The original four novella-length stories telling the tale of the self-manumitted partly-human (he’s a “construct”) Security Unit who refers to himself as “Murderbot” brought Wells a large coterie of enthusiastic fans. The first full-length novel, "Network Effect," solidified her position as one of the best writers of “hard” science fiction working today. Following that was a sort of standalone novella (basically a murder mystery) set after the first four, but she’s also contracted for three more novels and this first one of those is due out around Thanksgiving, but Tor sent me an advance reading copy.

Believe me, it’s going to be worth the wait, but there’s a caveat: Wells is not one of those authors who screeches to a halt for a big info dump to let the reader know everything that came before, so if you haven’t already read the six preceding books, you will have no idea of who the characters are or what the world is like in which they live. This is especially true if you haven’t read "Network Effect: yet, because much of the background of the plot and many of the characters are carried over directly from that.

It would be impossible at this point to even begin to summarize the complex and multi-layered backstory of SecUnit’s evolution from unthinking robotic killer to something approaching a real person with a thoughtful outlook on life. Suffice it to say that he hacked his own governor module (which held him in tight control to his corporate handlers) and eventually became an independent security consultant to the liberal-minded, anti-corporate humans of Preservation, one of whose gigs is to evaluate colony worlds, usually abandoned, that have become infected by a leftover alien virus that can infect both organic minds and A.I. consciousnesses, which can make life very difficult for anyone left on that planet. They’re trying to do that on a world that didn’t get very far in its development half a century before before the virus turned up and the project was abandoned by the developing corporation -- which, of course, didn’t waste its resources by evacuating the few thousand colonists they had brought in.

Barish-Estranza, another corporation whom we have met before (they’re very, very bad people) has arrived as well, is trying to convince the colonists to sign labor contracts that would make them essentially slaves, and the Preservation team is trying to explain to them the dangers of listening to B-E’s pitch and the need to leave the planet and move somewhere more survivable. Having been isolated for two generations, the colonists have no experience of this stuff, and no reason to trust anyone, so it’s a hard slog. The entire story takes place within a week or two, and Wells dumps us right into the midst of things, as she always does, so you’ll really have to pay attention in the early chapters.

Also as always, the best part of the story is SecUnit’s attempt to be what his humans need him to be and to see the world from both his viewpoint and from theirs. This time, he’ also hampered by what may have been an emotional breakdown caused by the stress of a specious memory, which led to a hard reset of his internal systems, and that scares the crap out of him. What if it happens again when he’s in the middle of something important? It would take only a few tenths of a second for everyone to die and it would all be his fault. Maybe he needs therapy? Anyway, Wells’s storytelling and ironic/sardonic narrative style continue at its highly enjoyable levels and I’ll be waiting impatiently for SecUnit’s next adventure.

Another fantastic Murderbot Diary! SecUnit and the gang are still trying to get the colonists off the contaminated planet when they find out there are still more colonists in an isolated outpost. They must get to them before the Barish- Estranza manage to convince them to work for them aka become slaves. What can SecUnit and ART do to convince the colonists that they are the good guys?
Loved it- thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Murderbot is not all there

In my review of Rogue Protocol I described Murderbot as "the adorably cuddly ball of barbed-wire that she naturally is". But Murderbot's bristling exterior has been breached. In Network Effect Murderbot encountered alien remnant contamination, which did something -- she's not quite sure what -- to her.

“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.”*

She is definitely not 100%, and she knows it. In fact, her knowing it is something like 80% of the problem -- Murderbot is suffering from that oh-so-familiar-to-humans problem, a failure of self-confidence. She needs help, and her relationships, always an uncomfortable subject for Murderbot, with "her" humans and with ART are essential.

Short bookkeeping note here: although Network Effect is nominally book 5 and Fugitive Telemetry book 6 in The Murderbot Diaries, the chronological order and, in my opinion, best reading order is Fugitive Telemetry followed by Network Effect followed by System Collapse.

