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#22 The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition by Martha Wells


I had been seeing Martha Wells’ books featured on lists and receiving awards for quite some time, and I really wanted to read something by her. Naturally, I had to start with The Murderbot Diaries. So the day finally came when I got the first two books in a beautifully bound omnibus edition, and I read them both in a single week. That was 320 pages of pure enjoyment, fast-paced, cleverly written, and thoroughly entertaining.

It’s a space adventure told from the point of view of a robot who, as the name suggests, is highly efficient at killing.

Now, you might wonder how a character like that can be at the center of a story and still make you care. I don’t know about you, but for me, that premise alone felt bold, fresh, and instantly captivating. What excites me even more is that this is a series, not just a standalone story or novella. The author has clearly invested in a larger arc, the story of the SecUnit, who, I assume, will gradually uncover astonishing things throughout its journey. (I haven’t read the rest of the books yet.)

In the first entry, All Systems Red (published in 2017), our protagonist hacks its governor module and gains free will, which immediately makes it dangerous and therefore illegal. That said, it’s not exactly fond of killing and tries—somewhat awkwardly—to avoid human contact. Instead, it prefers to binge-watch its favorite soap operas. By the way, these shows are wonderfully depicted in the TV adaptation of the first book. The entire series is brilliantly brought to life on screen, even if some creative liberties were taken.

SecUnit ends up joining a team it’s assigned to protect on a mission. Eventually, its secret is discovered. Surprisingly, the team doesn’t reject it, in fact, they begin to accept it for what it is, though not right away. They offer it a place among them, but it refuses. It wants to be autonomous and learn more about its past, as its memory is somewhat fragmented.

In the second book, Artificial Condition (2018), things escalate, in the best way. Wells begins to truly make imaginative use of her material, to the point where I felt like I was reading a kind of evolved Douglas Adams. Not in tone, of course, humor is present, but it’s not her primary tool.

In this installment, a new relationship is introduced between SecUnit and an AI named ART. That name alone had me grinning, especially since the protagonist jokingly tells it that “ART” stands for Asshole Research Transport, which made me laugh out loud as I read. ART is a sentient spaceship, and let me tell you, intelligent ships are absolutely my thing, give me those and you can take my soul. When I realized what this book was about, it felt like I was a kid again being handed the latest Nintendo console. (And I mean the Nintendo consoles—SNES or N64. That kind of joy.)

Once again, SecUnit is tasked with protecting a group of humans. I’m not sure if this will become a recurring pattern in future books. I wouldn’t mind if it does, I'm just curious. What matters is that Artificial Condition has layers. Things aren’t as simple as they appear. There’s a deeper, more dangerous game unfolding in the background, involving covert power plays and, how should I put this discreetly, corporate interests.

I bonded with this series quickly and I’m eager to see where it goes next. For anyone curious about the TV adaptation, it’s genuinely well-crafted and enjoyable.

What Wells is doing here is digging into some very modern issues, and through her storytelling, she throws in subtle jabs, exploring questions of AI and the meaning of identity.

P.S.
As I was reading the final pages of the book, I heard the sad news about Ozzy's retirement, and that hit me hard. It reminded me, as if life ever lets me forget even for a moment, that soon all our heroes will be gone. 

That thought always leaves me numb and breathless, even if only for a while.

So, I put on his music, his legacy, and let it carry me. That’s why today’s musical recommendation is what it is. I know it doesn’t exactly match the book’s atmosphere, but it felt right to me. If you feel like it, give it a listen.
If not, then at least raise a beer in Ozzy’s memory.

Until next time — be well, and keep reading.

It’s important!

 

Accompanying Notes: 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4xiRrFE0Gq4Si9mAfPB3hZ?si=rLZhxfMRQPa2ypfIaAwQig

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