System Collapse

Immediately following the events of book 5 (not book 6), the team that is trying to evacuate the colonists from their contaminated planet is informed that a couple generations ago a separatist group left the colony and formed a new settlement elsewhere on the planet, near the gigantic engines used to terraform the atmosphere. Due to interference from the engines, it’s impossible to contact the other settlement, and no one knows if they are contaminated as well, or even alive. So Murderbot, one of ART’s drones (with ART’s personality, of course), and a few team members venture into the dead zone to contact them, with no idea what they’ll find when they get there.

This one is my new favorite Murderbot book. I *love* the use of a show more communications dead zone to change the stakes without actually raising them. The world is smaller and there’s much less bodily danger than previous books, but it feels more personal. I love the continued investigation of what the pre-Corporation universe looked like. I love both ART’s University and Preservation being so radical in different ways toward the same end. And I especially love the big plan of Murderbot using its knowledge of media to help the colonists understand, the same way that Murderbot uses media to understand things. Lovely. I really hope we get more of these eventually. show less

“I had been in worse situations with humans to protect, but I couldn’t pull any from my archive right now.”

What a pleasure it was to read *two* Murderbot books in a row! Rereading Network Effect before diving into this one is a good idea, it will be easier to get into the story. And anyone who comes to book 7 in a series must be a fan, I assume!? :)

We are still at the lost colony planet, trying to thwart an evil and greedy corporation. (I do like how this series handles capitalism and corporate crimes.) Things are complicated. SecUnits and humans get to explore dark tunnels and abandoned installations. Did you know that round hatches are more menacing than square ones?
“I always want to say ill-fated mission.” Yes, dear show more cyborg, you are quite the optimist.

The page-turning space opera plot flows parallel to something completely different: an aftermath of horrifying things happening. Murderbot is unwell. It is vulnerable. It is mourning, it is dealing with trauma. There is post-traumatic stress. I am impressed by how tactfully and skillfully Martha Wells writes about mental health issues, flashbacks, loss of confidence.
“I don’t understand how I process my emotions…” (Neither do many humans, if that’s any consolation... ;))
It’s a good thing that Murderbot has so many f.. fr… humans. There is ART, too!

I really liked the part when Murderbot had an idea of making a propaganda video - sorry - a persuasive dramatic documentary together with its human team and ART: 1) it’s cool when characters have to do something new and challenge themselves; 2) this is such a great meta satire.

The, snark, the banter, and the interplay are all great – and I don’t mean just human/bot, of course, all the bot/bot ones made me want to hug something.
I have a strong suspicion that ART enjoys being badass:
“Stand down or we will engage.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it. I lack a sense of proportional response. I don’t advise engaging with me on any level.”

It would have been nice to have more of Three’s POV, I thought it worked great in Network Effect. Is a Three novella too much to hope for? ;)

The ending:
“Do you know where we’re going next? I asked ART.” Oh, yes, please!

*Sobbing* What am I going to read now??? show less

Murderbot is back in SYSTEM COLLAPSE, along with his friends from Preservation and ART. The story picks up right after the events of NETWORK EFFECT. I highly recommend refreshing your memory of the events of that story, as Ms. Wells provides no summary of the events or reintroduction to certain key players.

While the Murderbot Diaries has always been about Murderbot's emerging humanity as he spends more time interacting with humans who care about him, SYSTEM COLLAPSE brings this idea even more to the forefront as he deals with a situation so upsetting that he cannot talk about it at the beginning. As we learn more about what happened, we see Murderbot deal with trauma, and not the physical kind he is so quick to shrug off.

Once again, show more Ms. Wells raises questions about just how much Murderbot's "organic parts" influence his behavior and thoughts, leading us to wonder where that line between man and machine exists. Murderbot is obviously upset about the experience, which we see in his self-doubt and hesitation to act. His behavior is as un-Murderbot-like as can be, and his emotional turmoil about it is fascinating.