We thus begin System Collapse where Network Effect left off. Murderbot, ART, ART's crew, and some of Murderbot's friends from Preservation Authority are still on or near the unnamed planet where Murderbot and several others were compromised by alien contamination, from which Murderbot mostly rescued them.

As usual in a Murderbot novel, there are two plots. The ostensible plot is the pew-pew space battle plot, except in this case it takes place mostly on the planet's surface, so it is not, strictly speaking a "space" battle. But always, the more important and interesting plot is what's happening to Murderbot herself. At the center of both plots is an issue that has been central to The Murderbot Diaries at least since book 3, Rogue Protocol, and arguably since book 1: corporate slavery. Corporation Rim, the powerful governing entity in the background, permits and condones indentured servitude that is, in every effective way, a form of chattel slavery. Murderbot has repeatedly shown us how much she hates this. As the publisher's blurb tells us

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.

That's the main subject of the pew-pew non-space battle plot. To fight them, Murderbot has to discover a new ability.

<spoiler>She becomes a skilled entertainment producer. This is entirely consistent with her fascination with media feeds such as Sanctuary Moon.</spoiler>

System Collapse is a good extension of The Murderbot Diaries. It also hints, I believe, at the direction we can expect in future books.

I thank NetGalley and Tordotcom for an advance reader copy. This review expresses my honest opinions. Release date 14-Nov-2023.

*This quote is from an advance reader copy and may change on publication. If necessary, it will be corrected on the release date, 14-Nov-2023.

This is another fantastic installment in the Murderbot Diaries series! I’m a big fan of the other books in the series, so I was very excited to receive an arc of this.

System Collapse takes place immediately following the events of Network Effect. While working on a mission with humans from both ART’s crew and Preservation, Murderbot is suffering from the effects of what happened to it in the last book and it’s clear those events have taken a toll on it.

Murderbot is just as funny, irreverent and pessimistic as it was in previous books but we get to see it work through some issues that we haven’t seen in previous books. I love reading everything from it’s point of view. We continue to see more of it’s character development in this book, as it as deals with more of those pesky feelings.

My favorite part of this series is the interactions between Murderbot and ART and we get quite a few in this book. They are so snarky and playfully mean to each other while still obviously caring for each other quite a bit. It’s hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.

System Collapse is a great addition to this series, and anyone who has read and loved the previous ones will love this one just as much! I already can’t wait for the next one.

Oh, Murderbot. Truly you are the avatar of our age, unwilling though you may be to serve as a representative of anything human. Less an antihero than an anti-everything-up-to-and-including-heroes, Murderbot is once again in fine form for this seventh installation of its* anti-corporate adventures. Only this time, in Martha Wells’ System Collapse, the corporate system under threat might be its own.

Set immediately after the events of Network Effect, Murderbot is dealing with the consequences of (1) alien contamination, (2) historical corporate screwups, (3) present-day corporate screwups, (4) humans in peril (general), (5) its humans in peril (specific), (6) its colleague (emphatically not its friend) in peril, and therefore (6§A) its colleague’s humans in peril, (7) killer robots, and finally (8) having to be on a planet (ew). All of this has been extremely traumatizing, and furthermore, has left it with very little time to enjoy its singular and all-consuming hobby, which is watching media content.

All of this is already a lot, but the fallout keeps getting more complicated. There’s a corporation angling for access to the alien-infected planet (see 1, 8), and they also want to trick the humans who live there into perpetual indenture (see 4). Wells’ vision of the future is bleak but not unrealistic, and it’s enormously satisfying to see Murderbot and its humans trying to thwart corporate lackeys. This requires them to undertake a delicate balancing act of espionage, legal wrangling, and hostile negotiations—a balancing act that Murderbot is, for the first time, having trouble managing. Even with its advanced processing capacity and threat assessment software, Murderbot is beginning to miss things. It’s not just depressed, it’s distracted. But it most definitely doesn’t want to talk about the [redacted] event. No. Not even a little bit.

Unfortunately, it may not have a choice. The corporate agents are clever and have no scruples; and worse, Murderbot’s colleagues (not friends) are even more relentless in their concern and affection. The solution to both these problems may actually be one and the same, but only if Murderbot can push a little further outside its boundaries than ever before.

