Because why not?Īfter the lovely introduction to my new favorite robot hero, it’s time to learn a bit more about the science fiction world of this story and the mystery that kicks off the plot. The moment it realizes it is no longer bound by its usual restrictive software – which basically forces it to do its job and nothing else – it uses this newfound freedom not to go on a rampage, but to download thousands of hours worth of soap operas. I haven’t read a lot of books narrated by an artificial intelligence (if any), but if I had to pick a favorite AI, Murderbot is definitely it. You are also about to miss out on a great story with a stand-out protagonist. If you manage to read that opening line and not continue, you have more willpower than me. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid - a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.īut when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.īut in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. You see, it all makes sense.įirst sentence: I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites.Ī murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that blends HBO’s Westworld with Iain M. We are simply all completely enchanted by a fictional character, who is also a robot with human parts and feels awkward in social situations. If you’ve been reading a surprising amount of tweets professing their undying love for something called Murderbot, and asked yourself what the hell was wrong with people, I can assure you everything’s fine.

Let me talk to you about Murderbot, the delightful protagonist in Martha Wells’ novella All Systems Red.

Murderbot martha wells