Network Effect
2020
- franchise:the murderbot diaries
- series:the murderbot diaries
- form:novel
- genre:science fiction
- nyt:combined-print-and-e-book-fiction=2020-05-24
- award:nebula_award=novel
- award:hugo_award=2021
- award:hugo_award=novel
- life on other planets
- artificial intelligence
The story
**Murderbot returns in its highly-anticipated, first, full-length standalone novel.** You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot. Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century.
What it’s like
Dry, wry narration carries most of this book's texture, so the prose itself is the atmosphere: short, clipped sentences in a first-person voice that reads like someone muttering sarcasm under their breath while surveying a room. The sensory world is functional and lived-in, with corporate corridors, mining-station grit, and the hum of shuttles and sensors described through a machine's flat, precise attention rather than lush scenery. Its vibe is dry, sardonic comfort: a cozy-grumpy read for a rainy afternoon, a long-haul flight, or a late night when you want company without sentiment. The pace is brisk and episodic, with plenty of quiet interior asides between bursts of action. Emotionally it stays low-key and warm, following a self-loathing security unit slowly, grudgingly discovering that it cares about the humans around it. Violence is present and occasionally sharp, with fight sequences that are clearly staged and bloody but not lingered on, and no sexual content. It suits readers who love deadpan humour, socially awkward protagonists, and science fiction that keeps its stakes personal.
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