Murder Bot strikes again! This series is consistently so good, so snarky, and SO FUNNY! Cannot wait for the television adaptation!

3.5

Systems Collapse is the seventh installment of my favorite genderless asexual robot. Not entirely too sure why this didn't quite work for me but I seem to have fallen out of love with the series and perhaps Martha Wells in general. Objectively, it's a good book but it just didn't quite capture my attention. For some reason seven books deep, we still are reading yet another transition story and beyond the nice character growth from Murderbot, I wasn't really invested in anything at all. It was just... okay.

Thanks TOR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always thrilled to get another entry in the Murderbot series, and this is no exception! Gripping, brilliant, funny, engrossing sci fi. The whole series is highly recommended.

Martha Wells continues to impress me, in exploring humanity and what we believe makes a person a person, and why someone might reject that. As someone who adored Network Effect, I was thrilled to find that System Collapse takes place immediately after the events of the novel, following Murderbot, ART and their crews as they deal with the fallout of the previous novel. There is something amiss with Murderbot, following an event only listed as "redacted", and of course, their crews' mission to help abandoned colonists is complicated by unforeseen issues.

It was really refreshing to see Murderbot struggling, when despite their consistent self-doubt, they almost always pull off the daring rescue or mission that is in store for them. Fans of the Murderbot series won't be disappointed!

I have been recommending that new readers read Network Effect and then System Collapse immediately afterward, as Fugitive Telemetry chronologically occurs after those two books and it seems to make for better continuity.

Another outstanding release in one of my all-time favourite series!
Murderbot is the most realistic and relatable character I've ever read and I can't get enough of it's adventures!

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
🔲 mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgettable side characters
✅ well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are fictional

PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
🔲 nothing memorable
✅ gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
🔲 OK
✅ nicely detailed
🔲 meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
🔲 immersive
✅ you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
🔲 picks up with time
✅ page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

Network Effect was my least favourite of the series but this direct sequel to it was a pleasant surprise.

Dear Martha Wells,

Murderbot is back!! Yay!!

System Collapse takes place immediately after the events of Network Effect (the previous book in the series, Fugitive Telemetry, covers events before Network Effect). Here’s a hint: a recap of Network Effect is very helpful when going into System Collapse if you’re anything like me and can’t remember much of what happened (there have been so many books filling my brain since then). In a pinch, this Wikipedia synopsis will help. I admit I was a bit lost at first (see previous). But, once I read that Wiki entry and a couple of Goodreads reviews of the earlier book, I felt oriented and that made this book much easier to follow.

Murderbot and ART and various of its humans have returned to the planet with the alien contamination from Network Effect and are trying to convince the colonists to leave and not sign up for indentured servitude with the Barish-Estranza Corporation. Murderbot is struggling because of redacted. Yes, that’s what it says in the text. For a good portion of the book, the SecUnit is not letting on what redacted is. We only know it has something to do with what happened before and it has made its humans (and ART) concerned about it and whatever happened has made has made Murderbot feel unreliable and a liability to the team.

SecUnit and a subset of it’s crew, together with ART-drone (it’s all ART but ART can split off into various different iterations) go to a remote area of the planet where there may be separatists who are unaware of what has been going on and who will be vulnerable to Barish-Estranza. While there, Murderbot is challenged to begin to face the trauma of its experience in Network Effect and what that means for it going forward. Plus, things get dicey with Barish-Estranza and Murderbot is called upon to use its knowledge of human behaviour (learned from all of its media-watching experience, particularly his beloved Sanctuary Moon) to protect an ever-increasing number of humans under its care. We also catch up with Three and other characters readers have come to know and like over the course of the series.

I adore the SecUnit and its reluctant but complete devotion to its humans and ART. I love the sarcasm and the way Murderbot refers to “I had an emotion” or “I made an expression” which both reminds me its not a human but also that its something very close to human. I love the way Murderbot shies away from emotions but feels them anyway, especially for people like Dr Mensah and Iris but also for its buddy, ART. I also love that those beloved human characters appreciate SecUnit for who it is, value its input and skill and treat it with respect. Murderbot’s dry humour is the best and it had me smiling and/or laughing out loud throughout the story.

