Marvel At Words

Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel

Title: Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel

Author: Martha Wells

Summary: It calls itself Murderbot, but only where no one can hear.

It worries about the fragile human crew who’ve grown to trust it, but only where no one can see.

It tells itself that they’re only a professional obligation, but when they’re captured and an old friend from the past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5

Review: Murderbot, my beloved. Strap in for another largely incoherent review, because when I gush about books I love it rarely makes sense.

This is the first full length Murderbot novel, with previous books being two short stories each. But honestly, the story here pretty neatly fits into two halves, I think. (Or, knowing one of the stories in the next book continues on from this one, three thirds.) I like that about it. It’s basically two separate but connected rescue missions (plus a bonus extra one at the end there) (which was probably my favourite, ngl).

There was so much going on in this book, I don’t know where to start. Maybe the beginning? The first few chapters focus on Murderbot’s life on Preservation, with its humans. How it has been adjusting and its relationships with people. Murderbot tries to fool the reader (and itself) that these relationships are simple (it likes her, it doesn’t like him, it tolerates her), but of course everything is more nuanced than that. As Murderbot is forced to confront that so is the reader, and as uncomfortable as that makes Murderbot feel it made me feel warm and fuzzy.

I knew ART was back for this book, but was not prepared for how and why. Neither was Murderbot and its absolute breakdown about it all was exquisite. The connection it made with Amena, the human it tolerated for Mensah’s sake, through that emotional crisis was extra special. What was also wonderful was the flipping of that, with ART going full on rage when their positions were reversed towards the end of the book.

I swear to god, the amount of times this book made me laugh and cry and bloody squeal, I cannot. Highlights include: Murderbot and ART constantly out-sassing each other, but genuinely having nothing but respect and admiration for each other. Murderbot 2.0 being a badass bitch and also acknowledging that Murderbot’s organic parts are useful. Fucking Three—that’s it, that the sentence, Three is an icon I love it already. Murderbot sitting, feeling sorry for itself, assuming it had been abandoned and left behind—while I’m literally shaking my book and screeching “No, baby, they are coming. YOU ARE LOVED!”

It is truly those involuntary, visceral, animated reactions that these books evoke in me that I love. And I can’t keep quite about it. I react physically and verbally to the book. I share quotes with my partner. I ask my cat questions as if she’s reading the book with me. I have started saying “I need to turn my pain sensors down” when I pop some painkillers.

I did warn you this review was going to make no sense. I repeat: Murderbot, my beloved.

The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 2

Title: The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 2

Author: Martha Wells

Summary: Science fiction’s favorite antisocial AI is back in Rogue Protocol! The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

In Exit Strategy, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?

Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5

Review: Full disclaimer, I find it really hard to talk about books I love and why I love them. And my gosh, I love these Murderbot books. So this review will likely lack structure or coherence. Maybe that’s the best kind of review.

The writing is still exactly my jam. Concise, clear, and sharp. No word is wasted. It’s simple, but effective. It’s efficient, with a touch of flare… which mirror its narrator perfectly. Murderbot is a sassy, pithy, hilarious motherfucker and I love it. It made me laugh so often—out loud and everything. Many times I laughed so loudly my cat turned to look at me like I had personally offended her.

Murderbot also made me cry. Multiple times. It made me grasp my chest with a wet sob, it made flap my hand in some wild effort to prevent tears, it made me smile through tears of happiness. It also made me put down the book to come back to later because I was having an emotion I didn’t know what to do with. These are compliments.

Like the first volume, this book had two stories in it. The first felt a little different immediately and I did find it a bit harder to get into initially. I think because Murderbot isn’t really interacting with anyone for the first two chapters while the story gets going. And for most of the story the focus is on its friendship relationship with a bot, Miki, rather than the humans. Talking of Miki. Mikiiiiii. Miki was the cause of a lot of gasps and chest clutches. Or, perhaps more accurately, Murderbot’s reactions to Miki were the cause. Murderbot might not have a heart, but it has emotions which made my heart ache beautifully.

The second story. I— Mostly I want to keyboard smash, honestly, because my main feelings about it can only be expressed in squeals and garbled noises. Although Mensah and the PresAux team from the first story are mentioned throughout the second and third, as Murderbot keeps track of them through news stories, we don’t meet them again. Until now! This story. This storyyyyy. It had it all. Action, peril, reunions, rescue, heart, and oh so very many emotions. Murderbot and I were both a bit overwhelmed. I loved it.

I honestly considered saying ‘fuck it’ and jumping straight into the next Murderbot book. But ultimately I want to make them last so I can truly savour them, which means I’m going to continue to read something else in between. I’ll be back with you soon, Murberbot, my beloved.

The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1

Title: The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1

Author: Martha Wells

Summary: On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their company-supplied-bot—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 (and to watch its favourite show in its downtime).

But when a neighbouring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

Then, In Artificial Condition Murderbot teams up with a research transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), and together, they infiltrate the mining facility where Murderbot went rogue to try to understand its past.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5

Review: I watched the Murderbot TV series recently. I loved it, so obviously I immediately ordered the book. I loved that too, and before I had even finished it I ordered the rest of the books in the series.

There are two novellas in the book, All Systems Red and Artificial Condition. The first is the story the TV series is based on. Although I’d seen the TV series it wasn’t exactly the same as the book, so there was plenty for me to discover. More characters, events unfolding in a different way, and most interesting to me there was more insight into Murderbot.

The writing is sharp and precise, which I appreciate. There’s no meandering or overly descriptive flowery language. This fits in with Murderbot and its character and really shows how it sees and interacts with the world. It also make the stories quick and very easy to read. I finished the book in a couple of days, but if I didn’t have other things to do I could easily have finished it in a day.

As the main character, Murderbot is great and it is a perfect example of why I always love the robots in fiction. It does not use the words and possibly doesn’t use labels, but it so clearly autistic, asexual, and agender representation. It’s relationship and communication with humans is complex and varied depending on a variety of conditions. The fact that it is made of both robotic and organic parts, and how it describes its experience of both of those is fascinating.

Murderbot is also funny. Perhaps unintentionally, with its blunt and honest straightforwardness as well as its afterthoughts and one-liners. But I literally had to stop reading and close my eyes to laugh several times.

Of the secondary characters my favourite by far is Mensah. While all the characters, to varying degrees, treat Murderbot with a level of respect it has never experienced, it is Mensah who seems to understand it and interact with it in a way that makes Murderbot feel comfortable. And I love her for that.

ART, who is introduced in the second story, is another favourite. It is a very advanced and powerful bot in control of a ship Murderbot hitches a ride on. Their relationship starts off shaky, but they grow to respect and trust each other and I love that for them.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything I didn’t enjoy about this book, these novellas, and these characters. Everything about it is something I love and appreciate in a story. I seriously considered binge reading the other books, but I’m going to attempt to pace myself a little.