Cover art for All Systems Red, the first volume of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

I spent several weeks reading The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and it was absolutely time well spent. It’ an expanding series of short books - more novellas than novels and follows the adventures of a security unit which has cracked its governor unit, and can do whatever the hell it wants.

What it wants to do is look after people and watch soap operas.

There are, I think six books so far all named like 1980s thrillers, but shorter and more wholesome. The volumes are:

All Systems Red

Artificial Condition

Rogue Protocol

Exit Strategy

Network Effect

Fugitive Telemetry

They’re worth reading. Every single one. The characters are well rounded, the dialogue and the situations are entertaining, and the action is well written. as I say, wholesome as heck. You should read the Murderbot diaries right now.