I had an actual gun, one of ART’s projectile weapons, but we knew from experience how many shots it took to down an enraged ag-bot, and getting up right on its processor for a point-blank impact was not something anybody wanted me to try to attempt, especially me.

I feel a bit like Iris and Dr Mensah about SecUnit myself actually.

Murderbot ends the story in a good place – physically and mentally and ready for more adventures.

The best thing I can say about System Collapse is that it made me want to re-read (or re-listen) to the entire series again from start to finish and I’m planning to do just that soon – maybe over the Christmas break.

Definitely recommended (but remember what I said about the Network Effect recap). Grade: A

Regards,
Kaetrin

I will always and forever be grateful to Tor for letting me read the Murderbot series. It’s endlessly entertaining. Murderbot is the grumpy AI robot that I hope the future holds. They are funny, loyal, fearless and poignant. This book like all the others in this series delivers a fast paced adventure and the same character growth we’ve become accustomed to with Murderbot. I for one, always recommend this series to everyone who asks for a sci-fi recommendation. It’s always well received. I’ll continue to convert people as much as possible!

I hand sell MurderBot to anyone who stands still in my store long enough. I have bought multiple copies of the first book to hand to friends, family and coworkers to bring them into the MurderBot Fan Club fold. I have a set of loaner copies of this book and I have my set that don't leave the house unless there is a fire. One of the audio books that I listen to when I am having a BAD commute and I need to calm down NOW is Pride and Prejudice. The other is Network Effect. I guess you could call those two audio books my version of Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. To say that I am slightly MurderBot obsessed is putting it mildly.

I wanted this to be my first read of 2024, and while it was the first book I STARTED in 2024, it wasn't the first one I finished. However, I have finished it tonight and I want to cry, because I have to wait HOW long for the next one?!?!

And I don't want to say anything, other than if you are interested in reading this, you REALLY should read them in order, so you can see the character growth and understand what is going on. All Systems Red. It's a tiny little novella, won't take up hardly any of your time. Quick, fun read. Go in as blind as you can. It's an awesome experience. Highly recommended. Should we ever meet, the first one is free.

And to those of you who read this one. THAT. ENDING. Wow. My head is still reeling and I don't know how to think about it. But I loved it.

5, because how can I give MurderBot anything less than that, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tordotcom for an eARC of this book to read and review.

I love me some Murderbot! Yet another installment in this fun series. This one picks up right where the last book left off, and since it's been over a year since I read the last one, I was a little lost at first. I am strongly considering a re-listen all the way through because these books are just so delightful. The right amount of sci-fi, comedy, and finding purpose. The audiobooks are so well done by Kevin R. Free, although I noticed on Libby that they redid the audiobooks with a full cast. Apple TV has the greenlight to pursue a series based on these books. If you need a fun, action series with a sarcastic yet lovable main character, check out this series.

Probably my favorite of the Murderbot Diaries so far. I wish I had know to reread Network Effect before reading this as I think I would have understood the plot much better. Then again I hardly know what is going on in a Murderbot book anyway. This is very much not a stand alone and readers really should start from the beginning. The meta-story of Murderbot's emotional development is important to understand, especially with this book, and you need to have some background to get what this current book is about.

Martha Wells' System Collapse, the latest addition to the acclaimed Murderbot Diaries series, is an exhilarating journey that further cements its place as a sci-fi tour de force. In this newest installment in the Murderbot Diaries, Wells plunges us into a high-stakes narrative, where the lovable yet lethal SecUnit Murderbot returns, only to find itself grappling with operational anomalies and a corrupt corporation.

The novel excels in its portrayal of Murderbot's evolution. As a reader, witnessing Murderbot's journey towards increased complexity and humanity is not only fascinating but also deeply resonant. Wells masterfully blends the artificial and the emotional, giving us a protagonist who is as compelling in his vulnerabilities as in his combat skills. This nuanced development is a testament to Wells' skill in character craftsmanship.

