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The Murderbot Diaries #7
System Collapse
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2023)Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.
Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.
Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.
But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.
Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.
Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.
Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.
But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.
Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2023
About the author
Martha Wells
95 books20k followersMartha Wells has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series, The Murderbot Diaries series, and other fantasy novels, most recently Witch King (Tordotcom, 2023). She has also written media tie-in fiction for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering, as well as short fiction, YA novels, and non-fiction. She has won Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and a Dragon Award, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the British Science Fiction Association Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, the Sunday Times Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. She is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, and her books have been published in twenty-five languages.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
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April 27, 2023ANOTHER FULL-LENGTH NOVEL ENTRY IN THIS SERIES. I FEEL COMPLETELY NORMAL ABOUT THIS *gnaws my entire fist*
July 7, 2024
Murderbot is not okay. I repeat, Murderbot is (very much) not okay.
It’s easy to think of our former “mindless killing machine” with a soft spot for media entertainment and - brace for it - humans and a certain Asshole Research Transport as amazingly invulnerable, save for a bit of severe social anxiety and awkward difficulty adjusting to accepted personhood after existence as basically a disposable weapon, and now certainly PTSD. But Murderbot is not invulnerable, and emotions happen, and trauma - as much as it would like to keep that part [redacted] - wreaks its consequences on our favorite bot/human construct.
Set immediately after the end of Network Effect, System Collapse is a direct continuation of that storyline in the quest of Murderbot and a few of its favorite humans (and ART, or rather ART-drone) to rescue the abandoned colonists on the planet suffering from alien contamination from becoming indentured servants for a greedy corporation. Oh, and it’s a story of mental health struggles (but done non-didactically and non-annoyingly, which is much appreciated) and a critique of rampant capitalistic approach to life (again, somehow non-annoyingly, which quite a few authors can learn from).
And by now you’re either an established Murderbot fan or a strange person who picked up book 7 in a series without loving the hell out of its snarky supposedly misanthropic protagonist that would annihilate you if you threaten its ever-expanding list of “its” humans ( “(It was weird to have so many humans I had to give them group names.)”
I suppose what I’m saying is — I expect you’ll love it, too.
4.5 stars, rounding up (saving that half-star for eventual narration by Kevin R. Free; I can’t wait to hear his rendition of Murderbot/ART banter).
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
I was different. It wasn’t just the alien contamination. What came out was, “Something in me broke.”
It’s easy to think of our former “mindless killing machine” with a soft spot for media entertainment and - brace for it - humans and a certain Asshole Research Transport as amazingly invulnerable, save for a bit of severe social anxiety and awkward difficulty adjusting to accepted personhood after existence as basically a disposable weapon, and now certainly PTSD. But Murderbot is not invulnerable, and emotions happen, and trauma - as much as it would like to keep that part [redacted] - wreaks its consequences on our favorite bot/human construct.
(“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I had told Mensah. “I think you might know,” she had said. “You just don’t want to talk about it.”)
Set immediately after the end of Network Effect, System Collapse is a direct continuation of that storyline in the quest of Murderbot and a few of its favorite humans (and ART, or rather ART-drone) to rescue the abandoned colonists on the planet suffering from alien contamination from becoming indentured servants for a greedy corporation. Oh, and it’s a story of mental health struggles (but done non-didactically and non-annoyingly, which is much appreciated) and a critique of rampant capitalistic approach to life (again, somehow non-annoyingly, which quite a few authors can learn from).
But since the thing that happened I don’t think I’ve had an emotion that wasn’t the visual equivalent of a wet blanket crumpled on a floor.
And by now you’re either an established Murderbot fan or a strange person who picked up book 7 in a series without loving the hell out of its snarky supposedly misanthropic protagonist that would annihilate you if you threaten its ever-expanding list of “its” humans ( “(It was weird to have so many humans I had to give them group names.)”
I suppose what I’m saying is — I expect you’ll love it, too.
4.5 stars, rounding up (saving that half-star for eventual narration by Kevin R. Free; I can’t wait to hear his rendition of Murderbot/ART banter).
He turned to me. “It was a sexual discussion.”
ART said in our private feed, I told you that you didn’t want to know.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I had an expression (I couldn’t help it) and involuntarily retreated two meters back down the corridor.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
December 18, 2023
Warning: This book picks up DIRECTLY after Network Effect. If you are like me and read these books the minute they are released (or are lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy-- many thanks Tor and Netgalley, and I will now proceed with my completely biased review because I feel that I would be first in line to give Murderbot a hug if they would ever, ever permit it), then you should probably go back and refresh yourself if your organic parts are at all suspect. Although Wells is an author prone to detailed world-building, 'Bot is not a being that particularly cares about such details ("I asked because the humans would bug me for the information; I was as indifferent to human gender as it was possible to be without being unconscious") and as such, is often prone to gloss over details in favor of snarky commentary.
Aren't we all?
BUT, as I was saying, Wells does drop us in the action (as usual) and 'Bot is struggling with (redacted). Literally. That's not me redacting anything--that's 'Bot doing it, leaving the reader wondering what exactly is being redacted. Specific events from Network Effect? The alien intelligence? Murderbot 2.0? Who knows, because (redacted).
"I was supposed to 'check in regularly with my emotions' which I pretended was a thing I had any intention of doing... I had fifty-seven unique sources of concern/anxiety, speaking of checking in with my emotions, but nothing I could do anything about right now."
Me too, Murderbot. Me too.
Eventually, of course, all will become clear, but that's why it helps to have recently refreshed recall of Network Effect if you haven't recently re-read it, unlike me. I mean, we all have our favorite episodes, right? All Systems Red and Exit Strategy are my equivalents of Sanctuary Moon, so those don't need much refreshing for me.
Because of that delay, I spent part of this story more confused than I generally appreciate. I was also a little frustrated with 'Bot's indecisiveness and emotional struggles. Yes, you heard me; emotional struggles. But that's growth, isn't it, and that is the wonderful thing about Murderbot; how they have gone from a murdering being (so they say) to a being that just wants to numb themselves on the entertainment feed, to a being that has so many friends they need to categorize them by groups.
However, all that said, there's distinct emotional progress in this book, and I appreciate that Wells continues to evolve 'Bot beyond 'serial of the week' mentality. Similar to the other books, once the plot gets going, Wells does a nice job of tying in suspense and action and it is almost impossible to set the book down.
Many, many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for feeding my 'Bot addiction providing an advanced reader copy that I could review in a completely unbiased manner.
*****************
Love the 'Bot and want to join a re/read? Discuss the upcoming release? Nataliya, Dennis, and I lead a group:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Aren't we all?
BUT, as I was saying, Wells does drop us in the action (as usual) and 'Bot is struggling with (redacted). Literally. That's not me redacting anything--that's 'Bot doing it, leaving the reader wondering what exactly is being redacted. Specific events from Network Effect? The alien intelligence? Murderbot 2.0? Who knows, because (redacted).
"I was supposed to 'check in regularly with my emotions' which I pretended was a thing I had any intention of doing... I had fifty-seven unique sources of concern/anxiety, speaking of checking in with my emotions, but nothing I could do anything about right now."
Me too, Murderbot. Me too.
Eventually, of course, all will become clear, but that's why it helps to have recently refreshed recall of Network Effect if you haven't recently re-read it, unlike me. I mean, we all have our favorite episodes, right? All Systems Red and Exit Strategy are my equivalents of Sanctuary Moon, so those don't need much refreshing for me.
