All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries

This book series got me through the latter half of 2020 (specifically the period of the American election and its fallout) which is no mean feat. I read them repeatedly, over and over again, so many times that I genuinely could not even venture a guess as to how many times I've read the whole series through anymore. I still pull them out in between the other things I'm reading. I adore Murderbot and its adventures. It may honestly be the most relatable character in fiction I've ever met. My single solitary complaint about the entire series is that there isn't more of it and I already have the next part on pre-order, which I await with baited breath. (I've gifted copies of the first volume to five different people so far, and the only reason I haven't given it to more is because I'm just not that sociable as to be regularly exchanging gifts with all that many folks.) For those of you unfamiliar with the Murderbot Diaries (which I assume is most if not all of the people reading this, as that's generally the point of perusing book reviews) let me curtail the aimless gushing and focus on some specifics: the first four books in the series (this one included) are short novellas, and while I'm generally a fan of longer fiction their length is absolutely perfect. They're all self-contained adventures, but they build together into a longer connected storyline -- sort of like the episodes within a television season. You can read and enjoy each one on its own merits, but you'll probably find yourself wanting to do them all in proper order so you can get the full experience of Murderbot's life. (Yes, the main character is named Murderbot. It chose the name itself, and while the first volume gives you enough information to understand why you will learn more of the story behind that name, and its emotional weight, as the series goes on.) After the four novellas, there is an extremely brief short story that you can find online for free (titled "Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory") and while a number of people have complained about it, I honestly thought it was a great interlude. And given that it's free and will probably take you less than twenty minutes to read, I don't see why there's any reason to skip it. It's fun to get a different perspective on things, and it offers some lovely background characterization of one of the most important secondary characters in the series. It makes a nice bridge to the novel which follows, too. The novel reads a lot like the shorter adventures, especially at the start, and in a way it just feels like it's longer because there are more events taking place so it takes more words to tell what happened, rather than that the author set out to specifically "write a novel" as opposed to a novella -- which is nice, because the tone and style and everything remain beautifully consistent throughout the whole series -- but at the same time, the fact that it DOES spend more time on one plot and one group of characters means there is a chance to get a little more in-depth with various things and people, and that's nice too. Some stories/series are more suited to one type of writing or another, but I feel like with the Murderbot Diaries there is no wrong length. Whether you're sitting down for ten minutes or ten hours, you're going to get the same delightfully enjoyable experience out of these books. As to the writing itself, it alternates between engrossing, hilarious, heart-rending, and painfully accurate. You're going to identity with and relate to Murderbot so much that you'll find yourself (at least, if you're anything like me you will) also thinking of humans as an "other" during the course of your reading, as you mentally (or out-loud; no judgement if you're one of those people who exclaims aloud as you read; I rarely do, but this seems like an appropriate book series for that sort of behavior) shout at them to not do stupid things and just listen to their SecUnit, please! It's very much a found-family story, albeit a slow-build one, and despite the occasional body-count (really a rather small number, given that the series is about a character named Murderbot) it's ultimately a story of good people and happy endings. Murderbot will sometimes punch you straight in the heart with an emotional moment or observation, but it's the good sort of pain that only the best stories cause. I love these books more than I can fairly describe, and I hope you'll give them a chance because I think you'll love them too. P.S. for anyone concerned, there is surprisingly little gore for how much violence is inherent in the life of a Murderbot. A fair amount of swearing, yes, and the occasional (usually annoyed, sometimes disgusted, always disinterested) reference to the existence of sex as a human activity that exists, but there are no lengthy passages expounding in great detail upon the injuries or deaths that take place throughout the series. I suppose some people might find the no-nonsense way Murderbot presents such things disquieting, but I don't think even squeamish people are likely to be too upset. The only trigger-warning I can think to give is to caution people that there are definitely parallels/references to abuse in Murderbot's past and the emotional kick of those might be unpleasantly familiar to abuse survivors. YMMV of course, but I expect that the way current characters deal with Murderbot and its trauma likely makes for a more positive and supportive process than a triggering one, but if that is something to which you think you may be sensitive, please do brace yourself ahead of time.