The longer a series goes on, the harder it is to find the balance between the elements that made the series work in the first place and the kinds of natural development that happen to characters and settings over time. That all-important quality, novelty (pun not intended but hey, if it works), provides exponentially diminishing returns the longer it continues, but authors can’t introduce too much newness or they risk alienating (I’m not doing this on purpose) their readership. The tricky bit is identifying exactly what’s essential and what can evolve.

Wells has, however, learned the lessons of the comfort shows Murderbot itself is so reliant on. What’s so craveable about these books, just like the nth re-watch of Parks and Rec or Brooklyn 99, is the persistence of archetype. Murderbot, like Ron Swanson or Rosa Diaz, embodies a slightly larger-than-life ideal. What’s human about them can change; what’s essential about them—the social reticence, the unfailing competence, etc.—remains reliably the same.

Wells is doing a top-notch job at this multi-axis balancing act, not changing Murderbot’s essentially sulky outlook but definitely letting it evolve. That acerbic, put-upon voice never goes away, even though we are increasingly aware that the parameters of Murderbot’s contempt have changed based on its experiences.

“Realistic” is not a criterion I like to apply too stringently to a series about far-future interstellar corporate battles, or to a cyborg protagonist. But for what it’s worth, there is a lot of realism to Murderbot’s ongoing anxiety and depression. Wells handles Murderbot’s inner struggles with great thoughtfulness, blending a natural empathy for the character with a brutally indifferent confidence in the plot. Murderbot is having issues? Too bad, the action doesn’t stop!

Neither does the innovation, which is another major factor in keeping a series fresh. Wells doesn’t just find new set pieces to up the ante, she makes sure any solutions—whether violence, subterfuge, or otherwise—are grounded in the characters’ development while still leaving room for them to be their badass selves.

System Collapse continues to deliver on the series’ key draws, and on top of that, it has important things to say about the way art and friendship really can fight capitalist dystopia—and I do mean fight. Murderbot, in spite of and because of the [redacted], is the kind of hero it never wanted to be, a hero we definitely don’t deserve, and the hero we need for many more books to come.

System Collapse will be out on November 14, 2023.

*I’m not being a dick. Murderbot uses the pronouns it/its.

This review copy landed at a very timely moment in my reading calendar as I was mid-way through a reread of the entire Murderbot series. It was amazing to be able to leap straight into the next book without any delay. If you are planning on picking up System Collapse I would say that a reread is not essential but it is nice to be able to experience the full journey which Muderbot has been on so far.
System Collapse is the usual style of Murderbot novella where we see our favourite SecUnit confronted not only by a security issue they need to solve but also complicated feelings about humans, other bots, sentience, and a general desire to just be watching media rather than doing this.
System Collapse in particular felt as though it was building on the events of the previous books and the various factions that have emerged throughout the story so far. I think fans of the series will definitely enjoy this chance to go even deeper with some of those relationships but I wouldn't recommend anyone leap straight to reading System Collapse as things might get a wee bit confusing.
The Muderbot series continues to go from strength to strength and I am delighted to be able to go along on the journey with this wonderfully sarcastic and snappy SecUnit. I will continue to keep recommending these to basically everyone I know.
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I’m not sure you’d want to read this 7th book in the series without having read the previous installments, but then, why would you want to *miss* the previous books?

The protagonist, who is part robot with organic parts, calls itself Murderbot, because of an incident now somewhat far in its past for which it wasn’t guilty, but the appellation stuck. In any event, Murderbot is a security robot, or SecUnit, designed to protect its human clients from any threats. But Murderbot went “rogue,” having hacked its controlling module, so that it now has free will. Murderbot would like nothing better than to spend its time watching all the space adventure series it has downloaded, but still can’t resist the pull to rescue humans from all the scrapes they continually get themselves into.

