Review: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

Title: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1)

Author: Martha Wells

Published by: Tor

Released: 2017

Source: Library

Synopsis: In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: The hype was not wrong and I am pleased. I really enjoyed All Systems Red. Murderbot is essentially an anti-social robot hybrid that likes to binge watch television shows, I really connected with it. Murderbot has been created to guard crews and scientific expeditions on different planets by an entity called The Company. The Company is kind of cheap when it comes to the quality of the products they supply. Their fee isn't cheap, but they don't deliver top-notch supplies. Murderbot knows this.

Murderbot has also disabled its Governor Module which means it's not like the other Sec Units. Murderbot has control of its own actions, but this secret can't get out.

Murderbot surprised me. It had character. Most times, I didn't think of it as a robot hybrid, but instead a flesh and blood human. I'm still a little confused as to what Murderbot actually is components wise. I don't know how to categorize Murderbot in my mind. I want to call it a she, but I don't know. It was a lot of fun following Murderbot. Murderbot is the main character in this story. I honestly have a hard time remembering the human crew, or even how many of them there were.

All Systems Red was such a quick, little book. I flew through it. It's a novella and they always tend to leave me a little wanting. Just when I'm really getting into the story, or really attached, it's over. I feel a sense of loss. I wish I had more of it.

I really enjoyed the action in this, the mystery. It was very dangerous and exciting.

It just went by too quick. I blinked and it was over. The ending left me on a note of wanting more. I need to know what happens next with Murderbot. I'm definitely going to read the other books in the series because I need to know things. I'd definitely recommend All Systems Red.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.3/5

Murderbot is my Spirit Animal