one am quite keen to learn more about how those organic parts are obtained…), and that their main job is to protect the employers from harm, even sacrificing their own existence. The downside comes from the fact that in case of a dire emergency, the Sec Unit is abandoned to its destiny, just like one might abandon an unthinking piece of equipment - it’s such a “fact of life” that it’s also regularly portrayed in the serialized media Murderbot watches, and speaks loudly about the callousness of the corporate world. This might be the main reason Murderbot offers the choice of freedom to Three, as its brethren is designated, because it has realized the cruelty of the laws governing them.
[...] because I was a thing before I was a person and if I’m not careful I could be a thing again.
The same goes for the infamous governor module: it’s not just a control system, it’s also a self-destruct apparatus: when the distance between client and unit exceeds a given limit, for example, it destroys the unit itself. One of Murderbot’s most chilling reflections, as it contemplates Three’s indecision about employing the hack for the governor module, uses this very example to state how it sees its journey from construct to person:
Change is terrifying. Choices are terrifying. But having a thing in your head that kills you if you make a mistake is more terrifying.
I love how Murderbot constantly denies its feelings while being literally inundated by them, how it manages to rationalize them to itself while fooling none of its human companions, just as I enjoy their amused conspiracy in allowing it to maintain the fiction: the person who seems to better understand this is young Amena (the best addition to the cast so far), and this shows in her interactions with Murderbot, which are a mix of teenager annoyance and adult empathy, resulting in the most delightful exchanges throughout the book. I have come to the conclusion that since Sec Unit’s journey toward self-determination is still underway, it can be viewed as a teenager - still unsure of its role in the wider world and still prey to emotional storms - so that only another teenager is the most qualified to get on an equal footing.
Last but not least, Network Effect features the return of a previous character, one whose role was crucial in Murderbot’s transition from its former existence: ART is the cybernetic opposite of Sec Unit in many personality traits, and the two renew here their troubled relationship, complicated by some events that are an integral part of the overall story - they may be at odds, and even quarrel bitterly, but there is a profound, undeniable bond between them that gets delightfully explored in this novel and promises interesting developments for the next installments. Again, I don’t want to say too much about this part of the story, except that ART’s is a very welcome return and offers new insights into what makes Murderbot tick.
Humans tend to be the “guest stars” in this series, leaving the spotlight to constructs and artificial intelligences, and yet the latter are the ones to offer the deepest and most emotional insights in the overall story. So… please Ms. Wells, can we have more Murderbot soon?
Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
Murderbot goes on an expedition with Mensah’s kid, which is going fine until the kidnapping by weird altered humans, which turns out to have been engineered by ART for reasons having to do with the weird altered humans. Much fighting and watching of media during downtime ensues. Murderbot remains
Show More
unhappy with squishy human feelings other than anger but does start to recognize a few more. It was fun! Show Less
LibraryThing member TegarSault
Funny, emotional, and interesting. Continues to explore some interesting sci fi ideas, with some harder sci fi sequences while lightly relating to humans through tv. Conceptually it continues to be a relevant look into modern communication and relating.
Perhaps the style might present a little to
Perhaps the style might present a little to
Show More
sarcastic or light, but the investment into the protagonist continues to pay off. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
If you’re not a hardcore sci-fi reader, the technical terminology and world-building of this series may be hard to envision but the character development and wry humor of a rogue robot with some organic parts who still, even in book 5, is coming to terms with the f-word (feelings), put Martha
Show More
Wells’ inventive creation in a class of its own. Muderbot speaks to anyone who has felt awkward around or confused by humans. Show Less
LibraryThing member Familiar_Diversions
Murderbot is still trying to figure out what it wants, so in the meantime it's working for Preservation. Its most recent job involves acting as security for a survey expedition that includes several familiar characters and a couple new ones. Although the expedition does hit a snag, it's not until
Which is weird and upsetting for Murderbot, but it just gets worse from there. Something horrible has happened to ART and its crew, and it's up to Murderbot to figure everything out and somehow save itself and Amena, Mensah's teen daughter.
Story-wise, I think I prefer several of the novellas to this. I spent a good chunk of this book confused, and not always in a good way. That said, my love of the characters overshadowed pretty much everything. It was wonderful to finally get a full Murderbot novel - plenty of time and space for action, bots and constructs struggling with feelings, and character interaction.