In this installment, Murderbot, still with his gang of humans led by Dr. Mensah of the University of Mihira and New Tideland, is on a planet that had been whose colonists had been subject to alien contamination. The University was trying to protect colonists from being captured by evil corporations such as Barish-Estranza (B-E) and dumped into labor camps for corporate contract labor for the rest of their lives. Part of the mission is convincing the colonists that B-E was a bad actor and the University had their welfare as a priority.

As the crew from the University talk to the colonists, they learn there is a separatists group of colonists elsewhere on the planet that might need to be evacuated (if they weren’t dead), especially as B-E had gotten wind of both groups and arrived also.

Murderbot is again working with ART, an acronym Murderbot made up that stands for Asshole Research Transport. ART, called Peri by its humans, is the bot pilot of Perihelion, a wormhole-capable space research and teaching vessel operated by the University system that is part of an anti-corporate team that gathers information and strikes out against corporations. ART is very advanced, although not as tuned into human emotions as Murderbot (who is addicted to human media and watches it constantly), and the two develop a love-hate relationship.

Murderbot, ART, and ART’s humans had been in struggles before against alien contamination and B-E, and all had sustained some damage. Murderbot still suffered from something equivalent to PTSD. Moreover, Murderbot wrestled with a compulsion to help other SecUnits, even from B-E, to deprogram themselves from their controller software and become free agents.

There is non-stop violence, action, and adventure, all filtered through Murderbot’s dry sense of humor, sardonic wit, and constant existential angst. (ART’s personality is similar albeit without the angst.)

Evaluation: The humans in Murderbot’s life can’t help but love and appreciate this very odd SecUnit. Moreover, the desire to make sacrifices to save the other becomes mutual. The episodes are endearing, very humorous, and diverting in the extreme.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This, the next in the Murderbot series, starts off right after the events of the previous book. MB and his team team are attempting to save the inhabitants of the world from the evil Corporation. Snarkiness ensues, as well as violence and more Security Bots. The last third of this book is non-stop action, much as we've come to expect from this highly entertaining series.

I wish I had re-read the previous book before starting this, although with previous Murderbot books that hasn't been a problem for me. I felt a little unmoored until about halfway through, although arguably this is my fault. I also felt the parenthetical asides--SecUnit's stylistic quirk--were perhaps more noticeable in this one. Regardless and as always, I loved SecUnit's interior monologue and its unfolding story as a free construct reckoning with emotions, organic parts, and friendships.

This was such a fantastic read! It is right after Network Effect, so I don't remember, or know, when Fugitive Telemetry is set, before or after this pair, so I'm going to have to do a reread, but I'm glad, because this series is so good!

Murderbot is dealing with PTSD, or something similar, after what it went through. It's doubting it's ability to be a security consultant, and it's done to a limited supply of drones which makes things more complicated.

This whole plot with another colony on the planet, it complicates everything, with the charter that they're trying to fake for the colony that they knew about, to protect them from Barish-Estranza. That it's in an area that prevents communication makes matters worse.

The whole series of events once they get there, dealing with the various elements of that place and what they encounter there was such an entertaining read while Murderbot was dealing with its insecurities! That ending was so fantastic!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait for whatever is next!

Murderbot is not okay. I repeat, Murderbot is (very much) not okay.

“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).

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.

Murderbot always delivers on the snark AND the adventure. This was a phenomenal addition to the series AND an incredible second full-length novel. Cannot WAIT for the next SecBot adventure to come out! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

One of my biggest gripes with this book isn’t actually with this book specifically but more the publication/reading order of the series. If you read them in order, you have <traumatic event> in Network Effect (which has a direct and dramatic impact on Murderbot’s character) followed by a step back in time with Fugitive Telemetry (where the events of Network Effect haven’t happened yet and Murderbot is at peak snark and indifference) and then back to right after Network Effect for System Collapse (where <traumatic event> has gigantic ripple effects). Going back to read the whole series before diving into this one have me tonal whiplash - namely, I was expecting the snark and instead we went straight to post-trauma.

The other thing that didn’t really work for me in this one was that because Murderbot is running with limited capabilities (ie fewer drones and no scanners) for a big portion of the book, we’re just in its head and it’s kind of running in circles. It negatively impacted the pacing of the story and also left less interactions with other characters (both new and old).