Because of that delay, I spent part of this story more confused than I generally appreciate. I was also a little frustrated with 'Bot's indecisiveness and emotional struggles. Yes, you heard me; emotional struggles. But that's growth, isn't it, and that is the wonderful thing about Murderbot; how they have gone from a murdering being (so they say) to a being that just wants to numb themselves on the entertainment feed, to a being that has so many friends they need to categorize them by groups.
However, all that said, there's distinct emotional progress in this book, and I appreciate that Wells continues to evolve 'Bot beyond 'serial of the week' mentality. Similar to the other books, once the plot gets going, Wells does a nice job of tying in suspense and action and it is almost impossible to set the book down.
Many, many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for
*****************
Love the 'Bot and want to join a re/read? Discuss the upcoming release? Nataliya, Dennis, and I lead a group:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
December 5, 2021
My book review assessment had been 96 percent that this will be five stars, so might as well rate it now. But my performance will continue to drop as I wait for it to come out. No pressure, Ms Wells.
November 20, 2023
‘Something in me broke.’
What makes Murderbot as endearing as it is engaging are the ways that, through a narrative about an autonomous robot, we think about what it means to be human. The stories are sort of a perfect balance, full of equal measures snark and heart that gives readers all the feels wrapped in a narrative exploding with action. But at the center is our rather reluctant hero—Murderbot themselves—who is so easy to empathize and often identify with but also tells us that even if we, too, would rather hide from the world and watch our favorite tv series, or hate everyone and don’t want to talk about our feelings, or even want to get up and face the world, we too could channel Murderbot and still be the incredible hero when the chips are down. I’ve followed this series with nothing but utter bliss and joy so when System Collapse released this week I knew it was one to drop everything and dive into. And I gotta say…
OH
MY
GOD
A direct sequel to Network Effect, this volume is the second full-length in the series and the least stand-alone of them all (be advised if you were thinking of jumping in fresh here: don’t). Murderbot has faced a lot, and not just the violence of battles and betrayals but also a lot of emotional hardships as well as witnessing filthy-rich corporations commit filthy crimes with no regard for human life. And while Murderbot is slowly becoming more “human-like” and exploring the emotions it does not particularly enjoy admitting to, Murderbot is about to experience one of the most human feelings of them all: trauma.
Martha Wells excels at exploring emotions and interpersonal(or non-‘people’) relationships through unique and intense storylines and this might be one of the deepest and most heart wrenching of them yet. I say “yet” because WE NEED MORE, KEEP THEM COMING PLEASE. I really enjoyed exploring Murderbot dealing with really heightened moments of vulnerability, with the text often reading ‘[redacted]’ to represent Murderbot repressing memories, feelings, etc. in a really heartfelt and empathetic exploration of mental health.
‘Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse.’
Not that this story is all doom-and-gloom, quite the opposite really. Murderbot still delivers plenty of deadpan humor and more snark than there are stars in the sky. I was glad I had just finished Network Effect because this is a direct continuation of those events with the Barish-Estranza Corporation on it’s way to enslave the surviving colonists in order to strip-mine the planet. I enjoy how the ‘fuck the man’ vibes of Murderbot books tend to focus on issues of environmentalism and imperialism and how its just really Big corporations being really Big assholes. Will Murderbot be able to pull themselves together and save the day while ruining rich people’s day again? Better pick up System Collapse and find out!
4.5/5
What makes Murderbot as endearing as it is engaging are the ways that, through a narrative about an autonomous robot, we think about what it means to be human. The stories are sort of a perfect balance, full of equal measures snark and heart that gives readers all the feels wrapped in a narrative exploding with action. But at the center is our rather reluctant hero—Murderbot themselves—who is so easy to empathize and often identify with but also tells us that even if we, too, would rather hide from the world and watch our favorite tv series, or hate everyone and don’t want to talk about our feelings, or even want to get up and face the world, we too could channel Murderbot and still be the incredible hero when the chips are down. I’ve followed this series with nothing but utter bliss and joy so when System Collapse released this week I knew it was one to drop everything and dive into. And I gotta say…
OH
MY
GOD
A direct sequel to Network Effect, this volume is the second full-length in the series and the least stand-alone of them all (be advised if you were thinking of jumping in fresh here: don’t). Murderbot has faced a lot, and not just the violence of battles and betrayals but also a lot of emotional hardships as well as witnessing filthy-rich corporations commit filthy crimes with no regard for human life. And while Murderbot is slowly becoming more “human-like” and exploring the emotions it does not particularly enjoy admitting to, Murderbot is about to experience one of the most human feelings of them all: trauma.
‘since the thing that happened I don’t think I’ve had an emotion that wasn’t the visual equivalent of a wet blanket crumpled on a floor.’
Martha Wells excels at exploring emotions and interpersonal(or non-‘people’) relationships through unique and intense storylines and this might be one of the deepest and most heart wrenching of them yet. I say “yet” because WE NEED MORE, KEEP THEM COMING PLEASE. I really enjoyed exploring Murderbot dealing with really heightened moments of vulnerability, with the text often reading ‘[redacted]’ to represent Murderbot repressing memories, feelings, etc. in a really heartfelt and empathetic exploration of mental health.
‘Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse.’
Not that this story is all doom-and-gloom, quite the opposite really. Murderbot still delivers plenty of deadpan humor and more snark than there are stars in the sky. I was glad I had just finished Network Effect because this is a direct continuation of those events with the Barish-Estranza Corporation on it’s way to enslave the surviving colonists in order to strip-mine the planet. I enjoy how the ‘fuck the man’ vibes of Murderbot books tend to focus on issues of environmentalism and imperialism and how its just really Big corporations being really Big assholes. Will Murderbot be able to pull themselves together and save the day while ruining rich people’s day again? Better pick up System Collapse and find out!
4.5/5
Read
November 15, 2023Obviously I wolfed it. I love Murderbot so.
This series is doing something fascinating, in that each instalment takes place almost immediately after the last and is entirely informed by the last--there's no sense of 'a new story starts', much as life doesn't give you that sense.. It's a roman fleuve, in fact, and you don't get many of those these days.
This one plunges us into the aftermath of the last book, where Murderbot nearly died in a very scary way, and is very much about dealing with the effects, politically and in plot terms and especially in emotional terms: basically the killer cyborg has PTSD.
Having read the whole series through [redacted] times, I had no trouble plunging in, but if you haven't read Network Effect recently, you might want to do so to refresh your memory.
As ever the supporting cast and Murderbot's narration are a joy. This really is an outstanding series (or episodic super-long book).
This series is doing something fascinating, in that each instalment takes place almost immediately after the last and is entirely informed by the last--there's no sense of 'a new story starts', much as life doesn't give you that sense.. It's a roman fleuve, in fact, and you don't get many of those these days.
This one plunges us into the aftermath of the last book, where Murderbot nearly died in a very scary way, and is very much about dealing with the effects, politically and in plot terms and especially in emotional terms: basically the killer cyborg has PTSD.
Having read the whole series through [redacted] times, I had no trouble plunging in, but if you haven't read Network Effect recently, you might want to do so to refresh your memory.
As ever the supporting cast and Murderbot's narration are a joy. This really is an outstanding series (or episodic super-long book).
August 31, 2023
dear ____ (insert name of work/friend/social obligation),
for the next little bit i am going to be UNAVAILABLE.
for the next little bit i am going to be UNAVAILABLE.
November 16, 2023
Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller
I always love returning to Murderbot’s POV.