It’s rare to come across science fiction that has the perfect balance of humor to seriousness ratio. The story has the sort of dry humor that is funny without trying to be, just the way I like/prefer it. The laughs are natural and unforced while being unobtrusive to comprehending the norms of the story. On that note, it could do with a great deal of descriptions. Perhaps I missed it but the hoppers, a common vehicle in the story, aren’t exactly described. I could be wrong or maybe it was rapidly glanced over, but it made picturing the interiors and scenes pretty difficult. This was a common theme in the writing and the core reason I deducted a star. Other than lacking essential and comprehensive descriptions of character appearances, environments, vehicles, and other things that enable visualizing science fiction, the story itself is quite good. You easily get drawn in, wanting to know what will happen next. The action to calm and contemplative ratio is absolutely stellar, with it seamlessly bouncing between the two states. The lore is fascinating and just on the edge of unique to not be overdone for the “hey I’m sentient now Mr robot” trope to not get old. MurderBot is an interesting character, a bit sarcastic and pessimistic (okay maybe not a bit), and it’s fun seeing the world through its eyes. Maybe this is why scenery and interiors aren’t described because it’s a very personal, first person presentation of events and experiences. Presumably, the bot would be fully comfortable with the setting, this world being all it knows. I’m glad that there are so many more of these ahead of me. I finished it over the course of two days and it was a simple joy and pleasure to read. Perhaps it didn’t give me as much philosophical pause as other works (I’m sure it will as I continue through the series, the world is fertile for it), but it’s okay for writing to just be sheer fun as well. And this is certainly that.

Novellas can be a tricky thing. They’re not full length books, but they can sometimes still demand the same price. All Systems Red comes in at just 150 pages, so it’s a quick read, but despite the length of the book, the true importance is the impact of the story. That’s where this one shines. All Systems Red stands out. The style and narrative of the story, the voice of the main character, it grips you right from the start and compels you to keep going. There’s humor, there’s action and there’s mystery as this sci-fi tale pokes it’s head into the waters of a very interesting universe. It’s one where hi-tech gadgets are curbed by businesses cutting corners to save costs. A place where planetary explorers get in over the heads with vicious lifeforms and deadly technology. But most of all, it’s a story about a murderbot who just wants to watch tv. “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.” And so the book begins with the main character. A robot. A murderbot. Murderbot doesn’t have a name. It’s official designation is simply SecUnit, short for security unit, and it’s tasked with the security of a scientific team on a far off planet. Murderbot is just one cog in the wheel of futuristic commerce. Corporations sell out shares of prospect worlds to parties interested, who in turn rent or buy all the equipment needed to explore that world, which includes security units like Murderbot. Part machine and part cloned human, Murderbot has no gender and, theoretically, no freedom. However, thanks to a hacked governor module, Muderbot has quite a lot of freedom. In most stories, that freedom would lead to a robot killing its masters to seek its freedom. In this story, Murderbot ends up travelling a very different path, which is what makes it fun. Now I don’t want to spoil the story, so suffice to say Murderbot goes on an adventure on this alien world with a team of scientists and it leads to plenty of action and mystery. Yet the key that glues it all together is the humor. Murderbot’s peculiar personality leads to some very fun quirks that makes the story so enjoyable. Murderbot knows it’s a piece of junk made by a corporation using the cheapest parts to maximize profits. This in turns leads to some self-deprecating humor. On the other hand, you have this extremely advanced machine in comparison to what we actually have in reality. Murderbot has a true artificial intelligence and is capable of making its own decisions and having its own wants and desires. So what does an AI do? It watches tv. That right there is hilarious. While novellas can be a hard sell, All Systems Red is a must read story. Seriously, this is a sci-fi story you should check out. It’s fun, unique, quirky, and a pure joy to read. This story in itself is rather self-contained, however there is another book on the way. Hopefully we’ll see even more as I absolutely loved this one. I give All Systems Red a five out of five.

