Space Opera Fans discussion

The Jan 2023 Themed Pick is All Systems Red by Martha Wells. The theme is Alien Tech. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. 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 is 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, Murderbot 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 Murderbot to get to the truth.

These books are so great. I love me some Murderbot.

Murderbot is more human than a lot of actual humans. In chapter 1, we learn that Murderbot "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." Their favorite show is "Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon", mentioned a number of times over the course of the next few books, as I remember it.

I am about halfway through. Murderbot has a very low opinion of the company that owns it and that is responsible for supplying the teams exploring the planet they are on. As one example, using the lowest bidder for everything even if it means completely shoddy equipment for their clients.

Audrey wrote: "I am about halfway through. Murderbot has a very low opinion of the company that owns it and that is responsible for supplying the teams exploring the planet they are on. As one example, using the lowest bidder for everything even if it means completely shoddy equipment for their clients."

It’s a *very* justified opinion. If you’re halfway through, then you know why.
🤖 🩸

yup

Finished!

The Corporation Rim cynicism may not be entirely unique, but it is so brilliantly done in this series.

I really liked this book, but it was too short. I wanted more and will definitely read more in the series. Here is my review.

All Systems Red was a quick read but extremely enjoyable. I think every company could contract a murderbot or three! LOL. I thought the character development was well done, and the angst against the Corporation and the internal monologue about it was spectacular!

I actually liked the novella length so much that I feared that when Wells wrote a novel it would not hold up well—but Network Effect was great too. (If you do read on in the series, save this late one, the novel, for the end.)

Yes, definitely read them in published order.

There’s a new Murderbot coming out in 2023, as well. Probably in the fall, close to the holidays.

A new Murderbot? Excellent!

The entire series is excellent, but this first entry is really great. Wells' use of first-person narrator is masterful for this tale. The Murderbot's personality, its continual assessment of threats and options and its potential responses make for wonderfully hilarious reading and a scathing commentary on human social and governmental constructs and the continual failures of bureaucracies. Awesome series that also delivers with traditional SF action scenes and thriller-ish tension.

Trike wrote: "Yes, definitely read them in published order.

There’s a new Murderbot coming out in 2023, as well. Probably in the fall, close to the holidays."

I just saw on Amazon the new Murderbot is called System Collapse and is due November 14.

I couldn’t get into the free preview of this book, but I’m glad so many of our group enjoyed it. If you want to continue discussing the rest of series please feel free to either post comments on this thread or nominate the next book for our February Reader Pick. That nomination thread is already posted.

2 stars. The protagonist was tremendously whiny, eager to avoid human interaction, and this was so pervasive and annoying that it soured the experience for me. It didn’t help that the main drive of the plot was left unexplained most of the book, when it was explained it wasn’t very interesting, and that everything the characters did was a reaction to that. The execution of going through the planet and interacting with the enemies was fairly well-executed, though.

Ryan wrote: "2 stars. The protagonist was tremendously whiny, eager to avoid human interaction, and this was so pervasive and annoying that it soured the experience for me."

The premise was that the bot construct has social anxiety. Murderbot works through it over the course of the series.

I get that, but it didn't make for pleasant reading regardless.

I can see your point but for me, personally, I thought it made the Murderbot interesting rather than found it annoying.

Each reader brings their own background and tastes to a book. There are books I reread a dozen times in the 80s that I can’t stand now. Thank you for keeping the discussion polite.

I read this book, and the series, as it came out. Really enjoyed them. I found these short and self contained, though there is a over-arching story line. All Systems Red

i would not read all of the stories in series order. events in the first 3 novellas all happened one after another. so those you need to read in order. then skip to the 5th novella. then read the full length novel.

i was confused because i did read them in publication order. and events took place before everything that happened in the full length novel.

NewHampsterCommuter wrote: "The premise was that the bot construct has social anxiety. Murderbot works through it over the course of the series."

interesting...i did not think of it as social anxiety at all.

i think murderbot just really does not like being around humans because of all of our messy emotions.
emotions murderbot denies it has.

it dislikes when humans makes it feel things. it likes to think it only cares because of its programming to protect those its decided to do security for.

murderbot gets over the denial of having feelings and caring throughout the series.

Ryan wrote: "2 stars. The protagonist was tremendously whiny, eager to avoid human interaction, and this was so pervasive and annoying that it soured the experience for me. It didn’t help that the main drive of..."

muderbot def complained a LOT about different things. it did not like almost all of the decision made by humans -neither the humans it was guarding, humans it fought, or the company that owned it.

my fave part of the series besides murderbot's internal monologues is how short the novellas are.

i normally reread the last book in a series to refresh my memory before reading the next one.

with most scifi and fantasy series this is hard to do because of how many volumes are in the series and the length of the novels.
most of the classic scifi and fantasy authors i have only read in anthologies.

Tor and M Wells just posted the cover for the next Murderbot book.

I read this a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I've read the whole series.

I've seen this one around but you all convinced me to give it a try.

Jonathan wrote: "I've seen this one around but you all convinced me to give it a try."

Yes, I've finally cracked and added all the series to my TBR...

Apologies to all the regulars, I've been lurking for years, but having given up moderating another group, I'm allowing myself to enjoy this one more :)

Jemima wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "I've seen this one around but you all convinced me to give it a try."

Yes, I've finally cracked and added all the series to my TBR...

Apologies to all the regulars, I've been lur..."

We’re regular because books are made of fiber.

Trike wrote: "We’re regular because books are made of fiber."

hee hee
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🤭

Kay Dee wrote: "my fave part of the series besides murderbot's internal monologues is how short the novellas are. "

I just wish the length of the books were reflected in the pricing. They seem expensive for how short they are, not that I don't still buy them.

How Murderbot saved Martha Wells.

https://www.wired.com/story/murderbot...

Betsy wrote: "How Murderbot saved Martha Wells.

https://www.wired.com/story/murderbot..."

Thanks.
I attended conventions in both College Station and Bryan, Texas in the 1970s and early 1980s so before Wells time but I still remember them as the most welcoming, well organized, fun conventions I attended. Good to know the camaraderie continues.

There's a new Murderbot story coming out in Reactor magazine, next week:

https://reactormag.com/read-a-new-mur...

Thanks for that link, Betsy. I'll be keeping tabs looking for the story when it drops.

Thank you, Betsy!

Betsy wrote: "There's a new Murderbot story coming out in Reactor magazine, next week:

https://reactormag.com/read-a-new-mur..."

Thank you!
ohhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!!!

Murderbot will get at least a second season:

https://www.theverge.com/news/704047/...