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The Murderbot Diaries [Dramatized Adaptation] #1
All Systems Red [Dramatized Adaptation]
"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
3 pages, Audiobook
Published August 28, 2023
7 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Martha Wells
100 books25.7k followersMartha Wells has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series, The Murderbot Diaries series, and other fantasy novels, most recently Witch King (Tordotcom, 2023). She has also written media tie-in fiction for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering, as well as short fiction, YA novels, and non-fiction. She has won Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and a Dragon Award, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the British Science Fiction Association Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, the Sunday Times Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. She is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, and her books have been published in twenty-five languages.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
February 25, 2026
This was just an awesome dramatized adaptation of the first Murderbot book.
I'm listening to them willy-nilly as they come in from library holds (see postscript before you freak out), and have actually listened to the graphic audio version of Network Effect, which is the adaptation of the full-length Murderbot novel.
For whatever reason, and I'm sure a lot of people will say that it's because these work better as short stories, I preferred this to that one.
If you're a fan, these are so much fun. Unnecessary, but fun.
Recommended.
PS - I'm listening to the audiobooks in the correct order for those of you whose OCD can't take the idea of just grabbing random books in a series!
I'm listening to them willy-nilly as they come in from library holds (see postscript before you freak out), and have actually listened to the graphic audio version of Network Effect, which is the adaptation of the full-length Murderbot novel.
For whatever reason, and I'm sure a lot of people will say that it's because these work better as short stories, I preferred this to that one.
If you're a fan, these are so much fun. Unnecessary, but fun.
Recommended.
PS - I'm listening to the audiobooks in the correct order for those of you whose OCD can't take the idea of just grabbing random books in a series!
February 16, 2024
4 ⭐
Re-Read – Feb, 2024
Pretty happy with my original 4-star rating. It actually felt more like a 3.5 this time around but that makes sense given your first encounter with M-bot is bound to cause a 10% increase in performance reliability.
Went the GraphicAudio route this time around and despite thinking, when I first began, that David Cui Cui’s voicing of Murderbot came off a little “Wonder Years”-ey and all-too-human for a construct, it grew on me. I sampled the Kevin R.Free narration on audible (which is currently free) and, while I think his voice suited better what I had imagined, it didn’t feel as alive or immersive as the GraphicAudio production with full voice cast and background sound effects. There’s also something that really weirds me out about men voicing women characters. My mind goes straight to David Walliams in ‘Little Britain’ (“I’m a laaady!”).
I’m not contractually obligated to justify my rating any further. Farewell.
4 ⭐
First Read – Feb, 2020
“Yes, talk to murderbot about it’s feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97% efficiency. I’d rather climb back into hostile one’s mouth.”
All Systems Red is a short, fast paced and always entertaining read. Murderbot blurs the lines between robot and human. Even he's not entirely sure what to identify as. 50% awkward introvert, 50% murdering security bot.
After hacking his governor module, Murderbot likes nothing more than to be left alone so he can watch his favourite tv shows through the entertainment module, however, he still performs his job at a half-assed level in order to hide the fact that he is no longer controlled by "The Company". Whilst he says that he can't stand humans and doesn't really care about anything, it's clear that he is capable of very human emotions. As it's only a short novella, to say anymore would be a spoiler. It's a very quick read and really fun. Just read it!
Re-Read – Feb, 2024
Pretty happy with my original 4-star rating. It actually felt more like a 3.5 this time around but that makes sense given your first encounter with M-bot is bound to cause a 10% increase in performance reliability.
Went the GraphicAudio route this time around and despite thinking, when I first began, that David Cui Cui’s voicing of Murderbot came off a little “Wonder Years”-ey and all-too-human for a construct, it grew on me. I sampled the Kevin R.Free narration on audible (which is currently free) and, while I think his voice suited better what I had imagined, it didn’t feel as alive or immersive as the GraphicAudio production with full voice cast and background sound effects. There’s also something that really weirds me out about men voicing women characters. My mind goes straight to David Walliams in ‘Little Britain’ (“I’m a laaady!”).
I’m not contractually obligated to justify my rating any further. Farewell.