After Fugitive Telemetry was released (which bounced back to an earlier timeline in the series), I was worried we weren’t going to get any more storyline beyond Network Effect (the full-length novel). But there IS more! It’s right here!
… and it was just okay.
Truthfully I thought System Collapse dealt TOO much with the after-effects of the events in Network Effect and didn’t have as many compelling plot-advancing events as in previous books. It mostly read like a transition story… which I guess is the typical use for novellas in large series, but I’ve come to expect more impact from Wells’ shorts. This one didn’t quite stack up.
It still had the same great inner monologues and sarcasm from Murderbot. And I especially loved the passages of It trying to process Its FEELINGS from the events in NE. Introverts around the world can unite behind Murderbot as a character. Wells understands social awkwardness on a deep level and it has been a joy to see that celebrated in this series. The crew around Murderbot were also great, although I still struggle to keep all the humans straight, even after recently rereading All Systems Red where I was actively TRYING to distinguish between them. Regardless, it’s the machines and computers who are the most vibrant, anyway, and those entities were in full swing in this installment (sometimes literally).
Overall, I’m tickled to be back progressing Murderbot’s story, even though this one felt more tangential. The setup is now presumably all in place though, so I’m expecting a banger of a next novel.
Recommendations: if Murderbot has been missing from your life up to this point, your FOMO should be hard. It’s sarcastic, action-packed, reflectional, and too much fun to handle. Read it.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3
Thank you, TOR Publishers and Martha Wells for the chance to read and review an early copy of System Collapse!
Other books you might like:
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
I always love returning to Murderbot’s POV.
After Fugitive Telemetry was released (which bounced back to an earlier timeline in the series), I was worried we weren’t going to get any more storyline beyond Network Effect (the full-length novel). But there IS more! It’s right here!
… and it was just okay.
Truthfully I thought System Collapse dealt TOO much with the after-effects of the events in Network Effect and didn’t have as many compelling plot-advancing events as in previous books. It mostly read like a transition story… which I guess is the typical use for novellas in large series, but I’ve come to expect more impact from Wells’ shorts. This one didn’t quite stack up.
It still had the same great inner monologues and sarcasm from Murderbot. And I especially loved the passages of It trying to process Its FEELINGS from the events in NE. Introverts around the world can unite behind Murderbot as a character. Wells understands social awkwardness on a deep level and it has been a joy to see that celebrated in this series. The crew around Murderbot were also great, although I still struggle to keep all the humans straight, even after recently rereading All Systems Red where I was actively TRYING to distinguish between them. Regardless, it’s the machines and computers who are the most vibrant, anyway, and those entities were in full swing in this installment (sometimes literally).
Overall, I’m tickled to be back progressing Murderbot’s story, even though this one felt more tangential. The setup is now presumably all in place though, so I’m expecting a banger of a next novel.
Recommendations: if Murderbot has been missing from your life up to this point, your FOMO should be hard. It’s sarcastic, action-packed, reflectional, and too much fun to handle. Read it.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3
Thank you, TOR Publishers and Martha Wells for the chance to read and review an early copy of System Collapse!
Other books you might like:
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
January 26, 2022
Five stars to offset Taylor, who I imagine drives the speed limit in the left lane to make sure everybody follows the rules.
July 30, 2021
5 star to offset the 1 star to offset the fake 5 star review
September 22, 2023
This book picks up RIGHT where Network Effect left off, so I highly recommend either rereading or refreshing yourself on that book before diving in here. I feel like there's not a ton I can say that is not spoiler-y, so I'll just say that this is the first book where we see Murderbot processing their feelings and the trauma of what all they've been through with the support of their humans and ART. Thematically, this is very salient as to where we are re:late stage capitalism and worker exploitation
September 2, 2024
Eeeeeeeeeverybody cries
Eeeeeeeverybody hurts
Sooooooometimes.
Something is wrong with Murderbot.
And by something, I mean more than the usual plethora of things that always seem to be wrong with them. This isn't just your average social anxiety and awkward exchanges that have our favorite SecUnit's thoughts spiraling.
Could it be their organic parts are causing problems?
Whatever the issue, they need to fix it fast because having our entire system shut down in the middle of an emergency is just ONE more anxiety that they don't need.
Because those soft, squishy, stupid humans will certainly get themselves killed if left to their own devices.
My favorite thing about System Collapse is that ART and Murderbot are reunited. And ART is so much more self-aware that they just fill in all the emotional gaps in Murderbot. Which is what a good friendship does.
Friendship! <--how cute is that?
I see a lot of people saying that they find these books dull. Or the plot just isn't going anywhere. Or they just don't get what the big deal is. Or they liked the first few and then the rest seem like wash, rinse, repeat - boring!
And I don't think they're wrong necessarily. Because an opinion can't be wrong. If you don't like tuna, it doesn't mean that tuna is disgusting. It means that you don't personally like the taste. Avoid seafood restaurants. Or maybe order the lobster?
I said all that to say this: if you didn't enjoy the first book, or you haven't enjoyed the last few books, just let it go.
Recommended.<--unless, you know, you hated the other ones
Eeeeeeeverybody hurts
Sooooooometimes.
Something is wrong with Murderbot.
And by something, I mean more than the usual plethora of things that always seem to be wrong with them. This isn't just your average social anxiety and awkward exchanges that have our favorite SecUnit's thoughts spiraling.
Could it be their organic parts are causing problems?
Whatever the issue, they need to fix it fast because having our entire system shut down in the middle of an emergency is just ONE more anxiety that they don't need.
Because those soft, squishy, stupid humans will certainly get themselves killed if left to their own devices.
My favorite thing about System Collapse is that ART and Murderbot are reunited. And ART is so much more self-aware that they just fill in all the emotional gaps in Murderbot. Which is what a good friendship does.
Friendship! <--how cute is that?
I see a lot of people saying that they find these books dull. Or the plot just isn't going anywhere. Or they just don't get what the big deal is. Or they liked the first few and then the rest seem like wash, rinse, repeat - boring!
And I don't think they're wrong necessarily. Because an opinion can't be wrong. If you don't like tuna, it doesn't mean that tuna is disgusting. It means that you don't personally like the taste. Avoid seafood restaurants. Or maybe order the lobster?
I said all that to say this: if you didn't enjoy the first book, or you haven't enjoyed the last few books, just let it go.
Recommended.<--unless, you know, you hated the other ones
November 20, 2023
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/11/20/...
I love Murderbot. Always have and always will. But hate to say it: System Collapse was my least favorite book in the series so far. While it wasn’t necessarily a disaster, it was still disappointing, especially considering it was meant to follow the brilliance of Network Effect.
In this one, the Barish-Estranza corporation is up to their dastardly ways again. This time, they are sending their ships to a newly colonized planet with the intent of luring the colonists there into indentured servitude. As always, our favorite SecUnit with a heart of gold is out to foil their plans, traveling with its team of humans to the planet in an attempt to get to the colonists first and win them over to their side.
But there’s a problem. In itself, that’s not a surprise, as humans seem to have a way of mucking up everything they touch. But in this case, it is Murderbot’s own performance that is a concern. Recently, it has been experiencing memory lapses and other troubling issues. A SecUnit cannot be effective at protecting its human assets unless it is running at peak efficiency, and with a planet of colonists to save, Murderbot needs to hurry up and figure out a solution.
