“Artificial Condition” is the second book in Martha Wells’ acclaimed series, The Murderbot Diaries. I read the first book, “All Systems Red,” a few years ago, and while I liked the premise, I had a hard time getting into it and didn’t continue with the series. I picked up “Artificial Condition” on a whim this month, and this time, I was hooked. Maybe it’s actually better than the first book, or maybe I’m just in a different headspace now. Either way, I found this book to be a well-paced, action-packed romp, with a great balance of humor and pathos.
The titular Murderbot is a SecUnit: a construct of both robotic and organic components programmed to act as a bodyguard and handle tasks too dangerous for humans. Murderbot has hacked its own control system and, free from its programming, now has free will. And what does Murderbot do with this free will? Mostly hide from social situations and binge-watch TV shows. “Artificial Condition” follows Murderbot as it assists a research crew on a dangerous mission, and investigates a dark incident from its own past.
For me, the main draw to this book was the characters. Martha Wells has somehow managed to create characters that are both utterly alien and completely relatable. Murderbot is a literal sentient killing machine, who also happens to have extreme social anxiety and an addiction to soap operas. My favorite character is ART (short for Asshole Research Transport), the onboard computer of a ship Murderbot stows away on. ART is a massively powerful AI with enormous disruptive capability, who really just wants some new pals and someone to hold its (metaphorical) hand during sad movies. I’m looking forward to hanging out more in this world with my new neurotic robot buddies.