Moreover, the return of ART is a delightful surprise, adding layers of humor and depth to the narrative. The dynamic between Murderbot and ART offers a blend of sarcasm, affection, and mutual respect that is rare in AI characters. Their interactions provide both comic relief and emotional grounding, a balance that Wells strikes with remarkable finesse.

The plot itself is a rollercoaster of intrigue and action. As Murderbot confronts its own glitches and faces off against the morally bankrupt Barish-Estranza corporation, the reader is thrust into a whirlwind of ethical dilemmas and action-packed sequences. The stakes are higher than ever, with the fate of a whole colony hanging in the balance, and Wells handles this tension with the deftness of a seasoned storyteller.

System Collapse is more than just a sci-fi adventure; it's a narrative that questions the essence of humanity and ethics in a universe where AI and humans coexist. Wells doesn't just tell a story; she weaves a complex tapestry that challenges the reader's perceptions of autonomy, morality, and identity.

In conclusion, System Collapse is a triumph of science fiction writing. With its compelling protagonist, intricate plot, and thought-provoking themes, Martha Wells has delivered a book that is not only enjoyable but also significant in its exploration of AI and human nature. It's a must-read for fans of the genre and a perfect continuation of the Murderbot Diaries series.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for providing an e-Arc of System Collapse by Martha Wells for my review.

System Collapse is the latest work in Martha Wells' "The Murderbot Diaries" series, her award winning series about the construct SecUnit (an artificial being created out of biological and machine parts) who goes by "Murderbot" internally despite being an introverted anxious being who would rather watch media/soap-operas rather than do anything else. If you're somehow unaware of Murderbot, despite large popularity and awards, well, its protagonist is incredibly lovable as it tries to stay out of trouble despite hacking itself to freedom...and despite it falling in with a group of humans it comes to care about and has to keep from getting themselves killed from time to time. The story began with a quarter of novellas (beginning with All Systems Red), expanded to a full length novel (Network Effect), and then continued with a prequel novella last year (Fugitive Telemetry).

System Collapse is I guess a short novel - it's almost in between the page length of Network Effect and the Novellas, at something like 250 pages - and it's a direct sequel largely to Network Effect. And it's fun in the way Murderbot works tend to be, as Murderbot deals with its old Preservation humans and its new ART-crew humans (plus a spinoff of ART) as they try to convince some separatist colonists to trust them over the ambassadors for a dangerous corporation. At the same time, the book's in between length seems to have come at a cost, as the book also deals with a plot of Murderbot dealing with traumatic flashbacks that may or may not be accurate and kind of fumbles that plotline just a little bit. There's enough interesting here that I rather enjoyed this, and Wells' prose is always well done, but the in-between length and incomplete trauma plotline make this one one of my lower ranked works in this really great series.

Plot Summary:
Murderbot, ART, and their humans are still stuck in the system containing the alien-contaminated lost colony planet where ART had previously lost its human crew. They'd prefer to be out of there already....except additional ships from the corporate entity Barish-Estranza have arrived in system to try and claim the world...and to "indenture" (really enslave) the humans still living down there. Murderbot and ART's humans are trying to create a legal fiction that will ensure the colonists' freedom...but it will require the colonists' cooperation, which is a lot harder than it should be to get.

So when one of the friendly colonists mentions that there was a separatist faction of the colony that left long ago and went underground at one of the Poles, Murderbot, some of the humans, and a drone partition of ART head off to the pole to investigate. But what they find there are underground tunnels where danger may lurk at every turn and colonists who are even less willing to trust them than the rest of the colony...and who might be more amenable to the corporation's lies. Add in some unexplained false traumatic memories that keep popping up in Murderbot's head, and the team will clearly have its hands full trying to save these new stupid humans....and not becoming the victims of corporate violence themselves....
After Network Effect, readers probably expected the next Murderbot sequel to focus on Murderbot's new adventures with ART, their growing relationships and Murderbot dealing with a new crew - ART's crew - who are different from the humans it is used to. System Collapse decides not to do that, instead picking up right after Network Effect and throwing an obstacle in the way of Murderbot and ART getting to that point. In a way, it kind of feels disappointing that we get this speedbump here, even though the story is written well and Murderbot's narration feels fun and enjoyable as always.

