All Systems Red

Lighthearted, fun, and quick!

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Después de tres años lo he releído (a causa de que la serie de Apple TV+ basada en la novela va a salir en breves) y lo he entendido mucho mejor y me ha gustado muchísimo más. ¿Será cosa de que mi nivel de inglés ha subido o de que he entendido mejor de qué iba la vaina? Ni idea, pero el resultado es que esta novelita corta, entretenida y con une protagoniste más que especial se hace un huequecito.

Como siempre, la culpa de todo es del capitalismo. Incluso el del futuro.

Could have used more of the bleak backstory hinted at throughout as a setup to contrast how sweet the rest of the story is. Definitely missing something to be a really great story, and I find it a bit puzzling that it's so influential, that I hear other books occassionally described as "Murderbot Diaries but XYZ". I enjoyed it, though. Something to be said for my queer life and relating to the feelings of a construct that needs to act just right for those considered more human, or be parted out. A bit Empty Spaces, perhaps? I think I'll read the next one.

Murderbot is a really compelling character. The story was a little thin, but it served mostly to introduce the character.

Murderbot's clearly depressed and has social anxiety, but deals with it the best they can. I loved the ending, but wonder if we'll see the Preservation crew again.

Freedom is a pure idea. It arises spontaneously, without instruction.

Murderbot has hacked himself out of main control.

The idea of an android, part bot with lingering organics, gives rise to ideas of a machine that sometimes feels human, a very introverted and relatable human; with its increasing independency situations develop more unexpectedly than what I anticipated, and that kept me reading the whole book almost in one sitting.

The secondary characters add enough depth to the story and help the development of Murderbot throughout it, queer characters are also a welcomed presence.

It was a very fun and fast read 😁

It’s rare to find a compelling sci-fi book that also has a hefty helping of humor and sarcasm baked into its tone. I will definitely be reading more of this series. 

From the plot alone, this novella would be a bit of perhaps cliche science fiction. What makes it both unique and compelling is that the story being told from the perspective of the "Murderbot" (hence The Murderbot Diaries), a cyborg generally treated by society as a piece of equipment.

Martha Wells's writing does a good job of showing Murderbot's personality, its particular anxieties, its relationships towards humans, and general attitudes towards life. Even if the plot is cliche, Murderbot as a character is the opposite.

A socially awkward, traumatized by PTSD, has executive dysfunction, and just wants to be free and watch entertainment streams ... Murderbot is very relatable.

Bit of a quick read, but not going to complain. Personally I liked the storyline, the humour of the murderbot too.

I may or may not be (read : I am currently) throwing money at the other books right now.