Défaillances systèmes

"I 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.[...]. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.

That was a nice little entertainment. SecBot is a nice (but not new) mixture of laziness, virtues and superhuman skills and reminds me of Kvothe in the kingskiller chronicles. Thanks @reading tofu for the recommendation!

All Systems Red is a wonderfully funny story, but also a deceptively heavy one.

It's true that the protagonist of this book (a socially awkward security android who calls themself "Murderbot") is introduced as this loveably quirky individual who is perpetually wishing everyone would just leave them alone so they can watch TV. However the humor of this setup is only half of what truly makes this story great. Murderbot is an amusing and innocent first-person narrator, but they're also a character who is gradually indicated by Wells to be struggling with some degree of PTSD as a result of an experience whose nature is left deliberately unclear.

The skill which Wells showcases here isn't just her innocent sense of comedy, but in her ability to take what is really a very heavy subject (how people respond to traumatic memories), and use humor to approach these themes with a respect and honesty that very few authors manage.

All Systems Red is a "cozy sci-fi" story about an android who claims to want only to spend all day watching futuristic soap operas, but who nevertheless ends up having to save the lives of a bunch of human scientists who have gotten stranded on an alien planet. It's also a story about why people avoid dealing with traumatic memories, and the many issues that arise for them as a result.

The reason this story works is because these two facts are not mutually exclusive. This book is funny, and it's also about trauma.

There's a longer review which I wrote on my blog that I'll link to below. Just be aware that I go into plot spoilers.

erichendel.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-all-systems-red-by-martha-wells.html

it's hard to pull off a sardonic robot protagonist, and I think this did it

It's a short novel so I can't expect much in character development outside of the main one, but that is my one critique: I'd like to know more about the other members of the crew and their situations.

But overall it was a fun listen; engaging, interesting, suspenseful.

A fun, quick sci-fi read.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The idea is simple enough. "Murderbots" are engineered constructs comprised of biological and mechanical components. They're created to kill things and follow orders but are capable of more under certain circumstances, such as those created via a hacked or malfunctioning "governing module." This is the story of one such entity, caught up in an unusual scenario when a "simple planetary survey mission" goes sideways. It's a solid read and works, both as a standalone and as the setup for the "Murderbot Diaries" series it kicks off. Highly recommended for those seeking a fast-paced, charming, and generally-lighthearted (despite a few somewhat-grim moments) introduction to modern science fiction but veterans of the genre will likely find a lot to enjoy as well.

Very cute and awww and generally great. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

Violence: Yes Sexual scenes: No

I read this a couple weeks ago and could tell you approximately nothing about the plot! I remember having a nice time reading it? It's short, which is to its credit. There is some stuff about untrustworthy corporations, and the main character is a robot whose robot-ness seems to be a metaphor for neurodivergence of some kind? I don't know. It never really came together but also, hey, it was short.

Absolutely delightful novella that manages to touch on big themes about what it means to be accepted as a person, and to deal with people when you're not sure, while staying fun, light read.

I haven't been so compelled to read since a teenager. Murderbot sucked me in completely.