Network Effect [Dramatized Adaptation]

The Murderbot Diaries [Dramatized Adaptation] #5

by Martha Wells, David Cui Cui (reader), Alejandro Ruiz (reader)

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.

—

I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.

When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Action

Audio CD

Published January 15, 2024

About the author

Martha 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+.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've already reviewed the actual audiobook, so this is just a review for the dramatization.
I listened to this directly after, and have to say it does a good job of capturing the book. As always, I think these should be used as companion pieces for fans, not as replacements for the books, because they are edited versions.



Sci-fi is one of the genres that really lends itself to these graphic novelizations.
Beep-beep, boop-boop! Pew, pew! <--etc.
I mean, while it is cool to hear tea cups clinking and doors shutting in period pieces, walking through a field of grass and having a firefight with laser guns is like comparing apples and chicken wings.



Graphic Audio's tagline is A Movie in Your Mind and I think that's a fair assessment.
If you like to listen to books in your spare time, these are well worth your while.
Recommended

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this one is my favourite after the second novella 😄

[ekrobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness this book was so good! I'd give it all the stars in the world if I could--it's easily my favorite of the series so far and will take it's place on my list of favorite books (period).

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty sure I have this read in another version, but yeah, still good. It's longer, which a more expansive cast, but has a lot of great stuff for Murderbot to interact with. The return of A.R.T., interacting with children, other sec units, etc. It's longer than the other books, but the time is used well

[Diana T-C · Rating 3 out of 5]

GRAPHIC AUDIO version review - I tried to select the Graphic Audio edition to review, when I have already reviewed (5 stars) the audio book version read by Kevin R. Free.

(I am not certain if this review is eliminating my review of the audio book and Editing over it)

The Graphic Audio version is fun but flawed.
The Graphic Audio version is 8 hours 12 minutes while the audio book version is 12 hours 47 minutes.

As I listened I wondered where some of my favorite scenes were and thought my mind must have drifted. There are 4 hours 35 minutes missing in the Graphic Audio version. Some of the best humor and sarcastic worldview parts were left out and that is what shows SecUnit's growth.

Also, there is still a production problem that distracts the listener - Example: When the reader for SecUnit wasn't paying attention and substituted some weird word for the actual word. And, whoever does editing left in the part where he says he is re-reading something, then re-reads it. There was one line that was supposed to be from SecUnit and another character said it and it made no sense. A good editor would catch these errors before the final product is released.

The casting is weird for some parts - wrong voice type that distracts from the story. But, some of the voice actors did a very good job portraying their character and were spot on and their talented work pulled this out of the trash.

In comparing the Graphic Audio work to the audio book, Kevin R. Free did a better job as one person with the talent to portray multiple voices that can be distinguished from one another than an uneven cast where it was sometimes difficult to tell who was speaking.

Both versions could have done better with a teenager's voice. One of them had a teenager voiced as a high pitched eager voice and the other as a snide mature woman, so neither of them got that right.

Graphic Audio could do better work - careless editing speaks volumes.

5* for Martha Wells writing - 2* for Graphic Audio - 3* average

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot more than #4. I think I was just bored cause it was the same all over again. Maybe I should space them a bit more...
Also, we love dr. Mensah jiji Missed her!
This one did kept me interested throughout and the lols are great :D

Now, about the format, I started listening to the GraphicAudio full cast dramatized version. AMAZING, 10/10.

[K D · Rating 4 out of 5]

More constructs with self determination and agency.

[Erin Hogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long and slightly harder to follow than the first 4 books, so it's a slightly a lower star rating, but like very very slight...4.99872 stars.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to have all the different voices in this version, but the background noises were not my favorite. But the story was great as always.

[BluLooperBluez · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMO, best book in the series so far.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending is just too cute 🥰 Arte!

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bien pero no sentí que la dramatización le agregara algo

[Jo Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

totally enjoy Murderbot.

[Richard Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been the best of the series so far, probably because of a bigger character list.

[Dontaná · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about Murderbot, but it caught me in the feels and will not let go. Obvi, a full length novel took me longer to read, but I think it was more that there is a lot more emotion involved in this entry than in the novellas. Murderbot's acceptance of the Preservation crew as its family, complete non-recognition of it's own emotional state and barreling on anyway, despite making compromised decision after compromised decision is wayyyy too relatable. I may be a little bit upset when I finish the series. Murderbot rules.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Murderbot cones to the aid of Art, to rescue both ship and crew from mysterious tech.

I love these books terribly. The action moves fast and the humor is subtle. Both things guaranteed to make me happy. There are also bigger questions embedded about humanity, how we treat each other in society, how to cope with the world and its difficulties, and more. Graphic Audio only makes everything better!

[betanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading through the Murderbot series is like a study in human development. We see a being become aware of itself and grow through experiences and influences from family, friends, and media. In personality, it comes across as a moody teenager who is reluctantly finding that it wants to have friendship and community.

[Libbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, looking forward to next book April 2021

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Murderbot and all his not-friends

[erini · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm convinced that anything martha wells will quite literally consume me