I suppose I should be glad that the series has managed to reach its seventh book before feeling truly repetitive. But the truth is, as Murderbot grapples with its latest predicament, I can’t help but feel like we’ve seen most of this before. Don’t get me wrong, there are some staple elements I enjoy about this series, without which it would not be truly Murderbot, such as its affinity for space soap dramas and its snarky attitude. Heck, I even love it when good old ART shows up. Unfortunately though, we are also treading familiar ground in less desirable ways.
It doesn’t help that System Collapse is essentially an extension of the story from Network Effect, but dealing with the fallout isn’t quite as enthralling. There’s a distinct lack of interesting content to keep the plot going, but of course, when it comes to lengthy expositions, there are plenty. Even Murderbot’s problems with its performance feel like a diversion, a way to inject additional drama into a situation that is crying out for more meaningful action.
However, to be fair, with each volume, we witness the layers peeling back to reveal more of Murderbot’s humanity, which I genuinely appreciate. System Collapse might have ventured into too familiar territory and lingered there a bit too long in places, but when it comes to character development, it does things right. This aspect alone makes picking up this sequel worth it.
As the Murderbot Diaries universe continues to expand, System Collapse proved to be a mixed bag for me. While I am still a huge fan of the series with an incredible fondness for the main character, the plot of this newest installment left me wishing for a bit more oomph. But while it might not reach the heights of its predecessors, the exploration of character depth remains the best reason to keep journeying with Murderbot. Can’t wait for the next book with just as much excitement.
I love Murderbot. Always have and always will. But hate to say it: System Collapse was my least favorite book in the series so far. While it wasn’t necessarily a disaster, it was still disappointing, especially considering it was meant to follow the brilliance of Network Effect.
In this one, the Barish-Estranza corporation is up to their dastardly ways again. This time, they are sending their ships to a newly colonized planet with the intent of luring the colonists there into indentured servitude. As always, our favorite SecUnit with a heart of gold is out to foil their plans, traveling with its team of humans to the planet in an attempt to get to the colonists first and win them over to their side.
But there’s a problem. In itself, that’s not a surprise, as humans seem to have a way of mucking up everything they touch. But in this case, it is Murderbot’s own performance that is a concern. Recently, it has been experiencing memory lapses and other troubling issues. A SecUnit cannot be effective at protecting its human assets unless it is running at peak efficiency, and with a planet of colonists to save, Murderbot needs to hurry up and figure out a solution.
I suppose I should be glad that the series has managed to reach its seventh book before feeling truly repetitive. But the truth is, as Murderbot grapples with its latest predicament, I can’t help but feel like we’ve seen most of this before. Don’t get me wrong, there are some staple elements I enjoy about this series, without which it would not be truly Murderbot, such as its affinity for space soap dramas and its snarky attitude. Heck, I even love it when good old ART shows up. Unfortunately though, we are also treading familiar ground in less desirable ways.
It doesn’t help that System Collapse is essentially an extension of the story from Network Effect, but dealing with the fallout isn’t quite as enthralling. There’s a distinct lack of interesting content to keep the plot going, but of course, when it comes to lengthy expositions, there are plenty. Even Murderbot’s problems with its performance feel like a diversion, a way to inject additional drama into a situation that is crying out for more meaningful action.
However, to be fair, with each volume, we witness the layers peeling back to reveal more of Murderbot’s humanity, which I genuinely appreciate. System Collapse might have ventured into too familiar territory and lingered there a bit too long in places, but when it comes to character development, it does things right. This aspect alone makes picking up this sequel worth it.
As the Murderbot Diaries universe continues to expand, System Collapse proved to be a mixed bag for me. While I am still a huge fan of the series with an incredible fondness for the main character, the plot of this newest installment left me wishing for a bit more oomph. But while it might not reach the heights of its predecessors, the exploration of character depth remains the best reason to keep journeying with Murderbot. Can’t wait for the next book with just as much excitement.
August 6, 2021
5 star to offset all the offsetting stars and setting suns and all the rest of the nonsense.
January 25, 2024
3.5 ⭐
Well, the good news is, this is book 7 in the series so if you’re considering reading this, you’re already firmly in the “Martha Wells, for the love of God, take my money!!” camp and don’t require any further convincing. Equally (and this is the only other scenario in which I can imagine someone reading a review for a 7th book in a series), if you’ve just read the first or second book and were checking to see if it gets any “better” later on, then you can stop wondering because you can expect much of the same in each instalment of the series with very little change other than some slow but steady main character development. And to be fair, while I would make a few personal preference changes, it’s clearly a winning formula and, as they say: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Having said all that, this has been my least favourite novel/la of the current heptalogy. For a book of a little under 250 pages, you really can’t be spending 180 of those slowly unravelling a, for the most part, stiff and unalluring mystery whilst vaguely alluding to a personal issue that the main character is experiencing. I don’t know, it wasn’t all that interesting to me. Wells has done the same job many times over, with much more success and in 100 fewer pages. What saved it from sinking into an abyss of dullness for me was the always nourishing companionship between M’bot and ART and a good showing from ART crew’s Iris who essentially played the Mensah role in this one.
***REDACTED***
Forget all that. I’d still sign up as a corporation slave just to get my hands on the next instalment!
Having said all that, this has been my least favourite novel/la of the current heptalogy. For a book of a little under 250 pages, you really can’t be spending 180 of those slowly unravelling a, for the most part, stiff and unalluring mystery whilst vaguely alluding to a personal issue that the main character is experiencing. I don’t know, it wasn’t all that interesting to me. Wells has done the same job many times over, with much more success and in 100 fewer pages. What saved it from sinking into an abyss of dullness for me was the always nourishing companionship between M’bot and ART and a good showing from ART crew’s Iris who essentially played the Mensah role in this one.
***REDACTED***
Forget all that. I’d still sign up as a corporation slave just to get my hands on the next instalment!
May 29, 2024
Murderbot is coming to terms with its trauma and feelings and it's beautiful.
This installment is fast paced, action packed, and in the direct continuity of the previous ones.
All the elements that made me fall in love with Murderbot are there, and it makes me want to start the series all over again.
This installment is fast paced, action packed, and in the direct continuity of the previous ones.
All the elements that made me fall in love with Murderbot are there, and it makes me want to start the series all over again.
August 17, 2024
Actually devastated I don’t have anymore murderbot audiobooks to listen to in the near future.
I love the evolving character relationships and Murderbot’s character development. The humor in this was top tier as always especially with the added banter of some returning characters.
The redacted parts really confused me at first because I didnt understand how I was supposed to interpret them. The audiobook probably didn’t help and eventually it made sense but it made for a disorienting start.
The pacing or the overarching plot in this series is very, very bizarre. After Network Effect I assumed there was a natural next step for the following book. So when System Collapse started almost immediately after the events of NE I was really surprised. Overall this book doesn’t do a lot to advance the plot though there are some interesting discussions of bot and secunit autonomy and identity. I can’t even imagine how strange it would have been to read Fugitive Telemetry in between NE and SC.
I love the evolving character relationships and Murderbot’s character development. The humor in this was top tier as always especially with the added banter of some returning characters.
The redacted parts really confused me at first because I didnt understand how I was supposed to interpret them. The audiobook probably didn’t help and eventually it made sense but it made for a disorienting start.
The pacing or the overarching plot in this series is very, very bizarre. After Network Effect I assumed there was a natural next step for the following book. So when System Collapse started almost immediately after the events of NE I was really surprised. Overall this book doesn’t do a lot to advance the plot though there are some interesting discussions of bot and secunit autonomy and identity. I can’t even imagine how strange it would have been to read Fugitive Telemetry in between NE and SC.
