A review by readingthroughinfinity
All Systems Red by Martha Wells

adventurous challenging funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

In recent years, I haven't been as into sci-fi as I used to be, but a friend recently read and loved this so I wanted to give it a go. And wow. What a fantastic novella. I loved Murderbot and the way it simultaneously didn't want to interact with or be perceived by humans, yet also couldn't help but save them because it was so attached to them. 

The fact that Murderbot just wanted to be left alone to watch shows in peace was so funny to me and I particularly enjoyed the scenes where the crew were discussing whether they could trust it and someone claimed that it couldn't possibly be watching thousands of hours of tv, and it proved them wrong in a heartbeat. The ending was sublimely bittersweet; sad in a way that leaves a small ache in your chest, but also completely in character for Murderbot. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.  
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