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Our March read is from the 2000 & up period. All Systems Red by Martha Wells is the first of the Murderbot books. I think there are 6 so far. The first 5 are novellas, but the 6th is a full novel. While the poll only selected the first one, feel free to discuss the others. Use spoiler tags, please.

Yay! I just swallowed all 5 and eagerly awaiting the 6th one.

Tor has for the last few years published many novellas as stand-alone books. This is one of them.

Some don't like this because it means you are paying about the same price for one story as you would pay for one copy of an SF magazine with multiple stories.

But when I'm browsing the "new books" section at the library -- back when that was possible -- I am more likely to try something short by an author I've never heard of than to try something long. So, it works for me. That is how I found this book, and I very much enjoyed it. It seems to be a strategy that is working for Tor.

For me it is the character of Murederbot that I like more than the actual plot of this or the next few books. I just want to hug it! Though not really, because hugging is gross.

I just read this last summer, and liked it very much. Murderbot's annoyance and frustration with a lot of human social norms and conventions reminded me vividly of several of my friends who are on the autism spectrum. I wonder if neurodivergent people would find this character especially relatable. I can definitely see myself in Murderbot!

Kellie wrote: "I just read this last summer, and liked it very much. Murderbot's annoyance and frustration with a lot of human social norms and conventions reminded me vividly of several of my friends who are on the autism spectrum...."

That's a perceptive comment, Kellie. Thanks!

And "me too" to the legions of Murderbot fans! Hot stuff. Cant wait for the new one. A full novel. Yay!

As a side note, as one who gets most new books from the library, I'm fine with the HB novella idea. Plus, Tor at one point gave away ebooks of the first four! So I have them all in the elibrary.

I read this a few years ago when it first came out. I liked it, but it didn't bowl me over. I thought the Murderbot was just a bundle of snarkiness, which is to say: like John Scalzi dialogue on steroids. Nothing else about it struck me as special and I haven't read any of the sequels yet. There was a glossy coating of political correctness with just a tinge of YA. I'm interested in having someone explain to me what I missed. I just assumed it was sci-fi for people who don't normally read sci-fi, like Ready Player One.

RJ from the LBC wrote: "... I'm interested in having someone explain to me what I missed. ..."

Maybe some people enjoy the snarkiness more than you do? I don't agree that Scalzi is particularly snarky in general. (I a few cases he has been.) Murderbot definitely is cynical and snarky. I enjoyed that because I'm also cynical and find humans incomprehensible.

Peter wrote: "Kellie wrote: "... I'm fine with the HB novella idea ..."

HB = Hard-back?
I think all the Murderbot novellas were soft-back only. All of the TOR novellas that I've found have been soft-back. Since I got them from the library, it makes little difference to me.

Some of the other TOR novellas I've tried in part because they are short and were available at the library are Silver in the Wood (very nice fantasy) and Finna (meh SF/F).

Question for all: Is Murderbot's gender ever mentioned? Does it have one? Did you assume one in your head?

Ed wrote: "Question for all: Is Murderbot's gender ever mentioned? Does it have one? Did you assume one in your head?"
It stressed several times that it doesn't have one. However, the first book is written in a way that make it sound female. It's written better later on.

Anna wrote: "... It stressed several times that it doesn't have one. ..."

Thanks. I guess I missed noticing that. Reading the first book I thought of it as male in my head, but people in another group I was reading it with thought of it as female.

Ed wrote: "Anna wrote: "... It stressed several times that it doesn't have one. ..."

Thanks. I guess I missed noticing that. Reading the first book I thought of it as male in my head, but people in another g..."

Then it's all perception and not the quality of writing :) Though it did become easier to think of it as it in the second book.

Ed wrote: "Question for all: Is Murderbot's gender ever mentioned? Does it have one? Did you assume one in your head?"

I paid attention to that since the writing reminded me of Scalzi's & that had come up in Lock In with Chris. I never got the impression of a sex one way or the other, but I don't think I paid as much attention in this book as I did the rest.

I found the snark enjoyable since it highlights perennial conditions. Actually, the whole tone works well for me & I liked that it was such a compact story. It says plenty & has a lot going on, but it does it without any waste.

Jim wrote: "I found the snark enjoyable since it highlights perennial conditions. Actually, the whole tone works well for me & I liked that it was such a compact story. It says plenty & has a lot going on, but it does it without any waste"

Ayup. [looks back to check if this was a read/re-read of just the first]. The cover-art is what gave readers the idea that MB was female, I think. And, well, written by Martha!

Yeah, the compact, no wasted word style really clicked for me. Harkened back to the short pb novels of my long-past youth. Couple of hours and you're done, ready for another!