February 15, 2024
A few months after the events from Network Effect, Murderbot and ART's crews are still stuck waiting for reinforcement to fix the latter's hyperspace drive. In the meantime, Perihelion's crew is working tirelessly to try and circumvent Barish-Estranza's (a.k.a. B-E ) attempt to sign the population into corporate slavery.
Some mysterious redacted past event seems to be stressing out Murderbot, as it finds itself very hard-pressed to perform its normal security tasks. Unfortunately, as much as the poor SecUnit would like to seclude itself in one of ART's closets, B-E's increasingly aggressive efforts are putting a significant damper on its plans.
For the amount of prep work I've done prior to reading this book , the beginning was kind of a let down. Granted, I don't mean that in a regret-the-money-spent way, but rather in a lack of its usual ease of read feel. Which is not to say that Murderbot suddenly started spouting Shakespearean monologues... I'm just not very good at dealing with depressive sequences. No, having them be nicely wrapped in self-deprecating humour does not really help either... much: too many jarring non-sequiturs.
Having sped through a reread of all the prequels in "record time" (well, for me), I realize that I maaaaaay have hit a bit of fandom fatigue... which is a concept I'm totally coining in case it's not (yet) a thing. Rereading just Network Effect would've been enough. Especially as I seem to have completely blanked out Murderbot's tendency to ramble on and on about tangential concepts in lieu of world building. Though I'm prepared to accept it as an ingenious way to illustrate the SecUnit's mental state, at times it felt a lot like a cheap excuse to introduce some funny character anecdotes without having to fully wrangle the plot in that direction.
The second half with all the strategizing and ad-hoc project work though, was lots of fun. I definitely got hooked enough to read it all in one sitting. Oh and the epilogue with ART's tantrums was pure gold.
Score: 4.3/5 stars
I still love the universe, the ART x Murderbot's (b)romance, and did I mention the universe as a whole? But I'm also starting to notice the lack of proper world building and character development. Not that this would make me consider dropping the series or anything... perhaps just my rose-tinted glasses.
=============
Review of book 1: All Systems Red
Review of book 2: Artificial Condition
Review of book 3: Rogue Protocol
Review of book 4: Exit Strategy
Review of book 0.5: Compulsory
Review of book 4.5: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
Review of book 5: Network Effect
Review of book 6: Fugitive Telemetry
Some mysterious redacted past event seems to be stressing out Murderbot, as it finds itself very hard-pressed to perform its normal security tasks. Unfortunately, as much as the poor SecUnit would like to seclude itself in one of ART's closets, B-E's increasingly aggressive efforts are putting a significant damper on its plans.
For the amount of prep work I've done prior to reading this book , the beginning was kind of a let down. Granted, I don't mean that in a regret-the-money-spent way, but rather in a lack of its usual ease of read feel. Which is not to say that Murderbot suddenly started spouting Shakespearean monologues... I'm just not very good at dealing with depressive sequences. No, having them be nicely wrapped in self-deprecating humour does not really help either... much: too many jarring non-sequiturs.
The weather was clear over there, visibility good. We could replace me with an automated weather drone, that would work, too.
SO THERE WAS A fight at that point. Not a fight, a discussion. Whatever, agitated humans figuring out what to do.
Having sped through a reread of all the prequels in "record time" (well, for me), I realize that I maaaaaay have hit a bit of fandom fatigue... which is a concept I'm totally coining in case it's not (yet) a thing. Rereading just Network Effect would've been enough. Especially as I seem to have completely blanked out Murderbot's tendency to ramble on and on about tangential concepts in lieu of world building. Though I'm prepared to accept it as an ingenious way to illustrate the SecUnit's mental state, at times it felt a lot like a cheap excuse to introduce some funny character anecdotes without having to fully wrangle the plot in that direction.
The second half with all the strategizing and ad-hoc project work though, was lots of fun. I definitely got hooked enough to read it all in one sitting. Oh and the epilogue with ART's tantrums was pure gold.
Score: 4.3/5 stars
I still love the universe, the ART x Murderbot's (b)romance, and did I mention the universe as a whole? But I'm also starting to notice the lack of proper world building and character development. Not that this would make me consider dropping the series or anything... perhaps just my rose-tinted glasses.
=============
Review of book 1: All Systems Red
Review of book 2: Artificial Condition
Review of book 3: Rogue Protocol
Review of book 4: Exit Strategy
Review of book 0.5: Compulsory
Review of book 4.5: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
Review of book 5: Network Effect
Review of book 6: Fugitive Telemetry
October 8, 2023
NEW MURDERBOT!!! As soon as I heard it existed, I headed over to NetGalley to request a copy and here we are!
This book takes place just after Network Effect, which is where I wanted to be, more on that later. Here we find our favorite, freed SecUnit and its working with ART. However, Murderbot seems to be having some issues other than the task which they have set their mind to. Murderbot is experiencing things like self-doubt and anxiety and it is a pleasure to behold. Not that I'd wish anything bad would happen to it, it's just that I love its human qualities and I'm glad to see more of them.
That's all I'm going to say about the plot. It's fun and fast-paced with some humming tension as the situation seems to get more dire by the second. With its addiction to Sanctuary Moon and other media still intact, it's not startling to realize that Murderbot seems to be taking some behavior clues from these shows, all in a bid to learn how to better deal with itself, really KNOW itself. I think this aspect is the thing I love most about Murderbot.
I found this a much better story than the previous entry, Fugitive Telemetry, which felt like a tale told completely out of order. I expected to see Murderbot working with ART as that was the situation we left them in at the end of Network Effect. Sadly, that was not the case and it resulted in my least favorite Murderbot story yet. I'm still here though, and I'm glad I stayed because this was the story I was anticipating and I'm glad Martha Wells gave it to us!
All hail Murderbot!
*I received an e-ARC of this book from Tor via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
This book takes place just after Network Effect, which is where I wanted to be, more on that later. Here we find our favorite, freed SecUnit and its working with ART. However, Murderbot seems to be having some issues other than the task which they have set their mind to. Murderbot is experiencing things like self-doubt and anxiety and it is a pleasure to behold. Not that I'd wish anything bad would happen to it, it's just that I love its human qualities and I'm glad to see more of them.
That's all I'm going to say about the plot. It's fun and fast-paced with some humming tension as the situation seems to get more dire by the second. With its addiction to Sanctuary Moon and other media still intact, it's not startling to realize that Murderbot seems to be taking some behavior clues from these shows, all in a bid to learn how to better deal with itself, really KNOW itself. I think this aspect is the thing I love most about Murderbot.
I found this a much better story than the previous entry, Fugitive Telemetry, which felt like a tale told completely out of order. I expected to see Murderbot working with ART as that was the situation we left them in at the end of Network Effect. Sadly, that was not the case and it resulted in my least favorite Murderbot story yet. I'm still here though, and I'm glad I stayed because this was the story I was anticipating and I'm glad Martha Wells gave it to us!
All hail Murderbot!
*I received an e-ARC of this book from Tor via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
November 8, 2023
*3.5 stars
Taking off right where Network Effect left off, Murderbot must once again save their humans, this time from the greedy Barish-Estranza corporation intent on exploiting the colonists and tricking them into indentured servitude.
Not only must Murderbot fight against the corporation and the alien-contaminated bots left on the planet, but also against its own leftover trauma. Faced with nightmares and memory gaps, Murderbot worries their lapses will harm the crew, leaving them feeling more helpless and human than ever before.
