The Murderbot Diaries: Rogue Protocol
The Murderbot Diaries: Exit Strategy
By Martha Wells
2018
This is a series of four novellas, the first two of which I’ve already reviewed, but I wanted to make at least a little post about the final two, which have now come out and complete the character arc. They are so good! They each stand alone, but they also all work together to be greater than any one part.
They’re also somewhat reassuring in the way that they are set in a dystopian universe but is still pretty blasé about the whole thing. The characters are trying their best, mostly, and while things do go well, mostly, it’s not world changing, except for the main individual who’s trying to figure out its own place in the world.
Life continues on, self-discover continues on, even when you’re wandering around in a world of corporate control and violent greed. And sometimes you can still have a realistically happy ending.
I love the Murderbot Diaries! I can’t get enough of the snarky, somewhat misanthropic Murderbot. I wish these novellas were novels and there were more. Thanks for recommending!
For real! They’re so good and complete on their own but I do want more. And I also want more about ART (asshole research transport) too.
I adore ART! Can’t wait to ready Exit Strategy. I’m working on some podcasts right now but that’s next on my listening list. (I read the audiobook versions–if you haven’t tried those, they’re excellent!)
Hey Rebecca! Just popping in to say that book #6 will be out 4/27. I’m rereading the first 5 to get ready. I hope ART shows up in this one!
Thanks! I’ve been feeling pretty uninspired recently and this was a reminder of how good these stories are. I just re-read them and the new one too and they are just so good! I really enjoyed the latest one being a straight up murder mystery, but I’m also really hoping that Wells has a plan for the mission with ART and it’s crew that was referred to at the end of Network Effect.
I was really surprised there was no ART considering where #5 ended! It almost felt like a mistake somehow, or like this story happened slightly earlier in the timeline. I still enjoyed it, of course, but the ART/Murderbot team is the best. They are kind of unstoppable, though—maybe that’s why Wells is reluctant to put them together too much.
I read an interview that confirmed that #6 is set before #5. But on the plus side of things, since #6 wasn’t the mission with ART, I’m hopeful that the mission with ART will be a full novel
Good call!