4 ⭐
First Read – Feb, 2020
“Yes, talk to murderbot about it’s feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97% efficiency. I’d rather climb back into hostile one’s mouth.”
All Systems Red is a short, fast paced and always entertaining read. Murderbot blurs the lines between robot and human. Even he's not entirely sure what to identify as. 50% awkward introvert, 50% murdering security bot.
After hacking his governor module, Murderbot likes nothing more than to be left alone so he can watch his favourite tv shows through the entertainment module, however, he still performs his job at a half-assed level in order to hide the fact that he is no longer controlled by "The Company". Whilst he says that he can't stand humans and doesn't really care about anything, it's clear that he is capable of very human emotions. As it's only a short novella, to say anymore would be a spoiler. It's a very quick read and really fun. Just read it!
February 10, 2024
Dramatized Adaptation Audiobook ☆☆☆☆☆
Entertaining, captivating, fun, & addicting
~ Sound effects/atmosphere well done.
~ Perfect voice actors.
~ David Cui Cui won my heart as the voice of Murderbot!
My original review for the novella can be found here.
♡Buddy listen with my husband♡
My Husband’s Rating: 20/10 ☆ {I think it is safe to say he has officially joined the Murderbot Fan Club! Yay!!}
Entertaining, captivating, fun, & addicting
~ Sound effects/atmosphere well done.
~ Perfect voice actors.
~ David Cui Cui won my heart as the voice of Murderbot!
My original review for the novella can be found here.
♡Buddy listen with my husband♡
My Husband’s Rating: 20/10 ☆ {I think it is safe to say he has officially joined the Murderbot Fan Club! Yay!!}
August 4, 2024
4.5 stars
As much as I love Murderbot, you know I had to try out the graphic audio version. I've read this book so many times now that I should be able to recite parts of it! I certainly know when to expect what. Somehow this recording felt shorter than the one narrated by Kevin R Free, but I checked and they are the same length.
David Cui Cui did a good job of inhabiting Murderbot. I could tell Gurathin and Ratthi apart quite easily. Ratthi had a light Scots accent, while Gurathin had a much deeper voice. It was the women's voices that I struggled with. Eventually I got Mensah sorted out and sometimes Pin-Lee, but mostly because I know a lot of the dialogue by heart, not because the voices were clearly different.
Still, it was another enjoyable visit with Murderbot and I have requested Artificial Condition: Dramatized Adaptation. These are popular, so I'm going to be waiting a while, but that's fine by me. I'll be ready when the loan is.
As much as I love Murderbot, you know I had to try out the graphic audio version. I've read this book so many times now that I should be able to recite parts of it! I certainly know when to expect what. Somehow this recording felt shorter than the one narrated by Kevin R Free, but I checked and they are the same length.
David Cui Cui did a good job of inhabiting Murderbot. I could tell Gurathin and Ratthi apart quite easily. Ratthi had a light Scots accent, while Gurathin had a much deeper voice. It was the women's voices that I struggled with. Eventually I got Mensah sorted out and sometimes Pin-Lee, but mostly because I know a lot of the dialogue by heart, not because the voices were clearly different.
Still, it was another enjoyable visit with Murderbot and I have requested Artificial Condition: Dramatized Adaptation. These are popular, so I'm going to be waiting a while, but that's fine by me. I'll be ready when the loan is.
December 18, 2023
“As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”
[December 2023; re-read. Format: audiobook]
Once again, I enjoyed this sci-fi novella. Also, listening to the dramatized adaptation was a bonus point this time. Can’t wait to continue the series.
[January 2021; first read. Format: ebook]
All Systems Red is the first novella in a sci-fi series and the January pick that Álex, Raquel and I chose for our 2021 Adult SFF Challenge. This is a quick and enjoyable short read that follows Murderbot, a SecUnit—a cyber security unit—assigned to assist a group of scientists on an uninhabited planet. But it has a secret: it has hacked its governor module, which allows it to make its own decisions. Murderbot and the human crew soon discover that someone is trying to sabotage their mission, putting them all in danger.
I really liked how despite what its name suggests, Murderbot is an introvert and sarcastic cyborg that loves spending its time watching soap operas. I found very cute how it says it doesn’t care about the crew when the truth is that it grows fond of them throughout the novella. I also liked the glimpses we get of the world-building and the mystery surrounding the mission.