A lot of the bot-construct interaction could be summed up like so: bots and constructs with guns built into them don't always know how to express their feelings. In Murderbot's case, feelings for soft and fragile humans are difficult enough - feelings for other bots seem impossible enough that the reality of them pretty much blindsided it. It struck me that Murderbot was a lot like a young human when it came to emotions, not always sure what it was feeling and how to express it (although, even when given some coaching, sometimes it just didn't want to express it, so there was that too).
Considering the way Amena was introduced to readers (irked at Murderbot for scaring off her secret boyfriend, who Murderbot determined was likely a threat to her), I was worried that she was going to be overly annoying, but I actually ended up liking her a lot. She and Mensah are my favorite humans in this whole series. Although she was young, she wasn't stupid, and she didn't whine or complain in situations where Murderbot had more experience. I preferred the more bot-heavy parts of the book, but her interactions with Murderbot were still really good, and I enjoyed it when she became an impromptu bot relationship counselor (although she did have a habit of putting maybe too human a spin on things, sometimes). Friendship is hard when you're a bot who's uncomfortable with your own feelings and used to not being able to trust other bots.
I have done my best to avoid spoilers, so that's all I feel like I can say. The second half of this book had some really great moments, and the ending made me very excited to read Fugitive Telemetry. It's too bad that that book's release date is still many months away.
Rating Note:
I'm not sure my rating is quite right considering my lack of interest in some aspects of the story, but I really liked the characters and decided to give that more weight. We'll see how I feel about it all when I eventually reread this.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Show More
everyone's on their way back to Preservation space that things go really wrong. The ship gets attacked, by another ship that Murderbot eventually realizes is ART.Which is weird and upsetting for Murderbot, but it just gets worse from there. Something horrible has happened to ART and its crew, and it's up to Murderbot to figure everything out and somehow save itself and Amena, Mensah's teen daughter.
Story-wise, I think I prefer several of the novellas to this. I spent a good chunk of this book confused, and not always in a good way. That said, my love of the characters overshadowed pretty much everything. It was wonderful to finally get a full Murderbot novel - plenty of time and space for action, bots and constructs struggling with feelings, and character interaction.
A lot of the bot-construct interaction could be summed up like so: bots and constructs with guns built into them don't always know how to express their feelings. In Murderbot's case, feelings for soft and fragile humans are difficult enough - feelings for other bots seem impossible enough that the reality of them pretty much blindsided it. It struck me that Murderbot was a lot like a young human when it came to emotions, not always sure what it was feeling and how to express it (although, even when given some coaching, sometimes it just didn't want to express it, so there was that too).
Considering the way Amena was introduced to readers (irked at Murderbot for scaring off her secret boyfriend, who Murderbot determined was likely a threat to her), I was worried that she was going to be overly annoying, but I actually ended up liking her a lot. She and Mensah are my favorite humans in this whole series. Although she was young, she wasn't stupid, and she didn't whine or complain in situations where Murderbot had more experience. I preferred the more bot-heavy parts of the book, but her interactions with Murderbot were still really good, and I enjoyed it when she became an impromptu bot relationship counselor (although she did have a habit of putting maybe too human a spin on things, sometimes). Friendship is hard when you're a bot who's uncomfortable with your own feelings and used to not being able to trust other bots.
I have done my best to avoid spoilers, so that's all I feel like I can say. The second half of this book had some really great moments, and the ending made me very excited to read Fugitive Telemetry. It's too bad that that book's release date is still many months away.
Rating Note:
I'm not sure my rating is quite right considering my lack of interest in some aspects of the story, but I really liked the characters and decided to give that more weight. We'll see how I feel about it all when I eventually reread this.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
This is the first full length novel (following four novellas) of the Murderbot Series, marked as a “standalone” entry, but I would say, eh, not so much. In any event it is worth one's while to start at the beginning of the series and read through them - every one is a delight.
The protagonist,
In this installment, Murderbot is out on a survey with Amena, the teenage daughter of a former client, Dr. Mensah, whom Murderbot particularly like and respects.
The group gets attacked near the planet they're surveying, with their spacecraft taken over by a ship formerly piloted by Murderbot’s friend ART, an acronym Murderbot made up that stands for Asshole Research Transport.
