Reviews

I used a postcard featuring Charles Dickens as a bookmark for my reading of this novella, although it was Descartes which appeared the more relevant. Certainly there were allusions to self-replicating bureaucracy but is something more fundamental, a crucible of autonomy. It was this Cartesian mind-body dilemma which distracted me from the numbing monologue. I fear this author makes Andy Weir look like Flaubert. The mot juste of the Murderbot might reflect some futurist fantasy but the prose by which it is plumbed has all the resonance of a Reddit thread.

omejicanos's review against another edition

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3.0

I find it hilarious how much I relate to Murderbot. It’s a security unit with full autonomy, and what does it do with its freedom? Watches TV shows and avoids human interaction. The way it constantly downplays its own efforts while secretly protecting its crew made me enjoy the character even more. It admits to doing a half-assed job, yet there are clear moments when it genuinely cares, even if it doesn’t want to admit it.

The book started shifting into a mystery when another survey team lost communication, and Murderbot’s crew discovered they had all been killed. From that point, it became a story of survival and trying to uncover who was behind the sabotage. Was it the company they paid for security? Another survey team? Rogue robots? The setup was strong, and I was fully invested in figuring out the truth.

But then came the ending… and I’m conflicted. It felt like the story was building toward a final confrontation, only for the moment to be skipped over. The beacon was launched, part of the enemy crew was neutralized, but it’s never fully clear what happened. The next thing we know, Murderbot wakes up and is told Mensah bought its contract, with no resolution about the larger conflict.

I know this is a series, so I’m optimistic that the next books will explain more, but I don’t even know if we’ll see these characters again because Murderbot chooses to leave and find its own path. If the next book focuses on its growth and self-discovery or gives answers about what happened, I’ll continue reading. But if the series keeps ending this way, I may not stick with it.

commonavian's review

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adventurous funny hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

beckylhughes's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

alfredreads's review against another edition

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5.0

While this book may (obviously) fall into the science fiction category, it is much much more than that. The protagonist may be one of my favorite characters ever and the world building (while just a framework at this point) really has some great bones to it. I will be immediately orderering the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book.

analytical_andrew's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

chomureads's review

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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