To me, SYSTEM COLLAPSE is my favorite of The Murderbot Diaries so far. I like seeing Murderbot struggle with the effects of trauma, even as he attempts to act as normal while protecting his humans. I love that he acknowledges he has humans, and I love that he knows his humans so well that he now knows the best types of interactions to have with each. Given certain decisions made at the end of the story, I am curious to see how this growth will continue and eagerly await the opportunity to read the next installment in the Murderbot Diaries. show less

If you aren’t panicking, you’re not paying attention. Which might be Murderbot’s motto. Because reasons for panic seem to cluster around it. And more often than not, it has something to do with the Barish-Estranza corporation. Fortunately, our hero is not alone (unless you think it’s a bad thing that his friends and colleagues from Preservation ought to be panicking as well). If they can just clear out these ancient alien-tech infected ag-bots, then perhaps they can talk some sense with the humans on this godforsaken planet whom they are attempting to rescue. Unless there is another whole set of humans hidden away at the poles who have no idea that they even need rescuing yet. And oh, is that maybe B-E headed their way? Time to show more panic.

Once again, Martha Wells ratchets up the tension for Murderbot step by step so that it will be compelled to either collapse in an emotional shutdown and reboot, or once again be the hero it was born to be. Honestly, it’s almost like being in one of those entertainment vids that Murderbot and ART love to watch. Well, you get the picture.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Very easy to recommend. show less

This novel takes place immediately after the only other novel in the series, Network Effect. I wish that I had read them back to back, not in publication order, but this is a minor point.

Our SecUnit has physically recovered from being imprisoned by the alien contaminant, but something is off. As the Preservation members and University team work together to try and convince the colonists to leave with them, SecUnit finds it challenging to manage both job and emotions.

I loved Network Effect, and this novel is set in the same world and situation. Murderbot's journey to self-actualization is relatable, which is odd, since SecUnits are cyborgs. But there is such a human vulnerability behind the wise-cracking smartass. ART, on the other hand, show more is so superior to humans in processing ability that I find it harder to relate. I can't wait to see where the author takes us next. Wherever it is, I will be along for the ride. show less

I live for this book series. Fugitive Telemetry was my favorite Murderbot novella so far, and it made sense to me that the chronology of the series went back in time for that one, because Network Effect, the full length novel that was released before it, was really life altering for Murderbot, and it was hard to imagine where Martha Wells would take her creation from there. Luckily, it clearly wasn't hard for Martha Wells to imagine! This book is the latest in the series chronology, a direct and immediate sequel to Network Effect, and shows Murderbot and all the supporting cast dealing with the fallout and effects thereof that were indeed life altering—without destroying any of the elements that have made this series so absolutely show more engrossing and rereadable, and building a bridge to, hopefully, even more sequels. show less

This book takes place just after the events of Network Effect. ART is still waiting for the university to send a crew to repair his wormhole drive, and in the meantime, Barish-Estranza has shown up, looking for what they can salvage after the alien contamination disaster. Unfortunately, it looks like what they're most interested in salvaging is the planet's humans, forcing them into labor contracts and shipping them away. While the legal team works on finding a way to establish the colony's independence, Murderbot and some of its humans venture toward the planet's north pole, where a second group of settlers is rumored to have set up a colony. What will they find there? And why is Murderbot malfunctioning?

I always enjoy time spent with show more Murderbot, and this book is no exception. It's maybe not my favorite of the series, because I felt like there wasn't much opportunity for character development for the human characters. That's always been the case, except maybe in Network Effect, and it has to do with how much we are in Murderbot's head and how Murderbot has a hard time understanding humans. (Same, Murderbot, same.) But it bugged me a little more in this book; I don't know why. On the other hand, Murderbot got lots of interesting character development, much to its displeasure! I also may have been a little thrown off by the fact that I expected this book to be Murderbot and ART off on interspace adventures, and instead we're still at this one planet for the duration of the book. That's okay, we'll (probably?) get a space travel adventure next time, and I'll be there for it. Fans of the series should certainly not miss this instalment, but readers new to the series should, of course, start at the beginning. show less