Book number one of a seven book series of science fiction novellas. I reread the well printed and well bound hardcover published by Tor in 2017 that I bought new from Amazon. I purchased the hardcover since it was cheaper than the trade paperback at the time. This novella won the 2018 Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus awards. The series won the 2021 Hugo for the best series also. I have all six books in the series and am eagerly awaiting the seventh book to be released in November 2023. Murderbot is a SecUnit, similar to a T-800 Terminator with a cloned and severely modified human head. There is a human brain in there but it is controlled by the AIs embedded in its genderless torso. There are lungs, there is a blood mixture with a synthetic, there is human skin over the entire body, there is a face, there is hair on the head and eyebrows. Everything else is machine. Somehow, the blood is enriched with electricity as there is no stomach or intestines. But, there are arteries and veins to keep the skin and brain alive. All of the major arteries and veins have clamps to stop bleeding in case of damage. There is a MedSystem computer with an AI, a HubUnit computer with an AI, and a governor module that can force the SecUnit to follow orders using pain sensors in the brain. It has a energy gun in each arm and several cameras, all directly wired to the brain. The SecUnit can sustain severe damage to everything but the head and still survive. Murderbot is a self named SecUnit due to an unfortunate circumstance with 57 miners on a remote moon. It has hacked its governor and no longer allows the governor to give it orders or inflict pain. It prefers to internally watch its 35,000 hours of downloaded media such as episodes of "The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon" and "WorldHoppers". Even though it has a face, it does not like to interface with humans, yes, very introverted. It will follow human orders if it sees fit to do so. Murderbot is on security duty for a group of scientists from Preservation planet that are considering buying into a new exploration planet. There is another group across an ocean also looking at the planet but they are not responding to their calls. So, Dr. Mensah takes a few people and Murderbot to investigate. Murderbot is an incredibly interesting character. It handles horrible situations easily and personal interactions difficultly. Like I said, interesting. Quotes from the book: 1. "Yes, talk to Murderbot about its feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97 percent efficiency." 2. "I hate having emotions about reality; I’d much rather have them about Sanctuary Moon." 3. "The sense of urgency just wasn’t there. Also, you may have noticed, I don’t care." Warning: There is violence and death in the books. Books one through four are a series of novellas, not regular length books. Book five is a regular length novel, book six is back to the novella, and book seven is a full length novel due out in November 2023. You can buy a collection of the first four hardbacks at a nice discount.

[from Goodreads - spoiler alert] This won the Nebula - but not the Hugo which means - or may mean - that writers like it but not us - or not necessarily us - laymen. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this a real page turner with an interesting narrator and a good story. IMHU are Imitative Human Bot Units. Not a name that trips off the tongue even as acronym. What it means is a cyborg. "Partially constructed from cloned material ... designed to work with both organic and machine parts, to balance ...sensory input." Murderbot is a complex character - well, not that complex. He has a wry sense of humor and finds irony in most situations. But he has a past. This is the first of four parts and we do not learn if he discovers all - or most - of it. Here the reader discovers a bit about what he has done previously in his "life". And why he calls himself Murderbot. As a company owned security cyborg (IMHU) Murderbot feels most comfortable in his armor, complete with faceplate shielding . When the shield is down his face shows emotions quite transparently, apparently. Being almost pathologically shy about this he dislikes removing his armour - in fact he dislikes interacting with humans unless it's job related. A sympathetic touch! Otherwise, Murderbot is his own "man". He has hacked his governor module - not a spoiler as this is revealed in the first sentence in the book. But, he adds, "As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure". In fact he is quite the contrary. Thanks to his hacked governor he is better able to protect his humans - the survey crew he is currently on hire to guard. He and the crew are on an recently discovered planet where the fauna - or flora - can suddenly turn deadly, as can competing crews He is lazy too, spending most of his time enjoying the amazing amount of "movies, serials, books, plays and music" available. Better even than Netflix? Murderbot can wirelessly access data-feeds, up-links, remote cameras and drones etc. Fortunately though, for all involved, when in action - which happens quite frequently - he is really something to watch! Fortunately he can retire to his cubicle when necessary to be repaired, regrown and recharged! In this story he comes to like and to win the respect of his current employers. This is not without drawbacks. He is, after all, a cyborg. "I hate having emotions about reality; I'd much rather have them about Sanctuary Moon" (a TV series). This is a novella, so short, but I dragged it out as it was too much fun to leave entirely. Amazon - being something of an evil corporation - offered this first book at a reasonable price on Kindle but the remaining parts of the series cost twice as much. This seems to be their policy. I hope the price will go down... Recommended to those who enjoys a witty first-person narration, an undiscovered planet, and adventure in the future.

I bought All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries Kindle Edition based on the pop-up ads and reviews I read almost everywhere on the 'net. I've purchased the first two books in the series. The books wasn't bad, but some non-standard word choices (such as using "kilo" as a distance measurement rather than the much more common use as a weight/mass measurement, etc.) and the feeling they were written within a template of some sort really reduced the pleasure factor. At the end of the day I won't be purchasing any more of this author's books because the evidence points to them being written by AI.