Although I was glad to be back with Murderbot and the crew, I was a little disappointed with System Collapse. It feels like it wanted to tell a novella length story in a novel-length format. It wasn't until at least halfway through the book that the plot really picked up and I was interested in what was going on.
My favorite parts, as always, were Murderbot's internal dialogue and its complex feelings towards its human crew. And their interactions with ART, of course! I just wish there had been more dialogue and conversations. We get hints that Murderbot isn't mentally well, and I wished we'd spent more time exploring that.
If you're a big Murderbot fan, I'd still suggest picking up this book. It's fun to be back with favorite characters and learn what happened after the events of the last novel. I just hope the next book has a more interesting plot and digs down into character development.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.
Taking off right where Network Effect left off, Murderbot must once again save their humans, this time from the greedy Barish-Estranza corporation intent on exploiting the colonists and tricking them into indentured servitude.
Not only must Murderbot fight against the corporation and the alien-contaminated bots left on the planet, but also against its own leftover trauma. Faced with nightmares and memory gaps, Murderbot worries their lapses will harm the crew, leaving them feeling more helpless and human than ever before.
Although I was glad to be back with Murderbot and the crew, I was a little disappointed with System Collapse. It feels like it wanted to tell a novella length story in a novel-length format. It wasn't until at least halfway through the book that the plot really picked up and I was interested in what was going on.
My favorite parts, as always, were Murderbot's internal dialogue and its complex feelings towards its human crew. And their interactions with ART, of course! I just wish there had been more dialogue and conversations. We get hints that Murderbot isn't mentally well, and I wished we'd spent more time exploring that.
If you're a big Murderbot fan, I'd still suggest picking up this book. It's fun to be back with favorite characters and learn what happened after the events of the last novel. I just hope the next book has a more interesting plot and digs down into character development.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.
November 24, 2023
So, this is the 7th Murderbot book - 5 of them are novella length, one a long novel and this is kind of in between in word count. It is very much part of a series. I saw the series being called a roman fleuve, which yeah it is, but it is science fiction about a bot/construct specialized in combat and security who clandestinely fred itself from corporate ownership and got to make its own decisions and as consequence now has a LOT of social anxiety while picking friends and figuring out what it wants to do along the way.
In a series like this, some parts of it will be more crucial than others. This is not a high-intensity (relatively to plot. All the books are action heavy. Yes, all!) book, it is the aftermath, psychologically and dealing with minor stuff like oh yeah what happens to the population of that planet now (just some hundred, at most a few thousand people...) and more worldbuilding and more (glorious) stuff on how those people (human and not. The non human are just chef's kiss..) deal with each other. It is not an ideas book, but it is a really well done element of a truly original series which focus on action with a lot of thought and care to the characters and worldbuilding. And it is really really well done, Martha Wells is just fully in control of the story. It is not a mind blowing story or a series crucial point, but so worth it (I voted for another book, Children of Memory for the goodreads reader choices awards for sf and I am not changing my vote. Because CoM goes deeper, in ambition and ideas about personhood and consciousness. This is just as good technically but it stays, intentionally, more at the surface).
Going on a side commentary, Martha Wells is writing HARD science fiction. By my interpretation of "hard" which is knowledge there about how things actually work, and some thought( or a lot of thought) about possible futures and trying to make the science and engineering compatible with what is currently known about scientific possibilites and extrapolate into, not only cars, but traffic jams of the future. People kind of dismiss the Murderbot series as "space opera" or "light" but honestly her worlbuilding, establishing is just so good to me, so very "hard", defined, consistent, subtle. It is not in your face, but the details (the terraforming here. How machines would talk to other machines across coding differences) they are all so very believable, deep. Wells has some tricks I think: she evades defining things too much by having Murderbot not caring or being interested, she infodumps when she wants by having Murderbot relate something to (probably) a soap opera it watched. Not unique to this book within this series, but the series is so good all around at it, and it gets so often dismissed I wanted to point it out. It is more than good, "hard sf" enough for me.
Plotwise, well this is action oriented, as all previous books. I am not totally convinced of a plot lever point .
Also, fangirling warning, OMG, it is again fantastic fanservice. Good fanservice, not snarking about that, it is a bad thing at all. Shipping with real ships and I love it, this is my favorite ship. . I wanted more Three by the way, not enough of it but what there was, was great (trying to loan its suit! ahhhhhhh...)
In a series like this, some parts of it will be more crucial than others. This is not a high-intensity (relatively to plot. All the books are action heavy. Yes, all!) book, it is the aftermath, psychologically and dealing with minor stuff like oh yeah what happens to the population of that planet now (just some hundred, at most a few thousand people...) and more worldbuilding and more (glorious) stuff on how those people (human and not. The non human are just chef's kiss..) deal with each other. It is not an ideas book, but it is a really well done element of a truly original series which focus on action with a lot of thought and care to the characters and worldbuilding. And it is really really well done, Martha Wells is just fully in control of the story. It is not a mind blowing story or a series crucial point, but so worth it (I voted for another book, Children of Memory for the goodreads reader choices awards for sf and I am not changing my vote. Because CoM goes deeper, in ambition and ideas about personhood and consciousness. This is just as good technically but it stays, intentionally, more at the surface).
Going on a side commentary, Martha Wells is writing HARD science fiction. By my interpretation of "hard" which is knowledge there about how things actually work, and some thought( or a lot of thought) about possible futures and trying to make the science and engineering compatible with what is currently known about scientific possibilites and extrapolate into, not only cars, but traffic jams of the future. People kind of dismiss the Murderbot series as "space opera" or "light" but honestly her worlbuilding, establishing is just so good to me, so very "hard", defined, consistent, subtle. It is not in your face, but the details (the terraforming here. How machines would talk to other machines across coding differences) they are all so very believable, deep. Wells has some tricks I think: she evades defining things too much by having Murderbot not caring or being interested, she infodumps when she wants by having Murderbot relate something to (probably) a soap opera it watched. Not unique to this book within this series, but the series is so good all around at it, and it gets so often dismissed I wanted to point it out. It is more than good, "hard sf" enough for me.
Plotwise, well this is action oriented, as all previous books. I am not totally convinced of a plot lever point .
Also, fangirling warning, OMG, it is again fantastic fanservice. Good fanservice, not snarking about that, it is a bad thing at all. Shipping with real ships and I love it, this is my favorite ship. . I wanted more Three by the way, not enough of it but what there was, was great (trying to loan its suit! ahhhhhhh...)
Read
March 9, 2024So DNF for now. I can’t get into this. I hope his isn’t a thing as I love the other books and don’t want to trade in another series because I couldn’t get into one book. I have the audio on hold at the library so maybe that would be ok. I’ll give it one more try.
I wish all these books wouldn’t have so many damn f bombs too. Tired of that in books and movies. Trying to clean my mouth up from that word. I realize how idiotic it sounds when people say it as well. Although, I had an episode today and cussed everything out and tried not to sling things around. Such is a life with mental illness and family sicknesses.
Soooooooo….. I might possibly be alright after listening to the book.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Sorry, not sorry.
I wish all these books wouldn’t have so many damn f bombs too. Tired of that in books and movies. Trying to clean my mouth up from that word. I realize how idiotic it sounds when people say it as well. Although, I had an episode today and cussed everything out and tried not to sling things around. Such is a life with mental illness and family sicknesses.
Soooooooo….. I might possibly be alright after listening to the book.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Sorry, not sorry.
June 16, 2024
Sad to say, I think the Murderbot series is losing steam.
