Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Murderbot is not OK but the reason why is [redacted]

System Collapse by Martha Wells

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CBR16 Bingo: Rage (The Murderbot Diaries are all the rage all over the bookish internet, in addition, there’s a lot of rage-inducing behaviour from the evil corporation in the book) Spoiler warning! This is book 7 in the series, and absolutely not the place to start reading. This book will not make as much sense if it’s your first encounter with Murderbot. You should have read at least All Systems Red, Artificial Condition and the previous novel, Network Effect to have the requisite backstory for […]

Murderbot deals with a lot of (redacted) and more thwarting evil big business

System Collapse by Martha Wells

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Bingo 23: Tech Sci-fi general is a safe option for this box, and I just so happen to have had Murderbot Diaries #6 on my TBR shelf. System Collapse is definitely tech-relevant, but only if you’re pretty current with previous episodes of the series. There’s two big mysteries in this volume: can Murdebot and its humans save some divided groups of planetary colonists from an evil corporation that wants to trick them into slavery, and 2) what’s up with Murdebot and {redacted}? The {redacted} thing […]

For a being as sophisticated as you are, it is baffling how little understanding you have of the composition of your own mind

Network Effect by Martha Wells

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CBR16 BINGO: Tech, because Murderbot is a construct of robotic and human parts (Obviously) As my Bingo board can confirm, I’ve been zipping through the Murderbot Diaries this summer and having a good time getting to know SecUnit and its “friends.” Book #5, Network Effect, is the longest entry in the series so far, the first “full-length” novel in a series previously comprising novellas. In Network Effect, Dr. Mensah, SecUnit’s favorite human, sends it on a research mission with a couple of new characters–Mensah’s teenage […]

Seeking revenge, making friends

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

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CBR16 BINGO: Scandal, because Murderbot is seeking to uncover all sorts of illegal activities by the GrayCris Corporation Having recently joined the ranks of the Murderbot fandom, I’m eagerly frolicking my way through the series. While the third installment, Rogue Protocol, struck my fancy less than the first two installments, it’s still a good time and I’m itching for more. In Rogue Protocol, the construct known fondly by us readers as Murderbot and by others as SecUnit is still gathering evidence that the GrayCris Corporation […]

“As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”

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

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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 […]

Murderbot, why are you like this

System Collapse by Martha Wells

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  I love Murderbot. For someone who does not consider themselves a person, our SecUnit is still very relatable. When things get stressful, they love to retreat and re-watch their favourite TV shows. When I find everything getting a bit stressful, I retreat and read Murderbot. We’re not so different, really. System Collapse is the seventh book in the series and it directly follows the events of Network Effect—so the following review is going to be a bit spoiler-y by nature. When we were last with […]



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