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The Murderbot Diaries #2.5
Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy
Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...
34 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2025
1096 people are currently reading
5348 people want to read
About the author
Martha Wells
109 books24.9k 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 854 reviews
July 13, 2025
“Did you meet someone?”
Well, yes, Martha Wells is finally giving the wink-wink, nudge-nudge to all of us who adore Murderbot/ART dynamic duo.
“It still sounded disgusting. “Do you have to call it a relationship?”
Ratthi shrugged one shoulder. “You don’t like the word ‘friendship.’ What else is there?”
I had no idea. I did a quick search on my archives and pulled out the first result. “Mutual administrative assistance?”
“Network Effect”, Murderbot not wanting to admit to (ick) feelings.
That was Murderbot itself (or, as it may be known to ART/Perihelion’s crew, “Peri’s SecUnit”) in Network Effect hopelessly trying to fight the indisputable fact of it and Asshole Research Transport sharing any
It’s not much of a story but rather a sketch for die-hard fans who have been wondering how meeting Murderbot affected ART between Artificial Condition and Network Effect. Spoiler alert: it opened new horizons for a certain Perihelion who’s much more than a research transport, who “had been in a strange mood since it had come back from its last solo cargo run.” And we are not just talking about hacking security systems and new familiarity with SecUnit drones either.
“Peri added, ‘It has given me a better understanding of trauma.’
Trauma? Iris thought, taken aback. A machine intelligence with trauma? ‘I’m not saying I think you’d run off and fall in . . . have an understanding and rapport with a corporate transport. But . . .’ Iris gave in and covered her face. ‘Peri, please, it’s not a corporate transport, is it?’
‘It’s a rogue SecUnit.’ ”
Don’t get too attached to the idea of whatever mission Iris and Co. are going on with Perihelion. Even if we get a brief glimpse into a station on Corporation Rim, it’s really just a gift to fans who love Murderbot and ART, and even if SecUnit does not appear on page, it’s really all about it and the unexpected effect it had on its new best friend.
‘Oh. Oh, Peri.’ Iris found a seat on a rock. ‘So you really like this person?’
‘I had never encountered another machine intelligence that I could experience this kind of rapport with before.’
Rapport. I suppose that may beat Murderbot’s version of “Mutual Administrative Assistance”.
But we all know that it’s love and friendship.
Even if it’s “ick”.
4 stars. And I’m very glad that Murderbot TV show will continue for the second season (since this story was released to coincide with the season finale). Alexander Skarsgård has really grown on me as a perfect SecUnit (or Seccy, of you wish) even if he doesn’t sound quite like Kevin R. Free.
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Read it here: https://reactormag.com/rapport-martha...
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Also posted on my blog.
Want to read
July 15, 2025All right, I'm watching the show, and quite possibly rereading the books.
Life's amusing like that, isn't it? I didn't think I'd be going back to something I had bailed out from mid-flight, for . . . reasons (No! Don't dig up my last review for this series, I don't remember and I wanna start anew).
But then N.01, human name Nataliya, offloaded her Murderous Manifesto on me and, to cinch it all, I found out the show adaptation has Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot, and I lost the battle.
Well played, you all, well played. It's not every day that you get me to resume abandoned things.
The most amusing part, for me? We were having so many funny comments over at N.01's pod over what gender we perceived Murderbot to be. Some readers said they thought it was a He, others said that it was a She, and others were saying it was neutral/no-gender to them.
And now here come the show producers and decide to end the debate by having it on record that Murderbot's pronouns are Hot/Swede...
Life's amusing like that, isn't it? I didn't think I'd be going back to something I had bailed out from mid-flight, for . . . reasons (No! Don't dig up my last review for this series, I don't remember and I wanna start anew).
But then N.01, human name Nataliya, offloaded her Murderous Manifesto on me and, to cinch it all, I found out the show adaptation has Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot, and I lost the battle.
Well played, you all, well played. It's not every day that you get me to resume abandoned things.
The most amusing part, for me? We were having so many funny comments over at N.01's pod over what gender we perceived Murderbot to be. Some readers said they thought it was a He, others said that it was a She, and others were saying it was neutral/no-gender to them.
And now here come the show producers and decide to end the debate by having it on record that Murderbot's pronouns are Hot/Swede...
July 11, 2025
Though technically this short story falls in the chronological order as being 2.5 (after Artificial Condition) I would not recommend reading it until after finishing Network Effect (making it more a 5.5 [just remember to read Fugitive Telemetry before Network Effect]) due to major spoilers. They failed to mention this in the Reactor preview!