Ahoy there me mateys! I LOVE MURDERBOT!!!  I will read every new Murderbot book to come.  I will continue to reread this series over and over again.  This newest installment is no exception.  This be book seven but the second full-length novel.  Get it.  Read it.  If ye haven't yet met Murderbot what be ye waiting for?

I don't, however, think this is a good place to begin.  There are certainly spoilers for the other novel.  Murderbot is continually adjusting to life among humans but this book has Murderbot second-guessing itself for redacted reasons.  I do prefer the novella lengths for this series but I am still biased in favor of all things Murderbot and will take all I can get. ARRRRR!!!!!!!

Another full length entry in the murderbot series, and it was just as good, if not better, than the first. This one, despite the previous entry being unrelated, picks up right where Network Effect ended, with the group (Secunit's Preservation humans and ART's University humans) still on the planet where they found the alien corruption. With a company trying to slide in and take over, the group is focused on combatting their claim and saving the colonists who actually own the planet. They learn of another, separate colony, one untouched by the corruption, and set out to make contact. On top of that, Murderbot is having Emotional Problems, constantly referring to an issue that happened prior to the plot starting that it only names as [redacted], but given how it is responding to the situation and how the humans are reacting to Murderbot, it's obvious throughout that something happened to cause concern. What Murderbot finds concerning and what the humans do, however, are very different things. I loved the narration in this entry, it felt like we got a really good glimpse at Murderbot's feelings (despite desperately trying to cover them up) and in particular it felt like this book highlights how much Murderbot has changed from the earlier books. There are more obvious emotional connections and Murderbot demonstrates a better understanding of itself and why its reacting as it does (even though it still is lacking comparatively). The little glimpse of development while still staying true to the style and wit of the series was great, and i'm looking forward to more in the series.

The series just gets better and better. This book picks up shortly after Network Effect. Murderbot is experiencing trauma from its last planet side mission, but its humans and Art are relying on Murderbot to keep them safe when they have to find an outlying group on the planet. It is marvelous in continuing to develop the characters and the universe in a rich, sprawling context that leaves the reader wanting more and more after the book is done!

Another action packed installment of the MurderBot Diaries, with lovable quirky characters, and fighting against corporate institutions. Our lovable SecUnit is working through the realities of being independent within your own head (still, it is a long process), while making sure none of its humans die when faced with unknown colonists and corporate discussions. Filled with close hitting commentary on humanity, capitalism, and emotions this novel length addition from Martha Wells is a wonderful part of approachable and relatable sci-fi.

Murderbot is back with emotions and [redacted], in a way fans will love.

If you're reading this review, you likely already know the joy of the first six books in the series, and you're wondering if book seven is worth your time. My response to that? Run, don't walk, to read this book.

System Collapse picks up where Network Effect, left off. We're back with ART, the humans and surviving colonists who are in danger of being sold into corporate labour camps. Murderbot's trademark sarcasm and awkward human interactions are back in full force, as we open with it trying to take down an ag-bot intent on killing the Preservation humans.

I laughed and highlighted my way through Murderbot's sassy responses to the most stressful circumstances. In this book we see Murderbot growing in interesting ways when it comes to dealing with it's own emotions and responding to the kindness extended by humans. With the introduction of Three (another governor-hacked SecUnit), we also see Murderbot taking on a big brother/teacher role. I wonder if it will continue to lean into 'freeing' other SecUnits in future stories?

Network Effect, the first full-length book in the series was my favourite, so, System Collapse being an extension of that book and story is heaven for me. This book is also longer than the other novellas, coming in around 250 pages; the more time spent in this universe the better.

The banter between Murderbot and ART was next-level. I was laughing out loud at their interactions as they push each other's figurative buttons, but also support each other without question or hesitation.

Full disclosure, I offered Tor one of my kidney's in return for an advanced reader copy. They didn't need the kidney but did share this book through NetGalley. The review would have been worth the kidney, and I've already pre-ordered this book, which comes out in November 2023 in Canada.

