The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

[Calibandar]

I found the Ann Leckie book much more of a slog though, impenetrable/dull.

[Fragile Bird]

As I have said elsewhere, I’m a huge Murderbot fan. I love, love, love Murderbot!

And it’s all thanks to you, Wert, because you published a list of popular books on your blog last year and my library had it.

For those of you who haven’t looked, check to see if your library has the audiobooks. The reader, Kevin R. Free, is amazing, and is THE voice of Murderbot in my head.

Also, search for the two short stories on the internet. I provided links to them in, I think, last year’s final quarter of the What are you reading thread. One story is very short and occurs immediately after Murderbot hacked it’s governor. It’s standing guard on a platform at a mining operation and some employees who are horsing around accidentally knock one of their co-workers down into the smelter. As a governed SecUnit, Murderbot has no mandate to rescue any humans in danger. As a free SecUnit, it’s already able to relate to humans because of it’s favourite outer space soap series. Very nice short story.

The second short story is from the POV of Dr. Mensa, the first time we see a POV that’s not Murderbot’s. It explains some of the issues Murderbot will face from humans.

[Wilbur]

11 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

...And it’s all thanks to you, Wert, because you published a list of popular books on your blog last year and my library had it.

For those of you who haven’t looked, check to see if your library has the audiobooks. The reader, Kevin R. Free, is amazing, and is THE voice of Murderbot in my head...

I second Fragile Bird in expressing my appreciation for Wert's review.

Also, Kevin R. Free's audio recordings of the books are excellent - a good reader and good production.  It took a while, but our library Overdrive system finally has all six of the audiobooks now, and they are very good.

[ants]

Brilliant series, Murderbot is such a captivating character. Just a shame the books are expensive. 

[Calibandar]

Her new book The Witch King releases March 30.

 

Quote

Kai-Enna is the Witch King, though he hasn’t always been, and he hasn’t even always been Kai-Enna!

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.

 

[Calibandar]

New Murderbot novel is up on Amazon for November.

 

https://www.amazon.com/System-Collapse-Murderbot-Diaries-8/dp/1250826977/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CT1WV9D3WEBR&keywords=Martha+wells&qid=1690837562&s=books&sprefix=martha+wells%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C230&sr=1-3

Edited July 31, 2023 by Calibandar

[Teng Ai Hui]

I'm excited for this one, especially since ART was mentioned in the blurb.

[Argonath Diver]

Great news. I've always tended toward fantasy vs sci-fi, but I've been known to dabble, and boy howdy has this series entertained the hell out of me.

[Corvinus85]

I'm looking forward to this, too. I recently read her new novel Witch King. It was alright but none of the characters clicked like Murderbot has or ART.

[Fragile Bird]

Notice that the book is Number 7 of 7. That made me sad, but I guess I’ll just have to do annual re-reads/re-listens. The title is a bit ominous as well.

[Fragile Bird]

I just re-read this thread and I have to say, @Werthead, your reviews of the books are excellent, succinct jewels! I also wondered if Wells is on your list of followers. I can imagine an independent kind of guy who spends his time watching tv might have made a great character inspiration!

Reading the thread also reminded me that I haven’t looked up Witch King. I’ve put a hold on the audio book at the library now and it’s an estimated 15 week wait. I’m glad to see Wells so popular. I’ve also read some of her previous series (The Ships of the Air) and they’re decent but not as crisp. Murderbot really, really stands out as good writing.

[Calibandar]

1 hour ago, Fragile Bird said:

Notice that the book is Number 7 of 7. That made me sad, but I guess I’ll just have to do annual re-reads/re-listens. The title is a bit ominous as well.

No that doesnt mean anything, it just means that Amazon is aware of 7 volumes and that this the last of those

[mcbigski]

The first six of these are available on Kindle Unlimited currently, if you have that.  Read the first one today.  Excellent.

[Fragile Bird]

I just saw that Apple TV has picked up Murderbot for a 10 episode series. I’m not sure what the time span is going be. I mean, which books.

Because of the actors’ strike, no casting decisions were being made until recently. They’ve just announced their first decision, Murderbot itself. Sort of horrifying, actually. Alexander Skarsgard, of all people. Way too old at 47, way too straight for a non-gendered bot, way too associated with very sexual roles. Not my image of Murderbot at all. “Sighs”. I shall ultimately reserve judgement until I see an episode, but I’m not exactly hopeful.

The showrunners are Chris and Paul Weitz (known for “About a Boy” ) and one of the executive producers is David S. Goyer, who does the Apple TV adaption of Foundation.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Fragile Bird

[Calibandar]

I liked that casting actually. Fits my image and I think he is generally a good actor with lots of presence too.

[Fragile Bird]

Oh, I like the actor, just not for Murderbot!

