All Systems Red

The Murderbot Diaries, #1

by Martha Wells

eBook, 156 pages

English language

Published May 2, 2017 by Tordotcom.

ISBN:: 978-0-7653-9752-2
ASIN:: B01MYZ8X5C
ISFDB ID:: 2161845
Goodreads:: 32758901

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(83 reviews)

"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.

2 editions

Eric reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

A Surprisingly Innocent Story About Trauma

4 stars

All Systems Red is a wonderfully funny story, but also a deceptively heavy one.

It's true that the protagonist of this book (a socially awkward security android who calls themself "Murderbot") is introduced as this loveably quirky individual who is perpetually wishing everyone would just leave them alone so they can watch TV. However the humor of this setup is only half of what truly makes this story great. Murderbot is an amusing and innocent first-person narrator, but they're also a character who is gradually indicated by Wells to be struggling with some degree of PTSD as a result of an experience whose nature is left deliberately unclear.

The skill which Wells showcases here isn't just her innocent sense of comedy, but in her ability to take what is really a very heavy subject (how people respond to traumatic memories), and use humor to approach these themes with a respect …

All Systems Red is a wonderfully funny story, but also a deceptively heavy one.

All Systems Red is a "cozy sci-fi" story about an android who claims to want only to spend all day watching futuristic soap operas, but who nevertheless ends up having to save the lives of a bunch of human scientists who have gotten stranded on an alien planet. It's also a story about why people avoid dealing with traumatic memories, and the many issues that arise for them as a result.

The reason this story works is because these two facts are not mutually exclusive. This book is funny, and it's also about trauma.

There's a longer review which I wrote on my blog that I'll link to below. Just be aware that I go into plot spoilers.

erichendel.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-all-systems-red-by-martha-wells.html

73pctGeek reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Lovely sci-fi

4 stars

A re-read so I can catch up with the series. The story, writing, and world building are all still enjoyable, and Murderbot remains adorably, yet suspiciously, relatable.

読書狂 reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

a classic

5 stars

i haven't read this in 4 or 5 years, and i forgot how much fun this book is. the semi-bittersweet ending is moderated by the fact that i know there's like 7 more volumes, and i am sorely tempted to speed through them ahead of book club schedule. (^_^)

Elise reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Self-indulgent, a bit short

3 stars

Could have used more of the bleak backstory hinted at throughout as a setup to contrast how sweet the rest of the story is. Definitely missing something to be a really great story, and I find it a bit puzzling that it's so influential, that I hear other books occassionally described as "Murderbot Diaries but XYZ". I enjoyed it, though. Something to be said for my queer life and relating to the feelings of a construct that needs to act just right for those considered more human, or be parted out. A bit Empty Spaces, perhaps? I think I'll read the next one.

Alex Cabe reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Great Start

4 stars

Murderbot is a really compelling character. The story was a little thin, but it served mostly to introduce the character.

Murderbot's clearly depressed and has social anxiety, but deals with it the best they can. I loved the ending, but wonder if we'll see the Preservation crew again.

Freedom is a pure idea. It arises spontaneously, without instruction.

deer witch library reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Lived up to the hype and then some!

No rating

tbh I'm not sure if it's just a neurodivergent thing, but murderbot is like... deeply relatable???

also, a thread about augmented humans: kind.social/@moss/112787935674293792

Deborah Pickett reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

I like where sf is going

4 stars

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.

John Lusk reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Loved it

5 stars

How do I work this bookwyrm thing? The book was awesome.

jd 🔆 reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Entertaining and intriguing.

3 stars

A security robot goes rogue. A robot with attitude! Entertaining. Part of a series.

ju reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Short and fun

4 stars

I was surprised that it was only the length of a novella, but it's a fun read.

Alph reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Review of 'All Systems Red' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

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 😁

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 😁

laundry0099 reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Review of 'All Systems Red' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

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.

Tyler reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Murderbot

5 stars

Decided to reread Murderbot diaries due to finding the @murderbotbot@botsin.space account. I've really missed good dark humor.

gregorgross reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Good start

5 stars

Fast paced plot. The AI is exactly not doing what it was built for (it's a security bot that calls itself a murderbot), it loves watching entertainment series on HBO or the like. The story is told from the point of view of the bot and the bot is really funny. It's not only the interactions with humans, it's often in between different thoughts and all, she puts in a new perspective that is funny.

Of course I want to point out that we all seem to love these bots that turn human, like with Ann Leckie etc. But we don't know if these books sound like real AIs, although we think they do and we love it. I love the difference between the bot and a human, or better, what the bot is thinking about an easy interaction with a human that we as humans never consciously think about. …