“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.”
I stumbled on The Murderbot Diaries series a few years ago while looking for a possible read for my bookclub. Murderbot is hands down the most socially awkward and anxiety-ridden robot I have ever encountered and I love every single moment of it. The series includes a number of novella length books with a couple of longer titles popping up here and there. While there are threads and storylines that connect the books, each is also a complete story which makes it easier to dip in and out of the series if you don’t want to binge read them.
Even though Murderbot is a sentient AI who was literally built for murder, they’re an incredibly relatable character for a lot of people. Almost everyone has struggled with who they are and what their purpose in life is at one point or another. Add in some action and adventure as the underdog group of scientists goes up against a giant evil corporation, plus some snarky dialogue, and a feel-good found family storyline, and you have All Systems Red.
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys space opera and is perfect for fans of Becky Chambers, John Scalzi, and Tamysn Muir.
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