All Systems Red

, #1

Paperback, 152 pages

English language

Published May 2015 by Tor.

ISBN:
978-0-7653-9753-9
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4 stars (10 reviews)

All Systems Red is a 2017 science fiction novella by American author Martha Wells. The first in a series called The Murderbot Diaries, it was published by Tor.com. The series is about an artificial construct designed as a Security Unit, which manages to override its governor unit, thus enabling it to develop independence. It calls itself Murderbot, and likes to watch unrealistic soap operas. As it spends more time with some caring humans, it starts developing feelings that it does not care for.

4 editions

reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Review of 'All Systems Red' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I LOVED All Systems Red. Murderbot might be my new favorite character in all of Sci-Fi. I had to read this for my first grad school class at Emerson, and it was an overall winner. Highly recommended if you like Sci-Fi, or if you like character-driven stories that are quick-paced, with decent action and good suspense. I will most definitely be adding the other Murderbot books to my TBR pile.

reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

I do not remember how I feel about this

3 stars

I read this a couple weeks ago and could tell you approximately nothing about the plot! I remember having a nice time reading it? It's short, which is to its credit. There is some stuff about untrustworthy corporations, and the main character is a robot whose robot-ness seems to be a metaphor for neurodivergence of some kind? I don't know. It never really came together but also, hey, it was short.

reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Review of 'All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Murderbot just wants to watch TV, but work keeps interrupting. Work that becomes increasingly mysterious and dangerous and - perhaps most shockingly to our protagonist - something to care about doing well, as events unfold.

Comical, fast-paced and fun, with a delightful protagonist and a plot best left to be discovered as the pages turn, this was tremendous fun and exactly the sort of thing I needed right now.

reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Review of 'All Systems Red' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

I originally abandoned this book, but forced my way through a second reading for a book club. I seem to be in the minority with this view, but I found this novella to be unbelievably boring, and I can't see how it has won multiple awards. The main character is, as far as I can tell, an introverted cyborg which likes to watch TV, surrounded by a bunch of squabbling humans who don't seem to know what to do about it. There's no development for any of the humans and the ending is disappointing. The hype overpromises, the book underdelivers.

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