This is a fun little book, focusing on some follow-up events right after the end of Network Effect. Murderbot is of course a strong narrator whose voice is always a pleasure to read, and there are moments of laugh-out-loud humor. Murderbot’s perspective on humans is always fun too, casting an entertaining outsider light on human behavior (particularly in groups) that winds up feeling more real than we see in most novels. The science-fictional setting also feels well-grounded, and I appreciate the critique of corporate-run society, exploring the inhumanity of the resulting behavior while pegging responsibility firmly on the system rather than individual cackling villains.
However. . . .
I read these books for the characters. Books 1-4 gave Murderbot a highly emotional growth arc, in which it learns to connect with people and find its place as an independent being for the first time. The humans in those novellas also had to grow and adapt, finding themselves way over their head upon being thrust into violent situations and learning that their most dangerous piece of equipment in fact had feelings (loath as Murderbot is to admit this) and a personality. Book 5 perhaps had less character growth, but it was still present, and being the first full-length novel in the series gave it room to shine with a more complex plot and additional point-of-view characters.
Then we had a sidequel adventure in Book 6, which was fun but unremarkable, and now this book, which is dominated by largely meaningless action and in which the characters have pretty much stalled out. It’s another adventure on the planet from Network Effect, but at this point in the series it’s hard to feel anything is at stake. Also, Murderbot’s current posse is made up of humans well-prepared for their situation, and there’s no meaningful interpersonal drama or relationship development.
In fact, the most interesting developments that could be happening here—Murderbot’s having to mentor the newly rescued SecUnit Three, or some sort of exploration of its relationship with ART following the events of the last book—don’t, as the posse is cut off from communications for most of the novel. Even the one genuinely new plot event winds up unexplored.
I suspect the biggest problem is that Murderbot has just reached the limit of the development appropriate to its character (and perhaps the other characters have too). Sure, there’s an attempt at exploring trauma, but it’s so half-hearted it seems hardly worth the mention: Honestly, other than the narrative requiring some new personal challenge I wasn’t sure why Murderbot would be having this problem at all, given how much it’s been through without consequence and the fact that the events in question don’t really stand out in comparison.
At any rate, I’m sure I will keep reading these books, as they are fun and smart and funny. But where earlier volumes were emotionally moving, this was just mild entertainment, and I’ll be going into the next with lowered expectations. Much as we all love Murderbot, perhaps this character has reached the end of its story and ought to be allowed to ride off into the sunset… er, galaxy.
This is a fun little book, focusing on some follow-up events right after the end of Network Effect. Murderbot is of course a strong narrator whose voice is always a pleasure to read, and there are moments of laugh-out-loud humor. Murderbot’s perspective on humans is always fun too, casting an entertaining outsider light on human behavior (particularly in groups) that winds up feeling more real than we see in most novels. The science-fictional setting also feels well-grounded, and I appreciate the critique of corporate-run society, exploring the inhumanity of the resulting behavior while pegging responsibility firmly on the system rather than individual cackling villains.
However. . . .
I read these books for the characters. Books 1-4 gave Murderbot a highly emotional growth arc, in which it learns to connect with people and find its place as an independent being for the first time. The humans in those novellas also had to grow and adapt, finding themselves way over their head upon being thrust into violent situations and learning that their most dangerous piece of equipment in fact had feelings (loath as Murderbot is to admit this) and a personality. Book 5 perhaps had less character growth, but it was still present, and being the first full-length novel in the series gave it room to shine with a more complex plot and additional point-of-view characters.
Then we had a sidequel adventure in Book 6, which was fun but unremarkable, and now this book, which is dominated by largely meaningless action and in which the characters have pretty much stalled out. It’s another adventure on the planet from Network Effect, but at this point in the series it’s hard to feel anything is at stake. Also, Murderbot’s current posse is made up of humans well-prepared for their situation, and there’s no meaningful interpersonal drama or relationship development.
In fact, the most interesting developments that could be happening here—Murderbot’s having to mentor the newly rescued SecUnit Three, or some sort of exploration of its relationship with ART following the events of the last book—don’t, as the posse is cut off from communications for most of the novel. Even the one genuinely new plot event winds up unexplored.
I suspect the biggest problem is that Murderbot has just reached the limit of the development appropriate to its character (and perhaps the other characters have too). Sure, there’s an attempt at exploring trauma, but it’s so half-hearted it seems hardly worth the mention: Honestly, other than the narrative requiring some new personal challenge I wasn’t sure why Murderbot would be having this problem at all, given how much it’s been through without consequence and the fact that the events in question don’t really stand out in comparison.
At any rate, I’m sure I will keep reading these books, as they are fun and smart and funny. But where earlier volumes were emotionally moving, this was just mild entertainment, and I’ll be going into the next with lowered expectations. Much as we all love Murderbot, perhaps this character has reached the end of its story and ought to be allowed to ride off into the sunset… er, galaxy.
October 31, 2023
4.0 Stars
Series Review Video: https://youtu.be/T_f3pauxCUM
If you have made it this far into the Murderbot series, then you probably know what you are getting yourself into. This book gives you what you would expect.
This one did not have the most interesting plot but, as always, I just enjoyed spending time with the character of Murderbot. Their internal musings were the right balance of amusing as itself. At this point in the series, I wish there was more advancement in the plot. However this series is meant to be more episodic. It's a limitation of the series, but also its strength.
I would recommend this one to fans of Murderbot. If you've never read the series, I would recommend starting back with All Systems Red.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Series Review Video: https://youtu.be/T_f3pauxCUM
If you have made it this far into the Murderbot series, then you probably know what you are getting yourself into. This book gives you what you would expect.
This one did not have the most interesting plot but, as always, I just enjoyed spending time with the character of Murderbot. Their internal musings were the right balance of amusing as itself. At this point in the series, I wish there was more advancement in the plot. However this series is meant to be more episodic. It's a limitation of the series, but also its strength.
I would recommend this one to fans of Murderbot. If you've never read the series, I would recommend starting back with All Systems Red.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
March 24, 2024
“So the next time I get optimistic about something, I want one of you to punch me in the face.”
☒ 7th/final released installment complete! I am officially all caught up! I am patiently waiting for the next installment, Martha Wells! No pressure. Hehehehe!
Murderbot has been through so much and yet again finds itself in situations where it must save more humans, investigate under dangerous circumstances, and deal with new threats all while trying not to get itself killed or worst of all…. leak fluids. System Collapse (the second full-length novel) continues immediately after the events of Network Effect but something is different with Murderbot. Something has rendered it less functional than before. Something is very off with our dear favorite SecUnit, the one we have come to love so much! I felt so bad and was dying to know what it was about.
“Something in me broke.”
Murderbot has redacted! This results in less than optimal performance and various forms of mental suffering such as panic attacks, forgetfulness, and freezing up. Poor Murderbot!!
And it isn’t until about 5 chapters in do we finally get a full explanation about what poor Murderbot is going through. I was genuinely impressed with the brilliant presentation of this concept. I really appreciated the focus on trauma recovery and PTSD, and it was especially interesting to try to understand how this affects SecUnits. Because let’s admit it, Murderbot has witnessed and actively been involved in a lot of traumatic events!
“It should be reassuring that humans don’t get what other humans are thinking, either, but it just highlights how fucked up human neural tissue can be.”
“Yeah, I’ll just code a patch to stop feeling anxiety, wow, why didn’t I think of that earlier. (That was sarcasm, I have too much organic neural tissue for that to work.) (Of course I’ve already tried it.)”