In short, without giving away the spoiler, if you want to discover who Perihelion is with Murderbot, wait until after Network Effect. If you are okay with discovering on your own, read after Artificial Condition.
Peri is hilarious, as always. An automatic five stars, as with the rest of the series. It’s Murderbot, it’s Martha Wells. It’s perfect for me.
In short, without giving away the spoiler, if you want to discover who Perihelion is with Murderbot, wait until after Network Effect. If you are okay with discovering on your own, read after Artificial Condition.
Peri is hilarious, as always. An automatic five stars, as with the rest of the series. It’s Murderbot, it’s Martha Wells. It’s perfect for me.
July 14, 2025
ART doth protest too much, and Iris finds out it's got a fella. With or without an umbrella.
=============
Review of book 0.5: Compulsory
Review of book 1: All Systems Red
Review of book 2: Artificial Condition
Review of book 3: Rogue Protocol
Review of book 4: Exit Strategy
Review of book 4.5: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
Review of book 5: Network Effect
Review of book 6: Fugitive Telemetry
Review of book 7: System Collapse
Iris: I thought you hadn’t found any other machine intelligences outside the university that were, you know, up to your level.
ART: I haven’t found any inside the university, either.
=============
Review of book 0.5: Compulsory
Review of book 1: All Systems Red
Review of book 2: Artificial Condition
Review of book 3: Rogue Protocol
Review of book 4: Exit Strategy
Review of book 4.5: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
Review of book 5: Network Effect
Review of book 6: Fugitive Telemetry
Review of book 7: System Collapse
October 4, 2025
That Murderbot-ART relationship thing is totally an explicit thing now. And my shipping fangirl heart SHOULD have been all over this story, and kind of is in principle, but I am getting a bit queasy about it. I am not so sure if I want it all as clear cut and explicitly the focus as in here.
Also the murderbot universe is better from the PoV of non humans. Sorry, Iris, you are boring and I had a hard time keeping track of who these humans were, and whatever they were supposed to be feeling. I also kept forgetting what the mission was supposed to be. This is basically fanservice, awwww, ART developed feelings between volume 2 and 3, and it is competent fanservice, but it does not quit stand on its own and it felt a bit sappy, honestly.
Still, it is free on the reactor site (I still hate the name change) and I was always going to read it.
Also the murderbot universe is better from the PoV of non humans. Sorry, Iris, you are boring and I had a hard time keeping track of who these humans were, and whatever they were supposed to be feeling. I also kept forgetting what the mission was supposed to be. This is basically fanservice, awwww, ART developed feelings between volume 2 and 3, and it is competent fanservice, but it does not quit stand on its own and it felt a bit sappy, honestly.
Still, it is free on the reactor site (I still hate the name change) and I was always going to read it.
July 20, 2025
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
Even though this was just recently released it takes place earlier in the timeline. This takes place right after ART and our favorite Sec unit meet up. In this one ART tells its humans that it has someone new in its life.
With the first season of Murderbot in the books the author has released a short story that is free on reactormag.com. As for if this story has any vital importance for the overall story arc it does not. Instead it is a quick little story that is an analogy for real life situation. Instantly I believe most fans will love this as ART is a fan favorite. And we get his quick little snide remarks. We also get how ART has become more because of its interactions with Murderbot. This and ART telling its humans about Murderbot was where the analogy of a real life situation comes into play. It was like when someone tells his or her family there is someone new in their life and they are important in their life. Imagine a cargo robot ship doing this about a cyborg that has free will. That is what you get here and fans will gush over ART telling others about the importance of Murderbot.
I was going to just give this three stars. The final act is what pushed this for an addition of a half star. Up to that point it worked within this universe. But honestly I was saying what is the point of the story. The final act drove it home for me and put a smile on my face. Once again the author confidently showcases a message with a work that is not really lengthy in nature. This is a welcome addition to this universe.
Even though this was just recently released it takes place earlier in the timeline. This takes place right after ART and our favorite Sec unit meet up. In this one ART tells its humans that it has someone new in its life.
With the first season of Murderbot in the books the author has released a short story that is free on reactormag.com. As for if this story has any vital importance for the overall story arc it does not. Instead it is a quick little story that is an analogy for real life situation. Instantly I believe most fans will love this as ART is a fan favorite. And we get his quick little snide remarks. We also get how ART has become more because of its interactions with Murderbot. This and ART telling its humans about Murderbot was where the analogy of a real life situation comes into play. It was like when someone tells his or her family there is someone new in their life and they are important in their life. Imagine a cargo robot ship doing this about a cyborg that has free will. That is what you get here and fans will gush over ART telling others about the importance of Murderbot.
