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

"Murderbot, a Security Unit assigned to a survey team on an unnamed planet just wants to watch his programs and be left alone. But when things start to go weird and people start dying around him, well, he has to do the job he's been contracted to do. It's never that simple though and he's begrudgingly dragged into a life or death struggle. It had potential but unfortunately in the end it fell a little flat."

⭐⭐

Pros: I liked and related to how Murderbot just wanted to sit and watch his "programs" all day but work kept getting in the way.

Cons: Everything was very surface level, even Murderbots own feelings, it all felt rather shallow/The motive didn't feel strong enough. I feel like since it was a novella there wasn't enough time for real character growth.

Full Review:

Murderbot is an organic/mechanical Security Unit (SecUnit) assigned to a team of surveyors on an unnamed planet in the middle of God knows where. SecUnit doesn't know and he really doesn't care. He's just doing his job and not doing much of it, honestly. Since he hacked his Governor module and overrode his own system, he basically has free will and all he really wants to do is watch his programs and be left alone.

His interactions with the humans he's protecting are as stilted and awkward as he is. There's a reason for that though. He has bad memories of being tormented by humans for their own sadistic pleasure, punished for misbehavior and worst all of, his free-will being taken away and his hand being forced to slaughter humans.

When things on the planet start to get weird, deadly weird, he finds that he wants to protect these particular humans he's working with. He doesn't even really understand why but, it's just what he wants. And so he does so.

Though Murderbots own sardonic voice and painfully awkward interactions with the humans were funny, at times, it eventually felt overdone. There's only so much hmming and hawing a character can do before you start to get tired of it. Then when the climactic battle happened and the novella ended, I just felt rather underwhelmed.

I'm glad I read it because I've been told by a few people that I'd most likely enjoy it. And though it was a quick, easy read, I just wasn't all that impressed and that's okay.

Comments

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore

"Though dark, disturbing and at times, truly disgusting, Blakemore has created an unforgettable character in Tarare and his sad, sordid tale. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time for many different reasons and to me, that's a sign of a great read." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ Pros: Tarare wasn't a monster, it just seemed that the world was against him/I liked Lozeau and his strange band of misfits/Dr. Dupuis seemed like a genuinely good person, or at least, he had his moments. Cons: Some of the timeline/people of the French Revolution were just white noise to me/Courville was a despicable man. Full Review: The Bottomless man, the Glutton of Lyon, Tarare the Terrible. The man who has many titles but who's name is simply, Tarare, is dying in a hospital in Versailles. Citizen Doctor Tissier has written to his friend, Dupuis, in hopes that he'll be able to cure this mysterious illness that plagues Tarare. For now though, he lays, chained to his bed and waits for...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

All the Books.

Search This Blog