All Systems Red

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. (^_^)

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.

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.

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

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

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. 

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

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 …

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 a short story, interesting, funny sometimes, but overall lacks depth. Good for a quick read, but I won't bother reading the rest of the series.

From the plot alone, this novella would be a bit of perhaps cliche science fiction. What makes it both unique and compelling is that the story being told from the perspective of the "Murderbot" (hence The Murderbot Diaries), a cyborg generally treated by society as a piece of equipment.

Martha Wells's writing does a good job of showing Murderbot's personality, its particular anxieties, its relationships towards humans, and general attitudes towards life. Even if the plot is cliche, Murderbot as a character is the opposite.