Overall, All Systems Red is an enjoyable novella full of action and that delves into the importance of finding oneself. That being said, I enjoyed the first half way more than the second one, although the ending left me intrigued enough to read the next novellas in The Murderbot Diaries series.
“You may have noticed that when I do manage to care, I’m a pessimist.”
P.S.: I’m not English, so I’m sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes.
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September 6, 2023
There are a dozen or so reviews of this wonderfully written story already so I won't elaborate, but I found the world building interesting and Murderbot is wonderfully characterised. It's so nice to find a story that doesn't have foul language and doesn't include everyone jumping into bed with everyone else just because. The interactions between Murderbot and its humans were skillfully written. This is a nicely paced science fiction mystery/adventure novella, with a light plot, an interesting main character, a decent supporting cast, and with an important message.
I'm looking forward to reading the next 3 Murderbot Diaries installments that seem to be scheduled for 2018.
I'm looking forward to reading the next 3 Murderbot Diaries installments that seem to be scheduled for 2018.
June 7, 2024
This was fine. Just… fine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I was lightly entertained. There’s really not much more to it lmao
I was lightly entertained. There’s really not much more to it lmao
March 30, 2026
This was a fun intro to the characters! I'll defo listen to the other ones in the future!
January 16, 2025
Murderbot and its humans 🫶
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Planning to start a (re)read via GraphicAudio thanks to Ashley posting about ART 😌
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Planning to start a (re)read via GraphicAudio thanks to Ashley posting about ART 😌
June 4, 2025
Second read - 2025 - Audiobook (GraphicAudio) - 3 stars
I revisited this since I saw there is a television series and mostly since I spotted this on GraphicAudio. For me this format worked way better, upped from 2 to 3 stars. It's still not the best story, but it felt way more alive than during my first read and the side-characters just get more of a face since they get individual voices. An ideal storylength for a longer walk.
I will continue the series now, going forward with the GraphicAudio versions.
First review - 2021 - Ebook - 2 stars
Had to struggle myself through this one, even with its short length. The concept sounded fun, a sarcastic robot that kills stuff. But I just couldn't be bothered. Even in short sessions my mind completely drifted off, which I haven't had in years. I finished it because it was short and I was expecting something awesome at the end. Well, that was a nope.
The things I liked most were the fact that it watched serials in its free time and the way time could be skipped with the malfunctions.
The characters all became a jumble except for the doctor, who still remained bland for me. The story, well, something happened..
I will not continue this series.
I revisited this since I saw there is a television series and mostly since I spotted this on GraphicAudio. For me this format worked way better, upped from 2 to 3 stars. It's still not the best story, but it felt way more alive than during my first read and the side-characters just get more of a face since they get individual voices. An ideal storylength for a longer walk.
I will continue the series now, going forward with the GraphicAudio versions.
First review - 2021 - Ebook - 2 stars
Had to struggle myself through this one, even with its short length. The concept sounded fun, a sarcastic robot that kills stuff. But I just couldn't be bothered. Even in short sessions my mind completely drifted off, which I haven't had in years. I finished it because it was short and I was expecting something awesome at the end. Well, that was a nope.
The things I liked most were the fact that it watched serials in its free time and the way time could be skipped with the malfunctions.
The characters all became a jumble except for the doctor, who still remained bland for me. The story, well, something happened..
I will not continue this series.
September 14, 2023
Very fun, loved the music and sound effects. Dr. Mensah definitely needed to have a more mature voice, but otherwise, I enjoyed the cast of character voices. I don't seem to ever get enough Murderbot 😍
November 10, 2023
My re-listen will only hold new opinions on the narration work so I'll leave the words of my original review to speak for me about the content.
Graphic Audio Narration Review:
I was enthused to learn that the Murderbot Diaries was being produced in graphic audio meaning a full cast, music, and sound effects. Anyone knowing Murderbot would realize that it would be as geeked as me to experience a story this way.