I was going to just give this three stars. The final act is what pushed this for an addition of a half star. Up to that point it worked within this universe. But honestly I was saying what is the point of the story. The final act drove it home for me and put a smile on my face. Once again the author confidently showcases a message with a work that is not really lengthy in nature. This is a welcome addition to this universe.
July 13, 2025
You know how it is, when you find a new thing that excites you and you want to tell everyone? But maybe you're a machine intelligence and you don't have much experience with this feeling. And just maybe you're trying to emulate a person you admire. Feeling pulled between keeping a secret and shouting your happy news to the universe.
If you've wondered since reading Network Effect how exactly ART/Perihelion told his humans about his new crush, this short fiction is for you.
If you've wondered since reading Network Effect how exactly ART/Perihelion told his humans about his new crush, this short fiction is for you.
July 20, 2025
3.2⭐
One of Martha Wells' Murderbot fragments- very short stories that serve mostly as accents to the main series, rather than any major addition to it. The two previous story fragments were "Home: Habitat; Range: Niche; Territory" and "The Future of Work: Compulsory ". They are all worth reading, imo, though frustratingly short.
This one is not about Murderbot directly but centers on his friend ART and ART's crew, who we met in the last two novellas.. it's only 34 pages (e-book) but the story and writing are good enough that I wished it were a full blown novella or at least a real short story.
ART and company are on another mission to mitigate the indentured servitude of the Corporate Rim, where hostile takeovers are *really* hostile.
We get more details about the Corporate Rim and ART that provide context to the whole series but it's so brief that any plot discussion verges on spoiler territory.
I liked it but it felt too much like a teaser to be really satisfying.
One of Martha Wells' Murderbot fragments- very short stories that serve mostly as accents to the main series, rather than any major addition to it. The two previous story fragments were "Home: Habitat; Range: Niche; Territory" and "The Future of Work: Compulsory ". They are all worth reading, imo, though frustratingly short.
This one is not about Murderbot directly but centers on his friend ART and ART's crew, who we met in the last two novellas.. it's only 34 pages (e-book) but the story and writing are good enough that I wished it were a full blown novella or at least a real short story.
ART and company are on another mission to mitigate the indentured servitude of the Corporate Rim, where hostile takeovers are *really* hostile.
We get more details about the Corporate Rim and ART that provide context to the whole series but it's so brief that any plot discussion verges on spoiler territory.
I liked it but it felt too much like a teaser to be really satisfying.
July 24, 2025
A short and non-essential addition to the Murderbot galaxy.
I am less enthusiastic than Danielle but I think that her review is short and to the point.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My grumpy review checks most of her boxes. I don’t mind getting a smaller slice of pie, if the pie is fantastic. But aside from the introduction of a major character, this was more filler than filling. Tasty in my mouth but with no lasting glow of satisfaction.
3*
I am less enthusiastic than Danielle but I think that her review is short and to the point.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My grumpy review checks most of her boxes. I don’t mind getting a smaller slice of pie, if the pie is fantastic. But aside from the introduction of a major character, this was more filler than filling. Tasty in my mouth but with no lasting glow of satisfaction.
3*
December 3, 2025
A nice little nugget of Murderbot lore that shows how our favourite neurodivergent killing machine can have a lasting (and, I’d venture, positive) impact on the advanced sentient spaceship AIs that it meets along the way. Lovely to see ART/Peri finding new ways to flex :-)
July 20, 2025
“Peri, please, it’s not a corporate transport, is it? It’s a rogue SecUnit.”
Another great installment into the Murderbot universe. My only issue is the length of this book. Just too short.
Another great installment into the Murderbot universe. My only issue is the length of this book. Just too short.
August 11, 2025
"Rapport" follows Perihelion/Peri/ART and its crew while they are attempting a mission on a station that is dealing with a hostile takeover. You get to meet the crew that ART was ready to kill to get back in "Network Effect."
Well, that was delightful. It's a nice little interlude showing how much our ART (otherwise known as Peri) has changed since it met and established a friendship with Murderbot. I think that this is great to read after the events of "Network Effect" actually since you get to see the set-up to that book after the fact.
