mouse reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
what a fun little read
it's hard to pull off a sardonic robot protagonist, and I think this did it
eBook, 156 pages
English language
Published Dec. 13, 2017 by Tor.com.
4 stars
(10 reviews)
"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
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.
Michael Shotter reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Review of 'All Systems Red' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A fun, quick sci-fi read.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The idea is simple enough. "Murderbots" are engineered constructs comprised of biological and mechanical components. They're created to kill things and follow orders but are capable of more under certain circumstances, such as those created via a hacked or malfunctioning "governing module." This is the story of one such entity, caught up in an unusual scenario when a "simple planetary survey mission" goes sideways. It's a solid read and works, both as a standalone and as the setup for the "Murderbot Diaries" series it kicks off. Highly recommended for those seeking a fast-paced, charming, and generally-lighthearted (despite a few somewhat-grim moments) introduction to modern science fiction but veterans of the genre will likely find a lot to enjoy as well.
Review of 'All systems red' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
It's good fun. Was a bit shorter than I expected so the ending felt a bit abrupt (reading it as part of a Tor ebook collection so couldn't see how long was left). Murderbot's an interesting character, and the story from their point of view is interesting, especially when there are so many hours of Sanctuary Moon left to be watched. The problem of that perspective is it makes it hard to distinguish the other characters from each other, but overall it's an enjoyable read.
Anathema reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Love a grumpy MC
5 stars
Murderbot is the grumpy, reclusive, crunchy outer shell with a golden marshmallow heart MC I've always dreamed of.
Violence: yes Sexual Scenes: no
WelshPixie reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Yep!
Very cute and awww and generally great. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Violence: Yes Sexual scenes: No
David Eldred reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Review of 'All systems red' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
If a movie is ever made, Tig Notaro should play Murderbot.
Kévin reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Review of 'All systems red' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Bit of a quick read, but not going to complain. Personally I liked the storyline, the humour of the murderbot too.
I may or may not be (read : I am currently) throwing money at the other books right now.
Aaron reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Review of 'All systems red' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I haven't been so compelled to read since a teenager. Murderbot sucked me in completely.