This book is best read in a sprawling underground colony bunker, in the dark, but before ScoutDrone1 alerts you to movement down a corridor. Your risk assessment will say there's a 68% chance of it being a SecUnit hunting you. Wait. Make that two SecUnits. So read fast.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

After reading six books in this series, one might assume that I would have exhausted my vocabulary when it comes to expressing my enthusiasm for The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I am not exactly sure why these compact novellas continue to captivate me. It could be attributed to the remarkable skill displayed by Wells in crafting a fast-paced, humor-infused narrative that encompasses various ups and downs, unexpected twists and turns, all within a limited number of pages, ultimately providing a satisfying conclusion. Or, it might be the impeccable storytelling ability of our cherished protagonist, the SecUnit, also known as Murderbot, who recounts the events from its own unique perspective. I cannot pinpoint the exact reason, but I am unequivocally infatuated with this series.

Reviewing a novella is quite different from reviewing a full-length book, as there are unique challenges and limitations involved. Nevertheless, I will endeavor to provide a comprehensive and fair evaluation of this delightful gem to the best of my abilities.

Similar to its predecessors, System Collapse, the latest installment in this series, maintained the same level of excellence. I devoured each page with eagerness as Murderbot, accompanied by its Preservation humans, ART, and the newly introduced AI crew member, Three, embarked on a fresh expedition. New planet, new characters, new adventure and yes a lot of Crescent Moon.

Once again, Martha Wells showcased her brilliance in crafting a captivating world and developing compelling characters within the confines of this novella. From the very beginning, she thrusts the reader into an action-packed scene, skillfully weaving elements of intrigue, suspense, humor, and empathy throughout the pages of System Collapse with a remarkable sense of elegance.

One of the aspects that I adore the most about Murderbot is its distinct perspective on humans and the events unfolding around it. Witnessing its attempts to comprehend human nature, including the often perplexing realm of human relationships, is both amusing and enlightening. Martha Wells skillfully portrays this through Murderbot’s narration, presenting a remarkable contrast between the complexities of human emotions and the straightforwardness of a non-emotional perspective. It serves as a testament to Wells’ exceptional storytelling ability, as she highlights the core essence of a problem and illuminates the simplicity that can arise when emotions are removed from the equation.

In System Collapse, I found myself genuinely touched by Murderbot’s earnest efforts to convey to the inhabitants of the new planet that the Preservation crew had arrived with the intention of offering assistance. Its approach involved creating a comprehensive documentary that meticulously documented the heinous actions committed by the Barish-Estranza corporation against humans on various planets. This act of advocacy and information sharing demonstrated Murderbot’s deep sense of empathy and its unwavering commitment to justice and truth. It was truly heartwarming to witness Murderbot’s determination to make a positive impact and to witness the power of knowledge and awareness in fostering understanding and change. Leave it to an AI to come up with a plan to save humans from their own kind. That was a sure wake up call.

I always loved how Art and Murderbot banter and bicker with each other like two siblings. The System Collapse was no different. Their exchanges were hilarious. And their shared passion for tv shows and movies are so endearing. It was particularly amusing to observe Murderbot’s perplexity when Three, the new addition to their AI crew, did not share their passion for fictional human dramas and movies, instead preferring non-fiction and educational documentaries. The stark contrast in their preferences created a comedic dynamic and added another layer of humor to the story. Martha Wells skillfully incorporated these humorous elements, showcasing the complexity of human interests and the contrasting perspectives of AI characters, resulting in an engaging and entertaining narrative.

In conclusion, System Collapse proved to be another triumph in The Murderbot Diaries series. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this novella and eagerly anticipate what Martha Wells has in store for Murderbot’s future exploits. The series continues to captivate as Murderbot evolves and navigates its coexistence with both human and AI crew members. It is a testament to Wells’ storytelling prowess that she consistently delivers compelling narratives that leave readers eagerly yearning for more. I eagerly look forward to the next adventure and the further growth and development of this beloved character.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Tor Publishing and Martha Wells for providing me this advance reader copy.