I wasn't sure what to expect and came at this one having read and listened to the earlier audio several times so I most definitely had a firm idea of character voice, full disclosure. So, all that to say, I had to adjust and keep an open mind toward hearing a much different voice and style of interpretation. I liked the voicing of Murderbot, but had to struggle with the Ratthi accent (I thought it should be Asian rather than lower class British) and the age of the gal voicing Mensah (I thought she should sound older). There were a few funny editing errors, too.
But, for the most part, it was a wonderful listening experience I'm pressing forward.
Original print copy review:
After reading so many of my book pal's more than favorable reviews on this one, I had to give it a go. I love sci-fi when the character is a sentient AI, cyborg, robot, etc so this was right up my alley.
From the beginning, I was hooked. Murderbot is owned by a company and is sent out as the security bot for a scientific exploration group on a new planet. They are there to determine if they want to buy into the shares for the planet by testing the natural resources available. It's not long before Murderbot is working hard to keep his little herd of scientists safe from someone bent on sabotaging and maybe killing off their stranded group before the date the company comes back to pick them up. Murderbot is fully in command of himself due to a faulty command module and he has to trick everyone into thinking that all systems are normal.
The wry wit of Murderbot (he did have a mass killing under his belt so why not), his non-human way of looking at things, his addiction and binge-watching of human entertainment vids, and the uncertainty this lethal being has around feelings and acts of goodness from humans who generally treat him like equipment makes for an engaging story.
I found it a great blend of character-driven with action plotting. It was a quick read, but very developed. The 'stranded with someone out to get them for unknown reasons' was a great backdrop to see Murderbot and the isolated scientists interact and learn to work together. I liked that it ended leaving things wide open for what comes next even while wrapping up this first exciting chapter in the story.
Graphic Audio Narration Review:
I was enthused to learn that the Murderbot Diaries was being produced in graphic audio meaning a full cast, music, and sound effects. Anyone knowing Murderbot would realize that it would be as geeked as me to experience a story this way.
I wasn't sure what to expect and came at this one having read and listened to the earlier audio several times so I most definitely had a firm idea of character voice, full disclosure. So, all that to say, I had to adjust and keep an open mind toward hearing a much different voice and style of interpretation. I liked the voicing of Murderbot, but had to struggle with the Ratthi accent (I thought it should be Asian rather than lower class British) and the age of the gal voicing Mensah (I thought she should sound older). There were a few funny editing errors, too.
But, for the most part, it was a wonderful listening experience I'm pressing forward.
Original print copy review:
After reading so many of my book pal's more than favorable reviews on this one, I had to give it a go. I love sci-fi when the character is a sentient AI, cyborg, robot, etc so this was right up my alley.
From the beginning, I was hooked. Murderbot is owned by a company and is sent out as the security bot for a scientific exploration group on a new planet. They are there to determine if they want to buy into the shares for the planet by testing the natural resources available. It's not long before Murderbot is working hard to keep his little herd of scientists safe from someone bent on sabotaging and maybe killing off their stranded group before the date the company comes back to pick them up. Murderbot is fully in command of himself due to a faulty command module and he has to trick everyone into thinking that all systems are normal.
The wry wit of Murderbot (he did have a mass killing under his belt so why not), his non-human way of looking at things, his addiction and binge-watching of human entertainment vids, and the uncertainty this lethal being has around feelings and acts of goodness from humans who generally treat him like equipment makes for an engaging story.
I found it a great blend of character-driven with action plotting. It was a quick read, but very developed. The 'stranded with someone out to get them for unknown reasons' was a great backdrop to see Murderbot and the isolated scientists interact and learn to work together. I liked that it ended leaving things wide open for what comes next even while wrapping up this first exciting chapter in the story.
June 19, 2025
Well well well, if it isn't the clown that thought the books weren't for her, cause she's too stupid for scifi...even though people told her it's gonna be fine. I'm the clown, the clown is me.
To be fair, I watched the first three episodes of the show before I started the book. So I knew the gist (beyond reading the summary of the book.) This was also the first time (as far as I remember) that I listened to a graphic audio book and what a fun experience that was.
Murderbot is just everything that I need right now, the book and the character. It's so damn funny, and also way too relatable. I, too, don't want anything to do with people (yet don't mess with my humans) and watch my shows instead.
