The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy

I had heard so much hype about this series that I braced myself for some level of disappointment. It never came. There is so much going on in these four novellas, and I am inordinately glad I already own the next books.

Murderbot’s voice is brilliant. The paranoia and anxiety, the dry humour, the constant undercutting sarcasm, it is entirely my wavelength. I was initially wary of the neurodivergent coding. The tendency for autism to be displaced onto robots can feel uncomfortable, even reductive. Here, though, that reading is not explicitly imposed by the plot, and because the story is told from Murderbot’s point of view, with its emotional landscape consistently foregrounded, what I felt most strongly was its humanity. Its anxiety show more is not aesthetic. Its attachment is not mechanical. I found myself deeply moved by the acceptance and accommodations offered by the PreservationAux team, and I recognised, perhaps uncomfortably, that sense of not knowing what you want, even when the freedom to choose is theoretically available.

Without straying into spoilers, the emotional evolution across these instalments genuinely gripped me. The developing trust between Murderbot and ART is both funny and unexpectedly tender. I very much hope we see ART again. Miki, in contrast, opens up a different register entirely. Adorable, yes, but also an opportunity to explore a radically different presentation of artificial personhood. The juxtaposition is playful, but it is also quietly pointed.

The worldbuilding is deft. Nothing feels laboriously explained. The setting accumulates around Murderbot’s perception, so gaps feel like perspective rather than omission. The corporate structures, the insurance bonds, the casual normalisation of risk distribution all feel plausible in a way that is faintly chilling. I especially loved the technical texture. The intersecting networks with different permissions and functions, the hazards of hacking transport systems that might physically collide, the detail of feeds and access protocols, even the small human oversights in coding, such as polite requests slipping past security barriers. It builds a world that feels lived in rather than displayed.

I was enjoying myself so much that I barely registered the mechanics of reading at all. I only noticed a typo when I flipped back to check a spelling and stumbled across a stray “CrayGris”. That feels oddly telling.

Usually I find myself thinking I would have liked to see more of something. Here, I struggle to articulate that absence. In terms of diversity, Murderbot moves through a range of cultures and identities across and within these stories, and the queernorm presentation among the PreservationAux team sets a tone that feels quietly expansive. Murderbot’s clear disinterest in sex or romance further widens the field of possible relational narratives rather than narrowing it. Nothing feels lost by that refusal. If anything, it sharpens the focus on connection, trust, and chosen alliance.

I am stopping here only because I want to pick up the next one immediately. show less

Fun to read, light comic book like story in a set of four novellas (stupid marketing!). Certainly not literature or even good sci-fi, but fun fast read when you want something light and adventurous.

One of my favourite series, that I re-read occasionally.

The plot idea of a cyborg as the main character is masterfully and humorously handled in this series. Excellent treatment of free will vs. slavery.

I’ve been listening to the Murderbot audio books again and again the last few years. I am so happy I recieved this box set as a present and got to also read some of my favorite books with my eyes. I don’t understand how they can be so good every time, but they are.

Reread of the first two, first read of the second two, to get ready for Network Effect. I really had trouble following the mysteries and the battle scenes, but I really like the protag, even though it does tend to repeat itself ad nauseam. I really liked the closure of the quartet, too... I'm not actually especially looking forward to the first full-length novel.

I'm also not at all interested in reading the author's other works.* I cannot believe she's so prolific and respected, as I would have blue-penciled so much awkwardness. (Don't mind me, though, as I edit much better than I write.)

*Several years ago I dnf'd Cloud Roads, which I really wanted to like. Sigh.