by Martha Wells
Tordotcom, 2021. 168 pages, Science Fiction
Murderbot is a Security construct (a robot with some organic parts), tasked to keep humans safe when they head out on dangerous missions. Murderbot also has a secret: a glitch in its code gave Murderbot a chance to override its governor module, effectively giving it free will. However, instead of using its ability to disobey to Kill All Humans, Murderbot's main goal in life is to be left alone so it can watch as much streaming content as possible. But Murderbot's main function is still to keep people safe, so it keeps getting pulled into dangerous situations.
In this sixth installment of the Murderbot Chronicles, when Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it is asked to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?) Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans! Again!
Although this is book six in a Hugo and Nebula award-winning series, I just discovered the Murderbot Chronicles a couple of months ago. I am obsessed! These books are action-packed, suspenseful, snarky, and warm-hearted. Although Murderbot's brand of snark might not be for everyone, I laughed aloud whenever Murderbot got especially annoyed with things. Another bonus for me is that all but one of the books in the series (so far) are novellas, which means reading the book goes quickly not just because the pacing is fast, but because the book is short. These books are also very well-written. Although the novella format doesn't leave a lot of room for world building, Murderbot still lives in a complex world full of inequities, injustices, bad people, kindness, and good people too. These books are a joy to read.
If you like the Murderbot Chronicles, you might also like:
by Becky Chambers
Tordotcome, 2021. 147 pages, Science Fiction
It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend. One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They're going to need to ask it a lot.
by Andy Weir
Ballantine Books, 2021. 476 pages. Science Fiction
Although this book is significantly longer than the Murderbot books are, it still has a sense of humor that Murderbot fans might also enjoy. Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone. Or does he?
MB
No comments:
Post a Comment