ALL SYSTEMS RED: Martha Wells: 1 (Murderbot Diaries)

Product Information

Wells gives depth to a rousing but basically familiar action plot by turning it into the vehicle by which SecUnit engages with its own rigorously denied humanity.” — Publishers Weekly starred review

It’s about being treated as a thing, isn’t it. Whether that thing is a hostage of conditional value, or a very expensively designed and equipped enslaved machine/organic intelligence. You’re a thing, and there is no safety. Takes place before Network Effect. I had to look that up, because I honestly remember little of the novellas or the novel. High time for a re-read, apparently. Unfriendly Fire: Twice when Murderbot goes into action one of her mooks accidentally kills another in the confusion. Played for Rule of Threes when Murderbot uses her as a Bulletproof Human Shield against her own bodyguard. There really isn't much here and if one didn't read this one they would miss nothing. This is one of my favorite ongoing series and my favorite aspect of this series is the point of view of Murderbot. This story differentiates itself from that point of view as Murderbot is mostly off screen for the story. With this change one can tell right away it just isn't as enjoyable as all the other entries in this series. As for the story it makes sense that Dr. Mensah would suffer from this. The only problem is that it is referenced in this story without any real depth and since this story takes place in between already written books we really never see it again. Murderbot has a past where humans were killed and where it came to call itself Murderbot. There was a reason behind the naming, the bot is sure. However, the massacre that inspired this name remains vague in memory. After going through so much and having vague recollections about its past, Murderbot wants to find out more.

Eletra and Ras

Badass Bookworm/ Badass Normal: Dr. Mensah is a human scientist with no real combat training. She killed a SecUnit with a mining drill.

And she tells herself: you’re being very foolish. Because you were a hostage for a period of days, and it was a minor inconvenience compared to what Murderbot— No, SecUnit; she’s never been given permission to use that private name. What SecUnit went through. 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.) I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I had told Mensah. “I think you might know,” she had said. “You just don’t want to talk about it.”) In a series like this, some parts of it will be more crucial than others. This is not a high-intensity (relatively to plot. All the books are action heavy. Yes, all!) book, it is the aftermath, psychologically and dealing with minor stuff like oh yeah what happens to the population of that planet now (just some hundred, at most a few thousand people...) and more worldbuilding and more (glorious) stuff on how those people (human and not. The non human are just chef's kiss..) deal with each other. It is not an ideas book, but it is a really well done element of a truly original series which focus on action with a lot of thought and care to the characters and worldbuilding. And it is really really well done, Martha Wells is just fully in control of the story. It is not a mind blowing story or a series crucial point, but so worth it (I voted for another book, Children of Memory for the goodreads reader choices awards for sf and I am not changing my vote. Because CoM goes deeper, in ambition and ideas about personhood and consciousness. This is just as good technically but it stays, intentionally, more at the surface). Knight in Sour Armor: A very cynical warrior that continues to fight for its people against whatever threatens them.And now the impatient wait begins for the further adventures of Peri’s SecUnit and Asshole Research Transport. Androids Are People, Too: They're fully sapient, feel emotions, and form emotional attachments to other beings. But they're constrained by governor modules. Violently Protective Shipfriend: To secure Murderbot's release from kidnappers, ART threatens to destroy a colony from orbit. Shortly after is ART's upgrade to Implied Love Interest.