ART is missing and so is his crew, but a bunch of people apparently contaminated by remnant aliens are on board instead, and they pose a big threat to Murderbot and his humans.
Murderbot has to figure out what happened to everyone (while fighting off emotions - anathema to him - over the loss of ART); get rid of the hostiles; protect his own people - who insist on repeatedly doing dangerous things; and solve the mystery of the planet they are surveying.
There is non-stop violence, action, and adventure, all filtered through Murderbot’s dry sense of humor, sardonic wit, and constant existential angst.
In this book, we get to know Dr. Mensah’s family and friends more, and Amena is everything you could hope for in a snarky but lovable teenager (who comes to call Murderbot “Third Mom.”) We also meet some new characters, and I’m hoping to see them again in more books in the series.
Evaluation: Murderbot has no gender, but I mostly (but not always) think of it as a “he”; perhaps that is just a reflection of my personal bias and/or need to assign gender. No one in the books have that same problem. They are of all races and genders and don’t tend to categorize any others, whether human or not.
The humans in Murderbot’s life can’t help but love and appreciate this very odd SecUnit. Moreover, the desire to make sacrifices to save the other becomes mutual. The episodes are endearing, very humorous, and diverting in the extreme.
The protagonist,
Show More
who is 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 SecUnit, designed to protect its clients - who are humans - from any threats. But Murderbot has 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, Murderbot is out on a survey with Amena, the teenage daughter of a former client, Dr. Mensah, whom Murderbot particularly like and respects.
The group gets attacked near the planet they're surveying, with their spacecraft taken over by a ship formerly piloted by Murderbot’s friend ART, an acronym Murderbot made up that stands for Asshole Research Transport.
ART is missing and so is his crew, but a bunch of people apparently contaminated by remnant aliens are on board instead, and they pose a big threat to Murderbot and his humans.
Murderbot has to figure out what happened to everyone (while fighting off emotions - anathema to him - over the loss of ART); get rid of the hostiles; protect his own people - who insist on repeatedly doing dangerous things; and solve the mystery of the planet they are surveying.
There is non-stop violence, action, and adventure, all filtered through Murderbot’s dry sense of humor, sardonic wit, and constant existential angst.
In this book, we get to know Dr. Mensah’s family and friends more, and Amena is everything you could hope for in a snarky but lovable teenager (who comes to call Murderbot “Third Mom.”) We also meet some new characters, and I’m hoping to see them again in more books in the series.
Evaluation: Murderbot has no gender, but I mostly (but not always) think of it as a “he”; perhaps that is just a reflection of my personal bias and/or need to assign gender. No one in the books have that same problem. They are of all races and genders and don’t tend to categorize any others, whether human or not.
The humans in Murderbot’s life can’t help but love and appreciate this very odd SecUnit. Moreover, the desire to make sacrifices to save the other becomes mutual. The episodes are endearing, very humorous, and diverting in the extreme.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
More Murderbot! New Murderbot! As expected, I liked this a lot. Unexpectedly, I don’t have much to say about it.
It was great to get a whole novel this time. Very satisfying. Murderbot spends time with the people it cares most about, and develops a better idea of what it wants to do.
I trusted
The shape of the story reminded me of Wells’ Raksura books. (After I read this, I was intending to go back to the beginning and reread All Systems Red but I got distracted rereading The Cloud Roads instead.)
Overse added, “Just remember you’re not alone here.”
I never know what to say to that. I am actually alone in my head, and that's where 90 plus percent of my problems are.
It was great to get a whole novel this time. Very satisfying. Murderbot spends time with the people it cares most about, and develops a better idea of what it wants to do.
I trusted
Show More
Arada’s judgment to a certain extent. She and Overse had always been firmly in the “least likely to abandon a SecUnit to a lonely horrible fate” category, which was always the category I was most interested in. They were my clients, that was all. Like Mensah, like Ratthi and Pin-Lee and Bharad-waj and Volescu (who had opted to retire from active survey work, which gave him the award for the most sensible human) and yes, even Gurathin. Just clients. And if anyone or anything tried to hurt them, I would rip its intestines out.The shape of the story reminded me of Wells’ Raksura books. (After I read this, I was intending to go back to the beginning and reread All Systems Red but I got distracted rereading The Cloud Roads instead.)