I also really loved Iris and Peri's relationship. Iris will often go private channel to have a talk with Peri and to tell it to knock it off because it's worrying their dads. And that right there shows what a great familial connection the two of them have. What I thought was cute was the fact that you get Iris just happy with the fact that maybe Peri has changed to care about something.
And I loved that we get the set-up of how and why Peri told its crew about Murderbot.
Well, that was delightful. It's a nice little interlude showing how much our ART (otherwise known as Peri) has changed since it met and established a friendship with Murderbot. I think that this is great to read after the events of "Network Effect" actually since you get to see the set-up to that book after the fact.
I also really loved Iris and Peri's relationship. Iris will often go private channel to have a talk with Peri and to tell it to knock it off because it's worrying their dads. And that right there shows what a great familial connection the two of them have. What I thought was cute was the fact that you get Iris just happy with the fact that maybe Peri has changed to care about something.
And I loved that we get the set-up of how and why Peri told its crew about Murderbot.
July 13, 2025
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! We get ART’s story after meeting MurderBot!!!!!!
5, I just died and went to heaven and I NEED MORE MURDERBOT AND ART IN MY LIFE, stars!!
5, I just died and went to heaven and I NEED MORE MURDERBOT AND ART IN MY LIFE, stars!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2025
Giggled through most of it, to be quite honest. This had the very specific energy that made Network Effect my favorite in the whole series. Read it in the company of two friends and we all made cute, embarassing noises.
Read
July 12, 2025Yay more ART!
Though technically set after Artificial Condition I would HIGHLY recommend waiting until you’ve read through AT LEAST Network Effect before picking this one up.
Though technically set after Artificial Condition I would HIGHLY recommend waiting until you’ve read through AT LEAST Network Effect before picking this one up.
July 19, 2025
ART's humans start noticing changes in it's behavior. We know why, though.
It was short and sweet. Nice to read more about ART and to see it on a mission with it's humans. ART rules! Just not as much as Murderbot. Murderbot rules more!
It was short and sweet. Nice to read more about ART and to see it on a mission with it's humans. ART rules! Just not as much as Murderbot. Murderbot rules more!
July 11, 2025
I will 5 star ART content any way I can get it.
November 25, 2025
An ART (Perihelion) story, without Murderbot
A review of the Tor Books eBook (July 11, 2025).
I picked up Rapport... thinking that based on its #2.5 numbering that it was the logical read after Artificial Condition (Murderbot #2 - 2018). I discovered only later that according to a note on the GR Murderbot series that it should be read after Network Effect (Murderbot #5 - 2020). Nothing to be done about that now.
Similar to Murderbot's mission in Artificial Condition, this story has the AI of the transport ship Perihelion helping several of its passengers on a mission. They call it Peri for short, ART being the nickname given to it by the SecUnit Murderbot. Murderbot does not appear in this story, aside from a brief mention. The overall context is missing for me and may not become clear until I have read further in the series.
This is actually the most recent entry in the series from July 2025. We may not know why it has been added until we can read Platform Decay (Murderbot #8 - expected May 5, 2026). Until then I'll give this a reserved 3-star Like rating.
Trivia and Links
I am a fan of the Murderbot (2025-ongoing) series on Apple TV. The show has been renewed for a Season 2 although there are no updates on scripts, filming or possible premiere dates. The showrunners have speculated that they may incorporate elements beyond book 2's Artificial Condition and dip into book's 3 and 4. Otherwise the supporting cast from Season 1 would have no roles to play in a Season 2. Read further on that at Nexus Point News.
As the show was filmed in Toronto, Canada and parts north in Ontario, there is also the concern that U.S. tariffs may play a role in delaying further filming.
A review of the Tor Books eBook (July 11, 2025).
Peri replied, If the mission team is unable to cope with me, they are unable to face hostile corporates.
I picked up Rapport... thinking that based on its #2.5 numbering that it was the logical read after Artificial Condition (Murderbot #2 - 2018). I discovered only later that according to a note on the GR Murderbot series that it should be read after Network Effect (Murderbot #5 - 2020). Nothing to be done about that now.
Similar to Murderbot's mission in Artificial Condition, this story has the AI of the transport ship Perihelion helping several of its passengers on a mission. They call it Peri for short, ART being the nickname given to it by the SecUnit Murderbot. Murderbot does not appear in this story, aside from a brief mention. The overall context is missing for me and may not become clear until I have read further in the series.
