System Collapse

william_1844 reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

A great tale from Martha Wells

5 stars

Yet another excellent, fun, action packed, deeply thought provoking and funny story about everyone's favourite SecUnit.

I knew I would love this book, I knew it would draw me in, I knew it would make me laugh and I knew it would make me think - so I bought it as soon as I possibly could, then saved it. Sure enough life hit a rough patch and I started reading this. SecUnit watches Media to help him cope with a overload induced shutdown. I read for the same reasons - it helps.

If you know this series you know what to expect. This one has a lot of really, really well written character development (SecUnit has been through a lot). It also has a lot of ART, which I love.

No spoilers - but the ending is just absolutely right.

This is just a great series

pdotb@wyrms.de reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

Slight degradation

4 stars

Not quite as good as Network Effect, perhaps because ART is less involved this time. The first couple of chapters also confused me a bit -- I felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of a book and had missed the build-up -- but once I got past that it was a ton of fun.

Leaving_Marx@wyrmsign.org reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

New adventures!

5 stars

Just finished the newest book in the murderbot series and it was awesome. Picking up where the last book left off it explores relationships with "lost" human colonies, and working to translate the cultural and social consequences of being reconnected to the corporate rim world's and the corporations and capitalism space feudal logics that entails. Really like this one alot, recommend it for anyone already in the series but hasn't picked it up yet.

outofrange reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells

Another round still brings surprises

4 stars

Murderbot just has near infinite potential as a character. It's multiprocessing nature makes the stories complex but so rich, I feel like starting the whole series again now to pick up the bits I missed.

el dang reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

💗 Murderbot 💗

5 stars

I continue to love the Murderbot series. By this point, the action parts have lost impact because there's too much precedent for how they're going to turn out, so I think it's wise of Wells to play that part down a bit in this book, in favour of a story more about persuasion and trust building. And the ongoing saga of Murderbot learning about both its limits and capabilities continues to be one of the most relatable arcs in SF/F.

norb reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

Another Great Murderbot Story

4 stars

Content warning Maybe a little bit of a spoiler ahead but probably not much. Nothing to ruin the plot anyways,

Once again, Martha Wells spins out a fun Muderbot tale.

I've enjoyed the journey that Wells has taken us on in regards to Murderbot's progress to more "humanity."

In many ways, Murderbot is often the most humane of characters in these stories as it is always putting itself in danger before the "real" humans.

I enjoyed that as these books have progressed, SecUnit has had to become more human for survival, but also apparently for it's own self improvement. As it ran out of more and more drones in this story, it even commented on how being a human must be terrible.

I'm always impressed with Wells' ability to put the reader into the shoes of something that is inherently not human, but yet still shows us a better side of humanity.

Tim reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

more murderbot

4 stars

I went back and re-read the two previous books to this one. That was helpful to me to know what was happening. Interesting (redacted) stuff.

Aimee Gunther reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

S.E.C. unit continues to grow into what it means to be both human and free

4 stars

This one picked up right where the last one left off. I always enjoy Martha Wells, this one is no different.

I defs needed that deadpanned Murderbot wittiness in a detailed world build... It's what keeps me reading this series!

enne📚 reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

4 stars

I deeply enjoyed System Collapse--it was a nice followup book to the events of the previous one and I don't think could stand alone. Murderbot has certainly been through a lot, but the last book was particularly intense and it makes sense that there's lasting effects from it. It felt like a smaller and more internally-focused book with less snark and more trama, but I am here for that.

To me at least, Murderbot and its series feels like the embodiment of vulnerability avoidance: handwaving, the first few books seemed like Murderbot coping with learning it cared and people caring about it; Network Effect was about """relationships"" (with ART and 2 and 3); this book in particular explored the vulnerability of trauma and being partially human (or at the very least having some fleshy parts). I think it helps to better situate Murderbot as a construct--not a bot, not human, …

I deeply enjoyed System Collapse--it was a nice followup book to the events of the previous one and I don't think could stand alone. Murderbot has certainly been through a lot, but the last book was particularly intense and it makes sense that there's lasting effects from it. It felt like a smaller and more internally-focused book with less snark and more trama, but I am here for that.

To me at least, Murderbot and its series feels like the embodiment of vulnerability avoidance: handwaving, the first few books seemed like Murderbot coping with learning it cared and people caring about it; Network Effect was about """relationships"" (with ART and 2 and 3); this book in particular explored the vulnerability of trauma and being partially human (or at the very least having some fleshy parts). I think it helps to better situate Murderbot as a construct--not a bot, not human, but somewhere in between with the problems of both.

On the surface, this certainly looks like a shift in Murderbot's competence. (It's certainly a shift in its self-perceived competence; Murderbot both seemingly does a good job while also beating itself up for not being perfect; it's hard to see past the narrative bias.)

Previous Murderbot dealt with situations and humans out of its control (still does but used to too), but in this book there's an extra struggle of coping with its own [redacted]. Given that it has people around it that care, it also has to deal with the shame of these people covering for it too. Dr. Mensah dealing with her own trauma during the last book felt like a nice foreshadowing here for what Murderbot is going through here.