That said, System Collapse deals specifically with a pair of new issues and concepts for Murderbot to explore, and those seem generally to be worthy developments for the character which kind of justify this speedbump. The first is Murderbot's being put in a position where it, and their humans, have to convince other humans - and possibly even SecUnits like Three - that Murderbot's humans have their best interest at heart and not to trust the evil corporate entities. How this plotline plays out is kind of a further exploration of Murderbot/2.0's overtures to Three in Network Effect and works really well here - I won't spoil how it plays out, but it's a very Murderbot form of plot and character development and I enjoyed it greatly.

The second issue is that Murderbot is now dealing with trauma, a kind of PTSD, where a false memory that seems to combine bits of other memories - of Murderbot suffering violence during the events of Network Effect - is causing Murderbot to freeze and shut down at seemingly random occasions. Murderbot can't quite figure out why this is happening - indeed, it labels the phenomenon as [redacted] and refuses to explain it in the narrative for the first third of the book. But clearly it's suffering from trauma and needs some way to deal with it. And it's there that honestly this book kind of disappoints, because the book kind of assumes this trauma will be resolved without ever showing Murderbot finding a way to deal with it? There's talk about discussing later with one of the Preservation doctors but it never happens here and the results of the trauma are never dealt with. I guess if this is followed up on in a next book it'll be okay, but well, this book is titled "System Collapse" so I kind of expected this book to feature it?

Overall though while System Collapse is not a highlight in this series, it's still very good and a solid addition. I just look forward to the story finally moving past this system, should there be any future Murderbot stories.

SecUnit has gathered around them a ragtag bunch of folks that are in near constant need of saving- sigh, if only everything was as clearcut as Sanctuary Moon. While stuck planetside even after [REDACTED] happened SecUnit must still operate at increased parameters as one by one their drones get abandoned or destroyed all while dealing with new SecUnit3 and also that pesky Alien Contamination. A Murderbot's job is never done, or easy, especially with humans in charge. So good, everyone should be reading Murderbot!

I will follow Murderbot wherever they may go. Excited to see that Apple TV has optioned this for a series and can't wait to see this world come to life. These short novellas should never end.

This is a great addition to the series. Book 6 felt like a standalone murder mystery/procedural and didn't advance the core story. Same with the short story released. This one felt like a continuation of book 5. Good story, plot line and character interactions/dialogue were enjoyable. I'd recommend it to fans of the series. Not a good book to start with and not quite as attention grabbing as the first book or second in series, but still a very satisfying read.

wow!! I was honestly getting bored with this series, but this was so redeeming! I really fell back in love with murderbot during this experience. I felt like as things keep going my brain is not fully grasping all the scifi because Martha Wells writes it hard, but I still can get what I can out of the story.

I think this one has a lot of tension and we see Murderbot really feeling things and dealing with it. I really love that for him!

Can't wait to see Murderbot come to life on AppleTV! Guess I'll have to get AppleTV in like 2025. lol. Love Murderbot but these stories need to be a bit more varied for me to remember them as separate tales. I enjoyed MB but didn't love this story.

As always, the voice of Murderbot is a snarky delight and I love the expanded found family that has been growing throughout the series. The plot was compelling here too and overall this was a very entertaining entry into what is a consistently excellent series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book. I'm a long-time fan of Murderbot and its adventures. But I feel like this year I had too much existential dread of my own and couldn't enjoy its. It seems the novelty of Murderbot has worn off a bit for me. Still entertaining, just not the emotional rollercoaster and fireworks the previous books offered me.