The Murderbot Diaries, Vol. 1: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition

A short but infinitely engaging book. In this corporate-dominated futuristic dystopia, a cybernetic construct of cloned human bits and machine augmentations designed to protect people who rent it from the anonymous Company, called a SecUnit, refers to itself as “Murderbot”. (It/ Its pronouns used throughout the book, as expressly stated, it has no gender or any organic sexual reproductive organs or systems).
We get to read Murderbot's inner thoughts, and experience their reluctance to communicate with most humans, and its obsession with watching human media programs. This is a different sort of Murderbot though, as it actually doesn't WANT to kill any humans, but some sort of malfunction or sabotage caused it to rampage and kill show more dozens, before it's memory banks were partially wiped. Now with a hacked module, allowing it to have almost free autonomy over itself, it still does the job it was hired to do, but with a difference, It tries to stay under the radar, not letting on that its hacked itself, It likes to follow its own rules and often disregards the humans orders in favor of common sense, revealing a sarcastic and awkward personality. I really enjoyed this book as it was reminiscent of a few episodes of Doctor Who, which has always been a favorite of mine. show less

Summary: The first two novellas in the Murderbot series, All Systems Red and Artificial Condition.

Thanks to my son, I’ve discovered the world of Murderbot. For those not acquainted with this series, it is set in some distant future where space travel between star systems is routine. They’ve figured out how to travel through wormholes reliably. In addition to humans and augmented humans, various “bots” are used including sentient bots. Among these are CombatUnits, ComfortUnits, and SecUnits, providing military, sex, and security. Murderbot is a SecUnit with a difference. After a “malfunction” where he allegedly murdered 57 people it is refurbished by Corporation Rim. However, Murderbot figured out how to hack its Governor show more Module, by which it is controlled by its owners. It is autonomous, but has concealed this.

This edition combines the first two “Diaries,” “All Systems Red” and “Artificial Condition,” released in conjunction with the Apple TV+ streaming adaptation. I will summarize each of the Diaries separately with some concluding comments.

All Systems Red

Murderbot is under contract for a survey by a group of Preservation scientists, an independent planetary settlement effort, operating outside Corporate Rim, the corporate interest controlling much space travel and settlement. The team is surveying a planet for settlement. Murderbot provides security for a satellite team, working in conjunction with the larger DeltFall station. Sounds like a routine gig until a creature under a crater attacks a scientist, who Murderbot rescues, revealing some of its impressive armaments, as well as its ability to sustain severe damage and survive.

This is only the start. A series of glitches, malfunctions, and data gaps raise questions about possible sabotage. But who is doing it? Then they discover they cannot raise DeltFall on their coms. Most of the team goes to investigate. However, DeltFall has been wiped out, and two of the surviving SecUnits turn on them, along with two others of unknown origin, nearly succeed in inserting a Combat module on Murderbot before the team destroys them. Murderbot is seriously damaged, but while being regenerated, the scientists discover its hacked governor and past history. Yet they decide to trust it, given how well it has protected them.

They conclude they are not alone and that an enemy has sabotaged their systems. They prepare for an attack. Before fleeing the station, they learn that GrayCris, a rival corporation that wants the planet, is offering to negotiate their survival. But they assess this a trap. I’ll leave you to discover how they escape if you’ve not read the series (you already know Murderbot lives on!).

Artificial Condition

Grateful for its protection, Dr. Mensah, the lead Preservation scientist buys Murderbot’s contract and grants it freedom, consistent with Preservation values. But Murderbot promptly leaves and takes a series of transports to get back to the planet where he allegedly killed all those people.

Murderbot meets its match on the last, robot piloted transport. ART figures out who Murderbot is, putting Murderbot on defense until ART proves it is an ally. ART even helps Murderbot modify itself, disguising it as an augmented human. ART helps find a way to return to the Ganaka mines, where the murders occurred. Three scientists formerly employed with Tlacey Excavations, want to get their research back from Tlacey.

From the get-go, it’s clear Tlacey will have none of it. Their transport is sabotagd, and only ART’s intervention saves them. They manage to meet Tlacey only to escape another assassination attempt through Murderbot’s efforts. On a break, he returns to the Ganaka mines and learns the truth. Murderbot and the other SecUnits did kill, but as the result of a sabotage by a rival company. Murderbot didn’t just turn into a killer.

But will Murderbot succeed in getting his clients’ research and get them out alive? and what will Murderbot do with what it learned at Ganaka?

Concluding Comments

What most fascinates me in these novels is the exploration of sentient robots. Equally, the subordination of “bots” to a corporation, making them slaves repeats this old human sin of humans subjugating others. The fact that Murderbot hacks its governor to attain autonomy emphasizes its sentience, and essential drive to exercise its will in freedom. Likewise, the fact that these are Murderbot’s diaries, its interior “thoughts,” underscores this very human quality of being able to talk to oneself, a self-consciousness. While not exactly having feelings, it has a sense of loyalty to agreements, that becomes something more when others treat it with trust and dignity. There is also this drive for knowing the truth about oneself.

However, what does one do in one’s free or down time? For Murderbot, it is streaming massive amounts of videos. I’d be visiting the libraries of the world, reading as much of great works as possible with my augmented capacities. Some might argue these are equivalent. But I would propose that reading activates imagination, in which we create the video, as it were, ourselves. I wonder if Murderbot is capable of that? show less

Murderbot is an absolute delight. Especially if you, too, have an aversion to humans and wonder why thy are the way they are.

4/5

Read it if you want to.