I’ve started a new sci-fi series recently: the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Despite the name, they’re not horror but humorous adventure, very similar to what I like to think my books are like.
The protagonist in the series is an organic/robotic construct designed as a security unit. However, it has hacked its governor module and thus no longer has to obey the humans around it. It calls itself Murderbot and says it could be a mass murderer–if it weren’t for the entertainment feed it loves to binge-watch. On the planet where it’s currently working security for a survey team, a series of problems pops up.
First, they discover a previously-unknown species of gigantic predator. Second, they discover the maps they’ve bought for their survey sections are missing some key segments. And third, the second survey team on the planet has just stopped transmitting. Murderbot must somehow protect “its” humans, while figuring out what exactly is going on.
I’m just starting on the second book now, and I’m not sharing details as they would be spoilers for some of the scenarios in the first one. Let’s just say I wasted no time downloading Book 2 once I finished All Systems Red. I really enjoy Murderbot’s personality and its search for meaning in its life. I like its obsession with soap opera and its attempts to figure out how to stay under human radar. I’d definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good adventure yarn, especially one with a lot of humor in it. Murderbot has an excellent sense of sarcasm, which I appreciate.