But I really like the group as well. I'm not sure if I need to be wary about them and should have some trust issues, but for now I just vibing with everyone.
To be fair, I watched the first three episodes of the show before I started the book. So I knew the gist (beyond reading the summary of the book.) This was also the first time (as far as I remember) that I listened to a graphic audio book and what a fun experience that was.
Murderbot is just everything that I need right now, the book and the character. It's so damn funny, and also way too relatable. I, too, don't want anything to do with people (yet don't mess with my humans) and watch my shows instead.
But I really like the group as well. I'm not sure if I need to be wary about them and should have some trust issues, but for now I just vibing with everyone.
January 2, 2024
Sci-fi isn't really my thing, but this was such a delight to listen to! I'll definitely listen to the rest of the series. Highly recommend it, especially to those of you who have a hard time focusing on audiobooks for a long period of time (this one is about 2 hours long) or those of you who want to try a light sci-fi.
January 8, 2024
This was a fun, easy (and very very short) read and I really enjoyed the GraphicAudio full cast version. Will definitely be continuing with the series.
September 12, 2024
All I knew about this series going into it is that it was a bit divisive, but beloved by most who usually read science fiction and knew what they were getting into. I also heard of some comparisons of Murderbot's experiences with those on the spectrum, so I was curious to explore that as well.
I enjoyed listening to the dramatized adaptation, the voice actors all had pleasing voices and performed well, even though Murderbot's inner monologues took up about 90% of the story. It took some time to catch all the characters, but the Murderbot's thinking and feelings were quite relatable and at times a bit quirky in a sweet way (no offense).
I liked the detective-type storyline, but honestly did not connect much with the other characters, and by the end of this book I kind of understood why that might have been the case (I wouldn't like to spoil this too much for whoever might be reading this).
I've seen a lot of negative reviews just DNF-ing this perhaps too soon, some finding it a bit juvenile (Murderbot just got himself hacked, so I perceive him like a teenager on the emotional level even if he's intellectually capable), and most just did not care about the characters or found the story incomplete - but I quite enjoy short reads where not everything is revealed and spelled out for the reader, so it was a good fit for me.
It did take ne time to get into this book, but it was worth it. I might consider re-reading this at some point, for a fuller experience.
I enjoyed listening to the dramatized adaptation, the voice actors all had pleasing voices and performed well, even though Murderbot's inner monologues took up about 90% of the story. It took some time to catch all the characters, but the Murderbot's thinking and feelings were quite relatable and at times a bit quirky in a sweet way (no offense).
I liked the detective-type storyline, but honestly did not connect much with the other characters, and by the end of this book I kind of understood why that might have been the case (I wouldn't like to spoil this too much for whoever might be reading this).
I've seen a lot of negative reviews just DNF-ing this perhaps too soon, some finding it a bit juvenile (Murderbot just got himself hacked, so I perceive him like a teenager on the emotional level even if he's intellectually capable), and most just did not care about the characters or found the story incomplete - but I quite enjoy short reads where not everything is revealed and spelled out for the reader, so it was a good fit for me.
It did take ne time to get into this book, but it was worth it. I might consider re-reading this at some point, for a fuller experience.
December 19, 2023
I love the Murderbot series. And I love graphic audios.
But I did not love this.
Most of, if not ALL of the cast also performs in the ACOTAR graphic audio, which is incredibly distracting. The fact that their voices didn't change at all makes me wonder if they are actually voice actors, or if they are just people performing these roles? I think one of them attempted to do the worst West Country accent I have ever heard.
Murderbot's voice actor was the most irritating for me, but this part is subjective. I never pictured Murderbot's voice to sound like that (higher register, very upbeat, both casual and uncomfortably robotic?)
Finally, the sound effects. There wasn't enough of it to get a decent "movie for your mind" experience, and the actor performances didn't match up with the scene. For example, during a gunfight, the VA for Murderbot was completely calm. Now, I know Murderbot doesn't care and often is calm during these scenarios, but the performance just didn't work? Tough to explain but it just didn't work for me.
All in all, the story was good but the performance was distracting. Sadly I won't be continuing the series on graphic audio.
But I did not love this.
