Hardcover, 256 pages
English language
Published Nov. 14, 2023 by Tordotcom.
Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.
Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.
But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!
Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.
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.
System Collapse, the seventh book in Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries, picks up right where Network Effect left off. As a direct sequel, this volume is the second full-length novel in the series and is the least stand-alone of them all. If you’re thinking of jumping in fresh here, think again—you'll want to start at the beginning to fully appreciate the depth and development of the story and characters.
Murderbot has endured a lot, from violent battles and betrayals to emotional hardships. It has witnessed filthy-rich corporations committing heinous crimes with no regard for human life. As Murderbot slowly becomes more "human-like" and grapples with emotions it would rather ignore, it’s about to face one of the most human experiences of all: trauma.
A few months after the events of Network Effect, Murderbot and ART's crews are still stuck, waiting for reinforcements to fix ART's hyperspace drive. Meanwhile, Perihelion's crew works …
System Collapse, the seventh book in Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries, picks up right where Network Effect left off. As a direct sequel, this volume is the second full-length novel in the series and is the least stand-alone of them all. If you’re thinking of jumping in fresh here, think again—you'll want to start at the beginning to fully appreciate the depth and development of the story and characters.
Murderbot has endured a lot, from violent battles and betrayals to emotional hardships. It has witnessed filthy-rich corporations committing heinous crimes with no regard for human life. As Murderbot slowly becomes more "human-like" and grapples with emotions it would rather ignore, it’s about to face one of the most human experiences of all: trauma.
A few months after the events of Network Effect, Murderbot and ART's crews are still stuck, waiting for reinforcements to fix ART's hyperspace drive. Meanwhile, Perihelion's crew works tirelessly to thwart Barish-Estranza's (B-E) attempts to sign the population into corporate slavery.
A mysterious, redacted past event has Murderbot stressed out, making it hard to perform its usual security tasks. Despite its desire to seclude itself in one of ART's closets, B-E's increasingly aggressive efforts demand Murderbot’s reluctant attention.
Murderbot’s journey continues to be a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human. Its development as a character is marked by a blend of dry humor, reluctant heroism, and poignant introspection. Wells expertly balances action and emotional depth, making this latest installment as compelling as its predecessors.
The plot is fast-paced and filled with tension as Murderbot navigates the challenges thrown its way. The interactions between Murderbot and the crew members are as engaging as ever, highlighting Wells' talent for creating rich, relatable characters.
If you’ve been following the series, System Collapse is a must-read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a brilliant continuation of Murderbot’s story, blending action, emotion, and humor in a way that only Martha Wells can deliver.
Yes. It is just more Murderbot. And that is a good thing.
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.
Oh my [REDACTED] god, it was just too short.
