Book Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

In this future, corporations provide resources for interplanetary expeditions. One of the resources is a SecUnit, a cyborg which is more robot than human. Typically the SecUnits stay in their armor and people can't see their organic parts (like their faces). The SecUnits follow their instructions strictly thanks to a governor module that circumvents free will. The main character in this story is a SecUnit whose governor module is faulty and the SecUnit has gone about reprogramming itself to function independently. It has given itself the name Murderbot but does not broadcast it because, let's be honest, nobody wants their personal safety being handled by something called "Murderbot." Its current contract is to a planetary exploration group that is assessing a new planet. Something is wrong, though, because a hostile fauna attacks them that wasn't on the planet's pre-assessment. Also their maps of the planet have lots of missing areas. These errors could be glitches but another group surveying the planet is attacked, so it's clear something bad is happening. 

The story is told from the first-person perspective of Murderbot, who has a very interesting personality. It's sarcastic, a little pessimistic, and more practically minded than the scientists with which it serves. It feels awkward because of its secret and just generally not understanding how humans behave, especially when they treat Murderbot as an equal. As a side project, Murderbot watches a lot of entertainment, mostly as a distraction but occasionally getting some insight on the way people behave. Unfortunately serial dramas do not usually match up with reality. Like a lot of science fiction semi-humans, Murderbot works to figure out its identity, its place in the world, and what it wants out of life.

The book is a very quick read and very entertaining. The comedy and action are well balanced. The world-building is fun. Muderbot's existential curiosity is handled lightly and naturally flows from the character and the plot. There are more books in the Murderbot Diaries and I am sure to read more.

Highly recommended.