eBook, 156 pages
English language
Published May 2, 2017 by Tordotcom.
"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
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.
"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
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.
Tenka svizna knizecka. Druha pulka uz trochu pomalejsi. Rozho zkusim dalsi dily, vypada, ze budou spis volne navazovat. Jinak kdo ceka promakanej svet/hard scifi, to tu nenajde. Je to lehka odpocinkovka se vsema kladama i zaporama at uz v deji nebo popisu sveta kolem.
I've been watching the recent tv show and thought I'd give the books a reread so I could ground myself in the text again. Also brains have been bad, and Murderbot is such short grippy comfort fiction. I think what makes me come back to this (personally) is my empathy for Murderbot's exhaustion and horror around being asked to be a person.
Murderbot also epitomizes the mortifying ordeal of being known (but simultaneously the even more mortifying ordeal of being loved). There's so much joy for me in the grumpiness of the internal monologue. If I had to come up with a one sentence emotional arc for each book, this one would be Murderbot moving past apathy and learning that it does in fact want to protect (some) humans.
Confession time: I don’t actually know where we are
On a reread, I had also forgotten …
I've been watching the recent tv show and thought I'd give the books a reread so I could ground myself in the text again. Also brains have been bad, and Murderbot is such short grippy comfort fiction. I think what makes me come back to this (personally) is my empathy for Murderbot's exhaustion and horror around being asked to be a person.
Murderbot also epitomizes the mortifying ordeal of being known (but simultaneously the even more mortifying ordeal of being loved). There's so much joy for me in the grumpiness of the internal monologue. If I had to come up with a one sentence emotional arc for each book, this one would be Murderbot moving past apathy and learning that it does in fact want to protect (some) humans.
Confession time: I don’t actually know where we are
On a reread, I had also forgotten the level of indifference that Murderbot has, in terms of not even knowing what planet they're on. It's an aspect that comes through so much stronger in the original text.
Después de tres años lo he releído (a causa de que la serie de Apple TV+ basada en la novela va a salir en breves) y lo he entendido mucho mejor y me ha gustado muchísimo más. ¿Será cosa de que mi nivel de inglés ha subido o de que he entendido mejor de qué iba la vaina? Ni idea, pero el resultado es que esta novelita corta, entretenida y con une protagoniste más que especial se hace un huequecito.
Como siempre, la culpa de todo es del capitalismo. Incluso el del futuro.
short, fast-paced, funny. i too love muderbot. it's so endearing.
short, fast-paced, funny. i too love muderbot. it's so endearing.
Pretty short with only about 160 pages. The story is enough to make me want to keep reading more from the series!
Content warning Plot spoilers
One of the things I like about recent sf is that it doesn’t feel the need to adhere to the old tropes. The protagonist’s secret comes out, and unlike in old sf where there would have been hand-wringing and ostracism, the allies accept the new information, accept the protagonist, and the story moves on. Old sf would definitely have killed off one of the protagonist’s group for shock value, but that isn’t a given nowadays. Old sf likes to explore the axis of the powerful against the underdog, but now the force driving the story is bureaucracy, opportunism, and selfishness. I like this first Murderbot story because it (the story, but also Murderbot) is relatable.
I was surprised that it was only the length of a novella, but it's a fun read.
I was surprised that it was only the length of a novella, but it's a fun read.
Murderbot has hacked himself out of main control.
The idea of an android, part bot with lingering organics, gives rise to ideas of a machine that sometimes feels human, a very introverted and relatable human; with its increasing independency situations develop more unexpectedly than what I anticipated, and that kept me reading the whole book almost in one sitting.
The secondary characters add enough depth to the story and help the development of Murderbot throughout it, queer characters are also a welcomed presence.
It was a very fun and fast read 😁
It’s rare to find a compelling sci-fi book that also has a hefty helping of humor and sarcasm baked into its tone. I will definitely be reading more of this series.
It’s rare to find a compelling sci-fi book that also has a hefty helping of humor and sarcasm baked into its tone. I will definitely be reading more of this series.
Decided to reread Murderbot diaries due to finding the @murderbotbot@botsin.space account. I've really missed good dark humor.
Decided to reread Murderbot diaries due to finding the @murderbotbot@botsin.space account. I've really missed good dark humor.
Immediately off to buy the rest of the series. This is one of my personal favorite style of story, and Martha Wells does a brilliant job of it.
Sensible, rational sci-fi and a perspective that speaks to me. Top marks all around, and more please!
Immediately off to buy the rest of the series. This is one of my personal favorite style of story, and Martha Wells does a brilliant job of it.
Sensible, rational sci-fi and a perspective that speaks to me. Top marks all around, and more please!
It's good fun. Was a bit shorter than I expected so the ending felt a bit abrupt (reading it as part of a Tor ebook collection so couldn't see how long was left). Murderbot's an interesting character, and the story from their point of view is interesting, especially when there are so many hours of Sanctuary Moon left to be watched. The problem of that perspective is it makes it hard to distinguish the other characters from each other, but overall it's an enjoyable read.
It's good fun. Was a bit shorter than I expected so the ending felt a bit abrupt (reading it as part of a Tor ebook collection so couldn't see how long was left). Murderbot's an interesting character, and the story from their point of view is interesting, especially when there are so many hours of Sanctuary Moon left to be watched. The problem of that perspective is it makes it hard to distinguish the other characters from each other, but overall it's an enjoyable read.
3.5 !
oh I did enjoy this book, it was funny and relatable and just charming but! i was seriously gonna give it 4 stars if it weren't for the fact that action never really happens? things get solved way too easily and misteriously and the enemy's goal was never cleared up AT ALL which was a bit too ridiculous to me.
anyway, 3.5 because it was a really fun read, it reminded me how much i enjoy science fiction as a whole, and i liked murderbot (who wouldn't, really).
3.5 !
oh I did enjoy this book, it was funny and relatable and just charming but! i was seriously gonna give it 4 stars if it weren't for the fact that action never really happens? things get solved way too easily and misteriously and the enemy's goal was never cleared up AT ALL which was a bit too ridiculous to me.
anyway, 3.5 because it was a really fun read, it reminded me how much i enjoy science fiction as a whole, and i liked murderbot (who wouldn't, really).
Very cute and awww and generally great. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Violence: Yes Sexual scenes: No
Very cute and awww and generally great. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Violence: Yes Sexual scenes: No
This was a crazy surprising read. Had no clue what to expect about this and have to admit it's great! Succinct and engaging. It had me hooked the whole time. Wells is an excellent, clear language writer that I'm excited to learn more about.
This was a crazy surprising read. Had no clue what to expect about this and have to admit it's great! Succinct and engaging. It had me hooked the whole time. Wells is an excellent, clear language writer that I'm excited to learn more about.