This is actually the most recent entry in the series from July 2025. We may not know why it has been added until we can read Platform Decay (Murderbot #8 - expected May 5, 2026). Until then I'll give this a reserved 3-star Like rating.
Trivia and Links
I am a fan of the Murderbot (2025-ongoing) series on Apple TV. The show has been renewed for a Season 2 although there are no updates on scripts, filming or possible premiere dates. The showrunners have speculated that they may incorporate elements beyond book 2's Artificial Condition and dip into book's 3 and 4. Otherwise the supporting cast from Season 1 would have no roles to play in a Season 2. Read further on that at Nexus Point News.
As the show was filmed in Toronto, Canada and parts north in Ontario, there is also the concern that U.S. tariffs may play a role in delaying further filming.
July 20, 2025
Giggling with delight, no notes
July 16, 2025
Aw Peri - the feeling is running so deep...................
July 13, 2025
Matteo said, This seems like a pretty close friend, with all this highly sophisticated system-penetration code they— “Whoa, okay, I was joking!” Matteo flung an arm over their interface. “I’m sorry, don’t hurt me.”
“Did you meet someone?”
“I had never encountered another machine intelligence that I could experience this kind of rapport with before.”
Martha Wells feeding into my ART/Murderbot agenda🥰
Basically a snippet of what happened with ART in between Artificial Condition and Network Effect.
July 12, 2025
This story is about ART (Arsehole Research Transport)! It's charming and provides an entertaining little romp through a corporate-controlled station in the midst of a hostile takeover. And ART has to figure out if it going to tells it's humans about the new friend it made...
Free on the publisher's website: https://reactormag.com/rapport-martha...
Free on the publisher's website: https://reactormag.com/rapport-martha...
July 11, 2025
Around 7k words of Perihelion twirling it’s metaphorical hair around it’s finger and giggling about this super cool rogue SecUnit it met 5 minutes ago and I needed at least 70k more words about that I think. Also featuring: Iris and her sibling intuition, crew-as-family dynamics, and Peri Has An Ego/Attitude Problem.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2025
August 17, 2025
A cute in-fill story that introduces ART's crew, particularly its favourite, Iris, and gives some backstory on just how transformational its meeting and friendship with Murderbot have been.
It's not essential reading for the series, and I would probably read it after Book 5 or maybe mid-way through because there's some context missing if you read it after Book 2.
You can find it for free on Rapport Magazine , which was formerly branded as Tor.com's website.
July 10, 2025
I have not yet read this short story.
But I really really really hope that the release date for this story (July 11, 2025, which is a Friday and not a Tuesday as book publishing tends to pick) and the fact that it is also the last day of S1 of Murderbot the show means that future seasons will a) be made and b) ART/Perihelion will be part of it.
Preferably voiced by Kevin R. Free.
A cute in-fill story that introduces ART's crew, particularly its favourite, Iris, and gives some backstory on just how transformational its meeting and friendship with Murderbot have been.
It's not essential reading for the series, and I would probably read it after Book 5 or maybe mid-way through because there's some context missing if you read it after Book 2.
You can find it for free on Rapport Magazine , which was formerly branded as Tor.com's website.
July 10, 2025
I have not yet read this short story.
But I really really really hope that the release date for this story (July 11, 2025, which is a Friday and not a Tuesday as book publishing tends to pick) and the fact that it is also the last day of S1 of Murderbot the show means that future seasons will a) be made and b) ART/Perihelion will be part of it.
Preferably voiced by Kevin R. Free.
July 14, 2025
I must of missed it somewhere in the details, but I think this little ditty comes right before Network Effect. If you are familiar with Murderbot, then you know "Peri" in this story is ART to Murderbot.
July 14, 2025
How does Perihelion REALLY feel?
The last episode of Apple TV+ Murderbot, Season 1 was released yesterday, Friday 11-July-2025. As, I suppose, a kind of celebration, Martha Wells released a new story in the Murderbot Diaries, Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy, which you can read for free in Tor's Reactor Magazine. It's a 7,500-word novelette.
It is not, strictly speaking, a story about Murderbot who, although in the thoughts of one of the characters in the story, is not otherwise present. Rather, it is about Murderbot's friend Perihelion, also known as ART ("Asshole Research Transport"). Peri is a spaceship registered to the Pansystem University of Mihira and New Tideland. In Artificial Condition Murderbot hitched a lift aboard Peri to escape servitude and they bonded over buddy-watching TV series.
