System Collapse

The Murderbot Diaries, Book 7

By: Martha Wells

Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The million-copy, New York Times bestselling Murderbot series is back in another full-length novel adventure!

Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there's an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can't have the planet, they're sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there's something wrong with Murderbot; it isn't running within normal operational parameters. ART's crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza's SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they're going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what's wrong with itself, and fast!

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.

©2023 Martha Wells (P)2023 Recorded Books

More Murderbot!

If you’ve been on the journey so far, you will likely enjoy this new installment, in which our favorite SecUnit teams up with select members of the PresAux and Perihelion crews to clean up the mess that they (and Barish-Estranza) made in NETWORK EFFECT.

The main story is a more internal one — MB is facing some of the aftereffects of its long history of trauma — but there’s still plenty of action, spaceships, corporate scheming, sarcastic banter, and found-family feelings.

Kevin R. Free’s narration may have been affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike - he’s still excellent, but there were a few points where his internal voice for MB was in a slightly lower/warmer register, and it was … odd. And one of the main characters’ names is pronounced differently in a couple of chapters. It felt like production may have been rushed? I don’t actually know the backstory there, but it was less fantastic than it usually is. (I still gave him five stars, but it’s more like a A- instead of an A+.)

Off to listen again!

more murderbot!!

Such a fun adventure, murderbot, art and both of their gangs. trying to save colonist from the corporates without talking about the f word, feelings.

Absolutely can’t get enough Murderbot

Kevin R. Free just *is* Murderbot. Another great installment in a fantastic series. Great story that explores some new aspects of Murderbots organic neural tissue.

Love the sense of humor

Too short. Please make the stories longer. More description and action. Why is there a 15 word minimum?

Another Great Entry in a Fantastic Series

I loved this book and I'm on the second reading already even though it just came out this week.

Murderbot is back and just as snarky. This novel is a pretty seamless transition from the last one and we get to see Perry's crew and Murderbot's humans work with our favorite rouge Sec Unit to try to unravel the mess on a planet that has alien contamination and a ravenous corporation trying to enslave the colonists there.

This has all the things that I have loved about previous entries in the Murderbot Diaries, but the story is fresh and doesn't in any fashion seem like one we've heard before.

Murderbot is still the same mix of super-competent and totally inept, depending on the circumstances, and still has the same cutting observations that are my favorite part of the books.

The story feels high-stakes and the characters feel like real people, each with their own unique personalities, and there is growth in relationships and character development and this definitely feels like a part of a series and not a standalone story. I think someone who had not read any of the previous books, particularly the one immediately prior to this one, would be somewhat lost and even if they weren't they definitely would miss a lot of the important nuances of the story.

oh murderbot! <3

When I first read (listened to) murderbot a few years ago, i found myself identifying with a ton of its quirks and attitude. I did not expect it to go on this long journey to figure out what a family is (and take me with) but I'm here for everything about it because, and I already knew this, attitude, awkwardness despite competence, and found family are my bulletproof yesplease factors in fiction.

Was very enjoyable

As the MuderBot story grows it shows more and more than life itself is blurry

Another amazing Murderbot story!

The story is excellent. As usual, I laughed, worried, and finally sighed when it ended. I immediately wished for the next book! The audio performance was excellent. All the characters were very clear, and I love how he represents Murderbot. The slightly bored, slightly anxious, slightly depressed tones he is able to conjure very effectively add so much character to Murderbot.

A joy to listen to

The narrator does an awesome job describing the beleaguered Murderbot and its relationship with its humans and favorite bot. The highlight of every book is ART’s and Murderbot’s friendship. The addition of Holism and ART’s animosity towards it was fun. Anyone else feel like petitioning for Holism spinoffs?

Loved it.

Murderbot isn’t supposed to be human, but I will admit to identifying with how uncomfortable other humans can make a person.