Or, in other words, a three volume omnibus that includes All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Fugitive Telemetry, and System Collapse.
Yes, of course I've read Murderbot before. But the books are mostly novellas and were previously released only as hardcovers at ~$26.99 each (or $99 CAD for the first four volumes). And while I admire and very much enjoyed Martha Wells fantastic adventure series -- ouch. I originally read all of these in library e-book editions.
When I discovered that the Murdot Diaries had finally been released in a more affordable paperback omnibus edition, it was time for an immediate purchase and an immediate re-read.
What do I think, five years after I first discovered our snarky, anti-social, but very much anti-murdering-humans rogue SecUnit?
Firstly, and most embarrassingly, that I was unwittingly highly influenced by these books as I composed my own latest novel. It's not that I didn't know what Murderbot was like as I wrote. It's more that I absorbed rather more Murderbot than I realized or intended, and it came out on the page. Oops.
Not that being like Murderbot is a bad thing in and of itself. The books crackle with energy and personality, and you can't help but sympathize with SecUnit's desire to stand in a corner and watch media in preference to watching the humans it's trying to protect do their very best to get killed. Murderbot's snarky but relatable personality is why the series was such a hit, and why I (very much hope) that Martha Wells is now financially secure.
Highly recommended, even though by Book 6 I was starting to feel that it was time for Murderbot to have a little peace and happiness instead of another adventure.
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