Unauthoritative Pronouncements

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been trying to read more books instead of doomscrolling, and one of those books was the lauded All Systems Red, the first novella in The Murderbot Diaries book series by Martha Wells.

I was instantly hooked from the first paragraph and had trouble putting the book down to go to sleep. The protagonist, Murderbot, feels like a character that was written to specifically appeal to me. Its point of view is drenched in sarcasm, and it’s bitter, but completely resigned, to do its job — no matter how much it says it doesn’t want to actually do that.

“Can I ask you a question?” I never know how to answer this. Should I go with my first impulse, which is always “no” or just give in to the inevitable?

I know, how could something like that appeal to me?

The first novella is a complete story, so there’s no worry about a cliffhanger, or things being held for the next book. I was a little reluctant to commit to a series that was going to dole out stuff over many books, but that’s not what this is, it’s much more episodic. Which makes sense because there will be a TV series based on the books.

The novellas do give way to novels, but they’re still just as interesting, and don’t slow their pace to stretch out and fill the format.

Anyway, I read the full series in nine days, which isn’t a record for a voracious reader, but is a record for me. Then I wept, for I had no more Murderbot books to read.