Sec units are quasi-military units, and I’ve always imagined the humans they clone them from are in their 20s, whether male or female. Young and strong. And when they get renewed, their human part is still at the same age level, they don’t get older. Murderbot is like a soldier in the field, not a senior officer or a general who would be in their 40s. And not a military lifer who could be 47, they don’t put 47 year olds on the front line.

Skarsgard might be witty and crafty, and do a good job on that side, he’s just too old. Dr. Mensa is an older woman, Murderbot looks at her and thinks that, it doesn’t think “she’s a contemporary”.

[Corvinus85]

The only thing he has going for Murderbot in terms of looks is his height. He is a tall actor and SecUnits are taller than the average human. (even with the mods it gets in book 2)

[mcbigski]

14 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

I just saw that Apple TV has picked up Murderbot for a 10 episode series. I’m not sure what the time span is going be. I mean, which books.

Because of the actors’ strike, no casting decisions were being made until recently. They’ve just announced their first decision, Murderbot itself. Sort of horrifying, actually. Alexander Skarsgard, of all people. Way too old at 47, way too straight for a non-gendered bot, way too associated with very sexual roles. Not my image of Murderbot at all. “Sighs”. I shall ultimately reserve judgement until I see an episode, but I’m not exactly hopeful.

The showrunners are Chris and Paul Weitz (known for “About a Boy” ) and one of the executive producers is David S. Goyer, who does the Apple TV adaption of Foundation.

Happy to hear this.  Though I don't have an apple subscription so I might not see it for a while.

If Skarsgard is way too straight for the role, who would you like instead?  Pretty much any actor who has ever had sex ever is too sexual for the role by those standards, whether he'd be too gay or too straight.  

Murderbot is clearly non sexual, but does it present as male definitively?  I sort of recall a number of times it was growing out hair to look more human and less Secbot, but was facial hair specifically mentioned?

Just checked out his IMDB profile and other than Zoolander, I've never seen anything Skarsgard's been in.

I'm hoping we get a Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon spinoff above all.  

[Fragile Bird]

5 hours ago, mcbigski said:

Happy to hear this.  Though I don't have an apple subscription so I might not see it for a while.

If Skarsgard is way too straight for the role, who would you like instead?  Pretty much any actor who has ever had sex ever is too sexual for the role by those standards, whether he'd be too gay or too straight.  

Murderbot is clearly non sexual, but does it present as male definitively?  I sort of recall a number of times it was growing out hair to look more human and less Secbot, but was facial hair specifically mentioned?

Just checked out his IMDB profile and other than Zoolander, I've never seen anything Skarsgard's been in.

I'm hoping we get a Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon spinoff above all.  

Meh, it’s a matter of perception I guess, from seeing him in True Blood for years. The 32 year old Skarsgard from True Blood, hell, the 26 year old from Zoolander, are more suitable than the 47 year old he is today.

As for SecUnits being bigger than average humans, I don’t recall them being described as all that big. After all, when it leaves the station to head out on its own, it melts right in with the crowd of fellow travelers, so it can’t be that much bigger. Not, say, 6’5”. When ART suggests modifying its body, it’s specifically so that Murderbot won’t be quickly picked up by equipment scanning for SecUnit specifications, not to make it less noticeable.

As for what actor I’d suggest, I have no one in mind. In fact, I think it would be the perfect role for a relative unknown. If the actor is a bit stiff and wooden, even better. Murderbot has to work hard to imitate a human, after all. Think of ART showing it shots of how it’s crew walks compared to how Murderbot walks.

And you know, there’s a whole section of the fandom that imagines Murderbot as a female. I think Wells has been very careful never to describe Murderbot closely enough so that the reader has a definitive answer about orientation, although there are references to standard human forms being used for the cloning.

I don’t see Murderbot as female at all, I’ve always imagined that the manufacturers of SecUnits mainly use male cloned material for presenting added toughness. They probably have female SecUnits as well, in addition to the ones used as sex bots, and of course one assumes the sex units come in both genders of bots. Murderbot does talk about SecUnits having short hair so that helmets fit better, and worries that if it grows the fine hair ART wants it to have the hair will interfere with SecUnit clothing. That’s it’s inexperience talking.

Casting a woman as Murderbot was probably a bridge too far for the showrunners.

God almighty, imagine a Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon spinoff!!!! I can imagine that they will film some scenes Murderbot describes in the books, so we’ll have a series within the series. That should be fun, I hope they do it!

[Calibandar]

On 12/30/2023 at 5:32 AM, mcbigski said:

  

Murderbot is clearly non sexual, but does it present as male definitively? 

I think the author quite deliberately leaves that up to the reader's perception or imagination.

As a male reader I picture it as a "him" but I also see review from female readers refer to it as a "her".

For me the Skarsgaard casting works very well because he is tall and can look forceful but he is not huge, either in height or build, which I think is fitting for the Murderbot.