By Martha Wells

Sometimes, I am surprised. This time, pleasantly so.

I don’t usually gravitate toward sci-fi. I have nothing against the genre and have read plenty of books within it, but it’s rarely my first choice when searching for something new. However, on a whim, I picked up All Systems Red, the first installment in The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells—a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella—after Amazon recommended it based on my reading history.

I know I’m late to the game, as the first book was released in 2017, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to recommending a great read. (I say “book,” but the series actually began as novellas. And rumor has it Apple TV is adapting it into a series—but that’s a topic for another time.)

The story is told from the perspective of a SecUnit, a part-human, part-machine construct assigned to provide security for a team of researchers exploring a distant planet. Purchased as part of the Company package, this SecUnit is different from the others—though the researchers don’t realize it. It refers to itself as Murderbot due to a tragic past event in which a malfunctioning governor module led to the deaths of a mining crew. To prevent such a catastrophe from happening again, it has hacked its own governor module, freeing itself from control.

Murderbot’s inner thoughts are a brilliant mix of logic, dry humor, and—despite its best efforts—emotion. Its struggle to balance cold efficiency with an undeniable attachment to the humans it protects is compelling to watch unfold. It does a decent job maintaining its detached, logical approach—until a neighboring research mission suddenly goes silent. When Murderbot and its team go to investigate, they uncover a disturbing truth that puts them all in danger.

Martha Wells does something incredible—she makes you care about a socially awkward, TV-binging, anxiety-ridden security construct. I couldn’t put the book down, staying up far too late to read (let’s keep that between us and not tell my boss). I’ve already downloaded the second book and, if I’m being honest, I’ll probably devour the rest of the series by the end of the weekend.

I encourage you to give The Murderbot Diaries a try. I’m glad I did.

The Murderbot Diaries Series:

• All Systems Red
• Artificial Condition
• Rogue Protocol
• Exit Strategy
• Network Effect
• Fugitive Telemetry
• System Collapse