In five(ish) words: Free will, space-faring, android, science fiction, charming.
I see how “charming” might seem out of place for something called “The Murderbot Diaries” that revolves around our understanding of a security droid’s awakening to and wrestling with purpose, but here we are. This novella packs a lot of meaning and thought-provoking content (and even a little humor) into its pages.
This book reads like a space episode of Doctor Who, the type where the Doctor and their companion is stuck on a space station and the ship or technology or virused-lade crew attack, and destruction is imminent. Except this time around, the robot with the capacity to maim and distruct decides not to, and would really just like to be left alone. It’s a fascinating examination of one partly organic, mostly robotic being: both its expectations, and the expectations of the humans around it.
I’m a science fiction fan, in particular science fiction TV and am a life-long lover of Star Trek. There are many episodes of that show that question the identity and freedom of everyone’s favorite android, Lieutenant Commander Data, but there was a limit to the storytelling as he was the only of his kind. But what if someone was successful in manufacturing a fleet of Datas. What would their destiny be? Murderbot is a security android just like all the rest, until he (she? it?) hacks its internal processing, freeing it from the governor module that keeps it in check. So now, with the freedom to decide, will it still help the humans it’s supposed to protect? Go rogue and kill them all? Or something else entirely?
Unsurprisingly, an adaptation is imminent (Apple TV+) and one of the criticisms is that they have cast Alexander Skarsgaard in the role as Murderbot. With representation in casting at the forefront of conversations, why do we cast a white man in a role that is, in the original source material, very ambiguous? Is Skarsgaard the best person for the job? Maybe, but it is disappointing that the opportunity wasn’t taken to give this role to a woman or person of color, as it would have been interesting to see an “everyman” or I guess “everybot” represented by a not a white guy. Will I watch it? Maybe, I don’t watch a lot of film adaptations of things I’ve already read (so little time) but if the reviews are good, I might give it a peek.
Whether I watch the show or not is a moot point, but I will certainly be continuing this series.