Most of, if not ALL of the cast also performs in the ACOTAR graphic audio, which is incredibly distracting. The fact that their voices didn't change at all makes me wonder if they are actually voice actors, or if they are just people performing these roles? I think one of them attempted to do the worst West Country accent I have ever heard.
Murderbot's voice actor was the most irritating for me, but this part is subjective. I never pictured Murderbot's voice to sound like that (higher register, very upbeat, both casual and uncomfortably robotic?)
Finally, the sound effects. There wasn't enough of it to get a decent "movie for your mind" experience, and the actor performances didn't match up with the scene. For example, during a gunfight, the VA for Murderbot was completely calm. Now, I know Murderbot doesn't care and often is calm during these scenarios, but the performance just didn't work? Tough to explain but it just didn't work for me.
All in all, the story was good but the performance was distracting. Sadly I won't be continuing the series on graphic audio.
April 25, 2025
Meet Murderbot. He's basically the Terminator if he cared more about watching soap operas than protecting John Connor. He's basically the robot in charge of keeping this group of scientists alive, when stuff starts going wrong. Can he push down his deep-seated apathy in order to do his job?
At 3 hours, this audio book was fun and breezy. Great characters, with a lot of personality giving to the robot perspective, with a snappy thrilling pace as he tries to keep his clients alive on a distant planet.
At 3 hours, this audio book was fun and breezy. Great characters, with a lot of personality giving to the robot perspective, with a snappy thrilling pace as he tries to keep his clients alive on a distant planet.
Read
November 22, 2023This is specifically a review for the Graphic Audio dramatized version of the first book in the Murderbot Diaries series. In terms of story, it's still Murderbot, just abridged. It terms of casting and sound design...I don't want to get overly critical and I'm not giving it a star rating, but honestly, just get the unabridged audiobooks read by Kevin R. Free. He gives a phenomenal performance and you get the complete, unabridged story.
March 3, 2025
Murderbot is such a relatable character, and their narrator was enjoyable to listen to. The worldbuilding is also intriguing. I wish I listened to the original version. I was getting lost who was speaking and lost the train of plot, which makes sense because it's an adapted work. Overall I'm excited to continue this series but likely the non-dramatized version.
· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·
POV: 1st Person - Single
Format: Audiobook - Full Cast
· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·
POV: 1st Person - Single
Format: Audiobook - Full Cast
June 8, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
This was a fun super quick novella! I listened to the dramatized adaptation, and it was like a movie! I like that the author split the story up like this and made it into smaller books. The pacing was great, and the story didn’t drag on. Overall, I would recommend this to a sci-fi lover who wants a quick, fun, and non-serious book!
This was a fun super quick novella! I listened to the dramatized adaptation, and it was like a movie! I like that the author split the story up like this and made it into smaller books. The pacing was great, and the story didn’t drag on. Overall, I would recommend this to a sci-fi lover who wants a quick, fun, and non-serious book!
October 6, 2023
H
I had high expectations for this. Sadly it did not deliver. The audio book performance by Kevin R Freed is much better.
I had high expectations for this. Sadly it did not deliver. The audio book performance by Kevin R Freed is much better.
December 4, 2023
I love dramatized things. period.
August 27, 2025
okay FINE! graphic audio isn’t so bad when the sound effects are sufficiently sci-fi. laser zaps are fun!! sue me!
August 29, 2025
Murderbot is my comfort story.