Bonus joy moments: * the documentary! * ART being a jerk to both Iris and Murderbot * ART and Holism butting heads

Soh Kam Yung reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

A great followup to "Network Effect".

4 stars

An enjoyable episode in the Murderbot Diaries, this one continues from where "Network Effect" left off, with a colony left on a world contaminated with alien material that can infect both humans and AI and constructs. In the book, Murderbot and its friends continue to talk to the colonists, hoping to convince them that life with the corporation that is coming to claim their planet is not good (think bonded slavery). Then they learn that there was another colony established and now their job just got twice as tough (or harder).

As if this wasn't enough, Murderbot is suffering from a personal "redacted" problem that is affecting his efficiency. It is only later in this story that the nature of the "redacted" problem becomes clear, and it is something that can also affect humans, which makes Murderbot feel more human (ugh).

The first half of the book is more about …

An enjoyable episode in the Murderbot Diaries, this one continues from where "Network Effect" left off, with a colony left on a world contaminated with alien material that can infect both humans and AI and constructs. In the book, Murderbot and its friends continue to talk to the colonists, hoping to convince them that life with the corporation that is coming to claim their planet is not good (think bonded slavery). Then they learn that there was another colony established and now their job just got twice as tough (or harder).

As if this wasn't enough, Murderbot is suffering from a personal "redacted" problem that is affecting his efficiency. It is only later in this story that the nature of the "redacted" problem becomes clear, and it is something that can also affect humans, which makes Murderbot feel more human (ugh).

The first half of the book is more about subterfuge, as the team try to make contact with the other group of colonists without alerting the corporation. But it may be all for nothing, when the corporation misleads the colonist over what Murderbot's group wants to do. Now, Murderbot reveals what "redacted" is, how it is affecting him and also what he and the group must do to win back the colonist. This, of course, leads to a pitched battle that Murderbot must fight in its own way to win.

Murderbot has also learned that in some ways, it is like the humans he wants to protect. And by the end, who knows where Murderbot and its best friend, ART, will now end up doing.

Strakul reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

Another fun novel in the Murderbot Diaries universe

4 stars

Overall, this was a fun book, albeit a bit shorter than it's predecessor. It's still a fun ride with the usual cast of characters we've come to enjoy. A relatively simple plot with plenty of action and high-stakes moments and a recognizable setting with hints of more complexity in Murderbot's psyche. I recommend it for folks that are already reading the Muderbot Diaries at it continues its story.

For a full spoiler-free review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/12/book-review-system-collapse-by-martha.html

Leia reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

Another Great Entry

5 stars

I'm a sucker for Murderbot, so liking this wasn't not going to happen. I've read all the previous books and enjoyed all of them. While I liked Network Effect, Murderbot really seems to work best as a novella.

I wouldn't suggest starting with this one, as it picks up immediately after Network Effect, but the first book, All Systems Red is good too.

I will say that I read this in 94 hours, which is the fastest per capita I've read any book this year. In a year where reading has been hard for whatever reason, this book was a welcome reprieve from that.

Roy Adams reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

Great continuation of the Murderbot series

5 stars

Murderbot, ART and friends are working through some things and doing their best to minimize harm along the way.

Alph reviewed System Collapse by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)

Review of 'System Collapse' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

System Collapse is the direct sequel to Network Effect (Book 5), therefore, it is highly recommended to review it prior to diving into this one. There is no introductory summary, and initially there are characters aplenty that would make you feel confused if you've totally forgotten the previous story.

Murderbot is having more feels, even if it doesn't like it. It continues bonding with more humans, and consuming digital media on the side to help it cope with everything going on. We still see it analyzing and overcoming the many situations it gets into (or rather dragged into by its humans), but it is struggling as it bears the weight of the recent events.

This new story has a more introspect and trauma-overcoming tone compared to Fugitive Telemetry's murder mystery and the action-focused Network Effect, but the action scenes are still there and still great.

The series has been really relatable to me so …

System Collapse is the direct sequel to Network Effect (Book 5), therefore, it is highly recommended to review it prior to diving into this one. There is no introductory summary, and initially there are characters aplenty that would make you feel confused if you've totally forgotten the previous story.

Murderbot is having more feels, even if it doesn't like it. It continues bonding with more humans, and consuming digital media on the side to help it cope with everything going on. We still see it analyzing and overcoming the many situations it gets into (or rather dragged into by its humans), but it is struggling as it bears the weight of the recent events.

This new story has a more introspect and trauma-overcoming tone compared to Fugitive Telemetry's murder mystery and the action-focused Network Effect, but the action scenes are still there and still great.

The series has been really relatable to me so far, and this is no exception. I continuously see glimpses of my own experiences and inner monologues in Murderbot. This one went a bit deeper though. I also have a diary where I've redacted a traumatic event that I tend to not think or talk about, and I had to learn how to process it. I don't blame Murderbot for not knowing how to process things; I'm human and I don't know how to process 90% of my emotions (yeah, I just had my performance reliability drop by 4 points). This read left me feeling emotions so I'm going to the couch to process them in private.

I'm really glad to have given the whole series a read over the last couple of months 🤖💜