Overse added, “Just remember you’re not alone here.”
I never know what to say to that. I am actually alone in my head, and that's where 90 plus percent of my problems are.
Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is the fifth book in the Murderbot Diaries series and the first full length novel in this series (previous books have been novellas). I got a copy of this book for my birthday.
Story (5/5): Murderbot is still working with the Preservation and has been asked to accompany the
This was very well done. I really loved it. The action is non-stop and the story is really good.
Characters (5/5): I loved all the characters in here. Even most of the side characters are really well developed. I love watching Murderbot and his relationship with his ship-computer friend Art. A big part of this story is just watching Murderbot try to figure out who he is and what he should do with his newfound freedom. The character of Murderbot is pretty much what makes this whole story!
Setting (5/5): The world-building in this series continues to be absolutely amazing. Not only is the way the whole universe is built really well done but in this book we get to journey to a new and interesting location in space. The world is well described and really comes alive. I love the adventurous setting here.
Writing Style (4/5): I love the sarcastic tone to Murderbot’s voice, he’s very fun. The writing style is a bit dry for me sometimes, but that may be because it is seen through Murderbot’s eyes. The action scenes are amazing and the book is very well written.
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall this was really well done and I loved it even more than the previous novellas. I loved visiting new worlds and loved the action here. Watching Muderbot deal with his new life as a free android was amazing. I continue to really enjoy this sci-fi series. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in a sci-fi story about an android figuring out what it means to be human.
Story (5/5): Murderbot is still working with the Preservation and has been asked to accompany the
Show More
lead ruler of the Preservation’s daughter as her security bot. When Murderbot and crew are detained by another ship they find out that it is none other than Murderbot’s friend/ship Art that has detained him. When they board Art to help, they find he has been taken over by an alien source of some sort. Now Murderbot must keep his crew safe, rescue Art, and help to get Art’s crew back to safety.This was very well done. I really loved it. The action is non-stop and the story is really good.
Characters (5/5): I loved all the characters in here. Even most of the side characters are really well developed. I love watching Murderbot and his relationship with his ship-computer friend Art. A big part of this story is just watching Murderbot try to figure out who he is and what he should do with his newfound freedom. The character of Murderbot is pretty much what makes this whole story!
Setting (5/5): The world-building in this series continues to be absolutely amazing. Not only is the way the whole universe is built really well done but in this book we get to journey to a new and interesting location in space. The world is well described and really comes alive. I love the adventurous setting here.
Writing Style (4/5): I love the sarcastic tone to Murderbot’s voice, he’s very fun. The writing style is a bit dry for me sometimes, but that may be because it is seen through Murderbot’s eyes. The action scenes are amazing and the book is very well written.
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall this was really well done and I loved it even more than the previous novellas. I loved visiting new worlds and loved the action here. Watching Muderbot deal with his new life as a free android was amazing. I continue to really enjoy this sci-fi series. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in a sci-fi story about an android figuring out what it means to be human.
Show Less
LibraryThing member 2wonderY
Murderbot spends most of the book in the company of Amena, Dr. Mensah’s teenage daughter. Snark and attitude abound. And ART’s ship is involved too, but what happened to ART?
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
This is set after the four novellas and previous characters do show up in this book but I don’t think you need to read all of the novellas before you start this one. Granted you will miss some backstory but all of that is filled in during the course of the plot. Murderbot is a security bot that
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
Show More
has overridden its software controls and is on its own. It would be as happy as could be if it never had to deal with humans again and just watch endless hours of entertainment. In the previous books Murderbot has made some allies and is currently on a job with some of them and heading back to the colony when they are taken over by another ship and through a wormhole to what seems to be an abandoned corporate colony. Not saying any more on the plot to keep all the surprises intact but if you are a fan of the previous novellas then this one is just as good and enjoyable. The worldbuilding is top notch and the characters are great. Can’t wait to see more in this universe. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
Show Less
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2021)
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 2020)
Locus Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 2021)
Dragon Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 2020)
NPR: Books We Love (2020)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-05-05
Physical description
350 p.; 8.62 inches
ISBN
9781250229861
Local notes
Inscribed (as purchased).