Last thoughts:
Huge shout out to Three – it is so adorable and sweet in my opinion!! I really am begging for Three to get more interactions and page time in future releases. I love how it has practically become part of the team. #Freedomforallsecunits
I can only wonder what comes next, and I am very excited. I will miss this world and Murderbot so much while I am waiting though!
☒ 7th/final released installment complete! I am officially all caught up! I am patiently waiting for the next installment, Martha Wells! No pressure. Hehehehe!
Murderbot has been through so much and yet again finds itself in situations where it must save more humans, investigate under dangerous circumstances, and deal with new threats all while trying not to get itself killed or worst of all…. leak fluids. System Collapse (the second full-length novel) continues immediately after the events of Network Effect but something is different with Murderbot. Something has rendered it less functional than before. Something is very off with our dear favorite SecUnit, the one we have come to love so much! I felt so bad and was dying to know what it was about.
“Something in me broke.”
Murderbot has redacted! This results in less than optimal performance and various forms of mental suffering such as panic attacks, forgetfulness, and freezing up. Poor Murderbot!!
And it isn’t until about 5 chapters in do we finally get a full explanation about what poor Murderbot is going through. I was genuinely impressed with the brilliant presentation of this concept. I really appreciated the focus on trauma recovery and PTSD, and it was especially interesting to try to understand how this affects SecUnits. Because let’s admit it, Murderbot has witnessed and actively been involved in a lot of traumatic events!
“It should be reassuring that humans don’t get what other humans are thinking, either, but it just highlights how fucked up human neural tissue can be.”
“Yeah, I’ll just code a patch to stop feeling anxiety, wow, why didn’t I think of that earlier. (That was sarcasm, I have too much organic neural tissue for that to work.) (Of course I’ve already tried it.)”
Last thoughts:
Huge shout out to Three – it is so adorable and sweet in my opinion!! I really am begging for Three to get more interactions and page time in future releases. I love how it has practically become part of the team. #Freedomforallsecunits
I can only wonder what comes next, and I am very excited. I will miss this world and Murderbot so much while I am waiting though!
July 21, 2024
very fun that the murder robot has ptsd now! I'm not sure I have a ton new to say about this one that I have yet to say about Murderbot, and to some degree I am no longer feeling quite the same backbreak enthusiasm for earlier books; I'm beginning to get the formula, and I honestly crave a bit more from the side characters. But Murderbot is always a delight and certainly never boring.
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November 13, 2023
Okay, well, did I have any real idea about what was going on in this one? Not really. This wasn't helped by a week-long reading hiatus after being 40% in so yeah some of that could be chalked up to forgetfulness of where we were and what had come before but really do we ever actually know what's going on in these books outside of Murderbot bemoaning its existence and humans humaning around it? Not generally. At least I don't. I can barely remember what goes on in the background of Murderbot's surroundings except it involves being on planets and evil corporations and possibly some alien activity and way too many supporting characters I can't keep track of.
At this point I'm really just reading these books for the wee moments of banter (and ART) and silliness amongst all the rest. And we had some good amounts of that in this one. Plus a weird little side issue with Murderbot's memory which is concerning.
Will I read on? Of course. Will I ever generally know what is happening plot-wise and where things might be going? Of course not. And I'm good with that.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
At this point I'm really just reading these books for the wee moments of banter (and ART) and silliness amongst all the rest. And we had some good amounts of that in this one. Plus a weird little side issue with Murderbot's memory which is concerning.
Will I read on? Of course. Will I ever generally know what is happening plot-wise and where things might be going? Of course not. And I'm good with that.
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
December 24, 2023
I have to give this one a disappointed 3 and a half stars rounded up to 4 for the last quarter of the book. Before that it dragged.
The planet they were on was a hard world to build and engage the reader with. The shocks didn't seem to hit as hard as they could have.
It began to come together near the end and we saw the Sec Unit, Art and crew we've come to love in all their snarky, sassy glory.
Kevin R. Free's narration was a pleasure to hear.
The planet they were on was a hard world to build and engage the reader with. The shocks didn't seem to hit as hard as they could have.
It began to come together near the end and we saw the Sec Unit, Art and crew we've come to love in all their snarky, sassy glory.
Kevin R. Free's narration was a pleasure to hear.
November 21, 2023
I was so looking forward to reading this and I really wanted to love it… I didn’t, though, since I was dropped right into the middle of the action - of the aftermath of “Network Effect”, an earlier novel in the series, which I don’t remember at all.
I felt confused for a long time because there were lots of references to the earlier book that I simply didn’t get. I finally got somewhat into the flimsy excuse for a story at around the half-way mark - and still felt let down by Murderbot's anti-climatic “redacted” event and a story that felt like an “extension”, an add-on.
“System Collapse” should have been published as part of “Network Effect” because as it is, it’s just like Wells recovered the ��missing chapters”.
Yes, I knew part of that before even starting to read this one but I don’t re-read and an author should make an effort to get me up to speed.
Three out of five stars - and even those feel slightly generous. Meh.
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I felt confused for a long time because there were lots of references to the earlier book that I simply didn’t get. I finally got somewhat into the flimsy excuse for a story at around the half-way mark - and still felt let down by Murderbot's anti-climatic “redacted” event and a story that felt like an “extension”, an add-on.
“System Collapse” should have been published as part of “Network Effect” because as it is, it’s just like Wells recovered the ��missing chapters”.
Yes, I knew part of that before even starting to read this one but I don’t re-read and an author should make an effort to get me up to speed.
Three out of five stars - and even those feel slightly generous. Meh.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
June 16, 2024
Martha Wells' latest Murderbot novel, System Collapse, is an enjoyable addition to her popular sci-fi series. The real highlight, as always, is the snarky, self-aware robot protagonist whose sharp voice and personality shine through.
📍 Science Fiction - Action/Adventure, Cyberpunk
📍 Snarky Cyborg Narrator
📍 Reluctant Hero
📍 Corporate Dystopia
📍 Found Family
The Good Stuff
The writing is sharp and the story is well-paced. Murderbot's interactions with its human companions provide plenty of entertaining moments. Wells does a great job of making an AI construct feel like a fully fleshed-out character.
The Drawbacks
System Collapse feels repetitive at times. The plot is fairly predictable, lacking the freshness of earlier installments. Characterization also feels a tad stagnant - Murderbot and its human friends don't seem to evolve much from previous books.
The Verdict
As a Murderbot fan, I was hoping for a bit more from this latest outing. System Collapse is still a solid, entertaining read that series fans will appreciate. However, it doesn't quite reach the heights of standout entries like Rogue Protocol. I’m hoping Murderbot's next adventure packs more of a punch.
📍 Science Fiction - Action/Adventure, Cyberpunk
📍 Snarky Cyborg Narrator
📍 Reluctant Hero
📍 Corporate Dystopia
📍 Found Family
The Good Stuff
The writing is sharp and the story is well-paced. Murderbot's interactions with its human companions provide plenty of entertaining moments. Wells does a great job of making an AI construct feel like a fully fleshed-out character.
The Drawbacks
System Collapse feels repetitive at times. The plot is fairly predictable, lacking the freshness of earlier installments. Characterization also feels a tad stagnant - Murderbot and its human friends don't seem to evolve much from previous books.
The Verdict
As a Murderbot fan, I was hoping for a bit more from this latest outing. System Collapse is still a solid, entertaining read that series fans will appreciate. However, it doesn't quite reach the heights of standout entries like Rogue Protocol. I’m hoping Murderbot's next adventure packs more of a punch.
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