Although Goodreads lists Rapport as #7.5 in the Murderbot Diaries, it comes immediately after Artificial Condition in internal chronology and could, I believe, be read at that point. It takes place after Murderbot and Peri have parted.
In this story Peri and her crew investigate a Corporation Rim-owned space station. The story is told mainly from the point of view of one of the crew members, Iris. Iris (and the rest of the crew) notice some surprising changes in Peri's state of mind. Peri reveals that it learned some things from a new friend, and its affection for this new friend becomes evident.
This was all revealing, because in Murderbot's relationship with ART/Peri, ART always seems to be the dominant partner. Despite the sardonic (but accurate) nickname, Murderbot respects ART and ART's abilities, and listens to its advice. In this story, however, Peri seems to have been knocked a little off-balance, a little not-in-control-of-its-feelings, by its affection for Murderbot. It does not look, on Peri's side, like a purely professional relationship.
Good story.
Blog review.
The last episode of Apple TV+ Murderbot, Season 1 was released yesterday, Friday 11-July-2025. As, I suppose, a kind of celebration, Martha Wells released a new story in the Murderbot Diaries, Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy, which you can read for free in Tor's Reactor Magazine. It's a 7,500-word novelette.
It is not, strictly speaking, a story about Murderbot who, although in the thoughts of one of the characters in the story, is not otherwise present. Rather, it is about Murderbot's friend Perihelion, also known as ART ("Asshole Research Transport"). Peri is a spaceship registered to the Pansystem University of Mihira and New Tideland. In Artificial Condition Murderbot hitched a lift aboard Peri to escape servitude and they bonded over buddy-watching TV series.
Although Goodreads lists Rapport as #7.5 in the Murderbot Diaries, it comes immediately after Artificial Condition in internal chronology and could, I believe, be read at that point. It takes place after Murderbot and Peri have parted.
In this story Peri and her crew investigate a Corporation Rim-owned space station. The story is told mainly from the point of view of one of the crew members, Iris. Iris (and the rest of the crew) notice some surprising changes in Peri's state of mind. Peri reveals that it learned some things from a new friend, and its affection for this new friend becomes evident.
This was all revealing, because in Murderbot's relationship with ART/Peri, ART always seems to be the dominant partner. Despite the sardonic (but accurate) nickname, Murderbot respects ART and ART's abilities, and listens to its advice. In this story, however, Peri seems to have been knocked a little off-balance, a little not-in-control-of-its-feelings, by its affection for Murderbot. It does not look, on Peri's side, like a purely professional relationship.
Good story.
Blog review.
July 11, 2025
3.5 rounded up.
This was a very sweet addition to fill in more of the universe with characters we have met post book 7. I think this can be read any time really after book 2, but I would wait and read it as 7.5 as background filling in space between 2 and 7.
No, murderbot does not show up in this story - as I said, this is a story to fill out the world and give us more information about other characters.
This was adorable, and at times funny. I found myself smiling through most of it!
This was a very sweet addition to fill in more of the universe with characters we have met post book 7. I think this can be read any time really after book 2, but I would wait and read it as 7.5 as background filling in space between 2 and 7.
No, murderbot does not show up in this story - as I said, this is a story to fill out the world and give us more information about other characters.
This was adorable, and at times funny. I found myself smiling through most of it!
July 12, 2025
Read this right after watching the Murderbot tv show season 1 finale and how cool is it we got MORE content? This was free on Tor’s website, but you can also buy it on e-book platforms for $1.99.
I thought this was a fun, quick story. We get Iris’ POV as we follow along on what ART’s crew does on their own before Murderbot entered the scene. We do, of course, get interaction with ART (or Peri, as they lovingly call it). I think this can be read really anytime after book 2. The main part that I was really interested in is that we get to see how ART starts to begrudgingly tell its crew about befriending Murderbot.
I thought this was a fun, quick story. We get Iris’ POV as we follow along on what ART’s crew does on their own before Murderbot entered the scene. We do, of course, get interaction with ART (or Peri, as they lovingly call it). I think this can be read really anytime after book 2. The main part that I was really interested in is that we get to see how ART starts to begrudgingly tell its crew about befriending Murderbot.
December 30, 2025
Hard for me to rate anything related to Murderbot a mere 3 but this isn’t on the same level as the rest. This short story (novelette?) isn’t bad but it doesn’t add much to the series. We get to see Peri interact with its humans. It’s fun to see how they view & interact with it. If the point of this was to show Peri’s relationship changing with Murderbot it would have been more interesting to read this from Peri’s POV.
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