February 27, 2026
The graphic audio didn't add anything to my listening experience and I didn't care for some of the voice actors' choices for how they narrated
February 25, 2025
I started reading these because I've heard good things and Apple will be doing a series with Alexander Skarsgard. The book was a lot like Lost in Space-the Netflix series. I listened to the GraphicAudio and liked it. I thought it was funny when the bot said that he fast forwarded through the sex scenes. He overrode his 'Governor' software and downloaded a bunch of soap operas and books for his downtime. He didn't automatically install software updates. He picked and chose what he wanted from them. He was hired out by the company that owned him for security detail for humans. He was mostly bot with some organic components. He liked humans on TV, but got uncomfortable with them in real life. He kept his helmet on and opaque whenever possible. He has a human face. He feels protective of the humans, even though he tells himself he doesn't care and is bored. Everything is recorded for data mining for the company that owns him. He'll hide and delete conversations when he feels like it. Some researchers were on a planet. Their maps had been tampered with. There was another, unlogged, human crew there too. That crew had already killed another crew and were gunning for Murderbot's humans. They never figured out what the other crew was doing and why they were trying to hide it. Murderbot helped them escape and took on significant damage to shield the leader's body with his own. There is a place where bots live free. When they were back to safety, he woke up and was healed. He was told that the crew leader had bought his contract and that he could live with her at her farm until he decided what he wanted to do with his freedom. That made him uncomfortable. He left her a note thanking her, but he didn't want to do what a human suggested. It ended with him going off by himself. Also, he had killed 40 people on another mission. He needed to find out why. His hardware had been scrubbed, but he retained memories in his organic material. He needed to know if he'd done it of his own volition, and why, or if his software had been overridden. The company covered it up because units like him are expensive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2026
For a 3 hour audiobook, I thought it was really well done. The author did really well in making the story concise while keeping the reader engaged.
That being said, there were times I felt the story could’ve been fleshed out a little more so it was shame it was only 3 hours.
The audio cast were brilliant, though I didn’t feel the other characters spoke as much. There also could’ve been more sound effects to make it more immersive.
That being said, there were times I felt the story could’ve been fleshed out a little more so it was shame it was only 3 hours.
The audio cast were brilliant, though I didn’t feel the other characters spoke as much. There also could’ve been more sound effects to make it more immersive.
June 23, 2025
Don’t get me wrong! En så bra bok, MEN, den var så kort! Å jag som alltid tjatar om min fobi för långa böcker, men denna var banemaj för kort!
Jag kände inte riktigt att jag fick den emotionella anknytningen till karaktärerna för att ge den ett bättre betyg…
Det är verkligen en så bra bok, och jag längtar efter resterande delar av serien! En mördarrobot på ett mission med ett gäng människor som inser att han kanske är mer än en mördarrobot?
Men jag kände bara att jag fick för kort tid på mig att utveckla känslor och anknytning för karaktärernas relationer. Jag förstår liksom det fina i att människorna inser att den här roboten är så intelligent, inte bara på ett robot-aktigt sätt, men faktiskt emotionell intelligens och moral. Jag önskar bara att vi fick en längre introduktion till karaktärerna och hur dem hamnat där dem hamnat!
Sen begrep jag mig inte riktigt på deras mission? De skulle in i något habitat, och göra vadå? Det kan också vara att jag missat detta när jag rageade på bilköer.
Men iaf, en så bra start på serien och jag ser stor potential i var vi kan sluta upp!
Jag kände inte riktigt att jag fick den emotionella anknytningen till karaktärerna för att ge den ett bättre betyg…
Det är verkligen en så bra bok, och jag längtar efter resterande delar av serien! En mördarrobot på ett mission med ett gäng människor som inser att han kanske är mer än en mördarrobot?
Men jag kände bara att jag fick för kort tid på mig att utveckla känslor och anknytning för karaktärernas relationer. Jag förstår liksom det fina i att människorna inser att den här roboten är så intelligent, inte bara på ett robot-aktigt sätt, men faktiskt emotionell intelligens och moral. Jag önskar bara att vi fick en längre introduktion till karaktärerna och hur dem hamnat där dem hamnat!
Sen begrep jag mig inte riktigt på deras mission? De skulle in i något habitat, och göra vadå? Det kan också vara att jag missat detta när jag rageade på bilköer.
Men iaf, en så bra start på serien och jag ser stor potential i var vi kan sluta upp!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2023
My first experience with graphicaudio! at first I was thrown off from the little changes I noticed when I read along to make the dialogue flow better, but overall really liked it. Some of the voices didn’t exactly match what I imagined for the characters, but murderbot’s VA was great and the small creative liberties taken all added to the experience.
honestly the ability Martha Wells to be so hilarious yet sneakingly heartfelt is unparalleled and hit even more on this listen. “My favorite human” still kills me
honestly the ability Martha Wells to be so hilarious yet sneakingly heartfelt is unparalleled and hit even more on this listen. “My favorite human” still kills me
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