I did not start reading yet, so maybe missed something. But assuming the bot is not a living being I think the only answer must be that there is no gender. Of course the maker can give it signs of a gender fi when it speaks with a male voice. Or it looks like Marilyn Monroe. Or speaks with a male voice and looks like Marilyn Monroe. That could make us think there is a gender. And maybe expect some cute little robots to hatch in #6.

I got a female vibe from the 'bot when I read it a few years ago but I only read the first one. By the way, mine was hardcover and I couldn't find paperback anywhere. I didn't hate the book, I actually liked it, but just didn't understand the love it was getting which seemed excessive. Solid, well written book? Yes. Amazing? No. I stand by that opinion.

I haven't read any of the sequels but would like to, I just keep waiting (hoping) that there will be some omnibus collection of the novellas so I don't have to drop $16 each.

Leo wrote: "... But assuming the bot is not a living being I think the only answer must be that there is no gender. ..."

It has a modified flesh body.

I just checked and this site does list the existence of both hard- and soft-back books.

And it French, it is an "AssaSynth", which looks like it would be pronounced the same in French as "assassin".

RJ from the LBC wrote: "...I actually liked it, but just didn't understand the love it was getting which seemed excessive...."

I agree.

Heh. Did I do a writeup for #1? [looks]
/review/show...
I gave it 5 stars, read 2x (2017, 2019). Great stuff, I think. Sequels are good to great too. I thought there was an omnibus now? Nope, not per Amazon. But they'll sell you ebooks of nos 1-5 for a mere $51! Deal? 🤨

Tor could sell a lot of copies of that omnibus, I think: Novellas 1 through 4. I did feel that #4 was the weakest of the series, fwtw.

Re: MB gender: MB doesn't consider itself as Human. In fact, MB is disgusted with the very idea! And don't get it started on the multiple follies of its human clients -- though it does its best to protect them, which is pretty darn good. Romance! Ick.

All part of the fun -- and the funhouse mirror author Wells is holding up to her readers, and humanity in general. An ancient device, to be sure, but Wells does it remarkably well. She hit her auctorial stride with these, I think.

Leo wrote: "I did not start reading yet, so maybe missed something. But assuming the bot is not a living being I think the only answer must be that there is no gender. Of course the maker can give it signs of ..."
Spoiler alert: cute little robots hatch much sooner 😂

The books cost that much?? They are tiny. And Tor was giving the first four away for free not long ago. Regardless, my library has all the ebooks. And an audio of only the first one, for some reason.

I read it last month and loved it. Murderbot explicit says it has no gender and it's even disgusted with the idea (it isn't a sexbot, thank you very much!), but I also picture the voice as female.

I also read the original short story "Compulsory", written as part of a series about the future of work. The fact that Murderbot is essentially a property and cheaply made by her own words but has organic parts and a will it's horrible, that's why I think the ending made sense.

I plan to continue the series, but the novellas are pricy. I am waiting for deals.

I've read them all as audiobooks with a male narrator, Kevin Free. He doesn't have a deep voice & does a good job, so no gender is assumed.

Scalzi's Lock In has audio editions with both genders & I think that helped push me to originally think of Chris as a male.

I gave it 4 stars. A great sci-fi novella, really enjoyable. All the hi-tech and SF details are thought through very well in the tiniest detail. I loved the narration, the murderbot character and the plot is very suspenseful and tense.
Unfortunately it's not a full novel, so the description of the surroundings and other characters fell a bit short (which is understanding for such a short story, since the main focus was on the murderbot).
But, really a great jumpstart for the other books in the series.

Armin wrote: "Unfortunately it's not a full novel,"

After a series of novellas, two of which won Hugo award in 2019 and 2020, there is a full length novel, Network Effect, but to my personal tastes it is overlong and novellas are better

After a series of novellas, two of which won Hugo award in 2019 and 2020, there is a full length novel, Network Effect, but to m..."

In general, I like novels more, since the plot and everything is (mostly) more developed. But, some authors make better short stories or novellas and maybe Martha is one of them. But again, that was the only objection on my side. I will definitely read the other sequels in this series.

I started late, but flying through it. Surprised the novels are that expensive. I like it a lot, and understand the comparison with Scalzi. I think the murderbot is very funny and don't mind the book is about the bot rather than about other characters.

Yes, the other books in the series are really a bit overpriced.
But anyway, thank you guys for introducing me to Martha Wells :)

Armin wrote: "Yes, the other books in the series are really a bit overpriced.
But anyway, thank you guys for introducing me to Martha Wells :)"

BTW her novel was nominated for Nebula yesterday

I didn't like this book much - there were glimpses of an intriguing world but the tremendous whining in the narration spoiled it for me. I found the next book better, as Murderbot has more choices. I will continue with the series but I'm not a big fan thus far.

I'm following the series too and now reached #3. Once you get to know the bot more and can predict it's behaviour better, I think the stories themselves become more important. Not sure if they can manage to keep me enthousiast up to #6.