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This one came in a bundle of Wells’s stories. I’m not one for high fantasy, especially kinds that use the body-possession trope, but I’ll at least read enough of it to be sure.

I think I need to read another series for a bit.

Oh, that is a short story.

This short story came with a Martha Wells bundle I bought last year.

I don’t much like one of the characters in this, one that we met before in Artificial Condition. Fortunately there were some new characters too who seemed mostly likeable.

A noun phrase that Murderbot uses frequently in this book is “humans and augmented humans” and it’s really annoying me, in the same way that certain people use the phrase “women and trans women”.

“Humans” is enough.

A nicely tied bow around the first four stories.

I need something comfy and undemanding right now; this should fit the bill.

I like McAuley’s writing style, but this second book in a series of (checks) four is so rambling. Spotting the acknowledgments at the end and aha—it’s made from several short stories. Don’t do that.

The story also grates in that it’s already antiquated with respect to agender people, and comes across as a bit unpleasant. This is always the danger of writing about the near future: you may get overtaken!

I have access to the third book in the series but I’m not sure I want to commit the time.

@eldang I think this is my favourite of the Wayfarers series (though #4 is also up there). It’s got a depth that struck me, a world fully built.