Meet SecUnit (Security Unit) "murderbot". He's a construct - an android that is a blend of machine and organic components specifically built to provide security for and protect humans in potentially dangerous extraterrestrial locations. He refers to himself as " murderbot " because of an incident in his past where something went wrong with his programming, turning him into a rogue bot, and he killed humans rather than protecting them. He doesn't remember much about it because his memory banks were partially purged after that event. The Company couldn't destroy him because he was too expensive to build, so they simply purged his data record, refurbished him, and put him back to work. Now he's on a distant planet providing security for a team of archeologists. Boring work, but he's designed for that kind of tedium. However, since the incident and rebuild, he has hacked his control governor and finds himself not only more sentient but more concerned about the humans he's protecting. And that makes him a rogue of a different sort! I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, as other reviews simply said "quick read." It is, but it's more than that. Author Martha Wells has done a superb job of making SecUnit believable. He's definitely not "Data" from Star Trek, and he's far more than "Robby the Robot" from "Forbidden Planet" and that later rendition in "Lost In Space" screaming "Danger, Will Robinson! Danger". SecUnit is firmly in between those creations, machine enough to intervene without hesitation when humans are threatened, but human enough to interact with real humans and to worry about things. The story is well written and tightly woven to keep the plot moving. Told from SecUnit's perspective, the story follows the construct as he carries out his duties, worries about the humans he's protecting, and indulges himself in hours of entertainment media meant for humans but somehow appealing to his need to understand more about humans, himself, and what happened to cause him to go rogue. I found the tale to be well worth my time, and my relationship with robots goes back to Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov. Martha Wells is on to something here, and I hope her subsequent books are just as good.

Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed this book. I recommend it, and I intend to read the next one. That being said, I say that with some caveats. At first blush, the book purports to be the perspective of a humorous, but self aware, android who has managed to escape its shackles and now struggles to learn who it is and its place in the universe. In reality, the 'book' is about a 'genderless' cyborg that is part machine and part human clone that has hacked its governor--ostensibly the one thing preventing it from exercising agency-- and carries on about its duties in a lazy half-assed imitation of its true duties all in the name of apathy and a desire to binge watch soap operas and be left alone. Now, I can't be more clear in saying that as long as you are aware of that fact, this book is funny, entertaining, and quick to read. I highly recommend you get it with that in mind. *** SPOILERS *** However, this really felt more like the first part of a three part novel which in itself could be the first party of a trilogy and that the author completely fails to engage in some intellectual premises which could have elevated this book much higher. To begin with, it was my hope that this author would use this first person perspective of the cyborg--which truly should have been an android or a gynoid, but more on that later--as the basis for an exploration of agency and individuality; to seek answers to questions like does true individual agency exist, can one truly make a free will decision, or are all choices engrained in a network of influences which arise as a result of external factors? An first person android--or gynoid-protagonist who has 'hacked its governor' is ideally suited to ask such questions. Yet the author abstained. It was also my hope, that this female author would make more than a token effort to resist the cis-male characters, hierarchy, and stories that are all too common in science fiction. Sure, the ostensible 'leader'is an arguably strong woman who is also a powerful politician, but the author did very little to convey most of that aside from a few token moments and directly telling us that she was a powerful politician. All of the 'secunits', aside from being stating that they are genderless, read exactly like a cis-male archetype you've read and seen countless other times. This female author could have provided a very interesting perspective and commentary on gender by using a supposedly androgynous cyborg. Instead, she wrote an asexual--if I am being generous--man who had vague cybernetic parts that were really only there to support his violent, albeit reluctant, heroism. A gynoid could have provided a truly disparate criticism on gender, classically Male power, identity, humanity, morality, duty, and so forth. All while providing at least a more genuine, if not realistic but constructed, female perspective. Yet the author abstained. There was also one moment, in which the protagonist emphasized with another Secunit, only briefly, and offhandedly mentioned how it's consciousness was being overridden by an external control and that it must be tapped within its own mind. Any more deep contemplation of that would have been absolutely fascinating. Ye the author abstained. She could have made a more explicit criticism of corporatism. She could have made any number of interesting kinds of arguments about colonization and human invasions of other ostensibly uninhabited planets. I could go on. Yet, the author abstained. This novella is yet another example of a science fiction work that could have been so much more, but instead became entertaining fluff. Sad, and yet, entirely too common. So, as I said above, if you're looking for a short form and thoroughly fun story look no further. It was highly entertaining. If you're looking for any sort of intellectualism in science fiction, you'd be better off looking elsewhere; might I recommend Anne Leckie's "Ancillary Justice"?