Platform Decay

The Murderbot Diaries #8

by Martha Wells

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

Having volunteered to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realises that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

(Emotion check: Oh, for f—)

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Adult, Space, Novella, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera

256 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 5, 2026

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

[iam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely thrilled to get another installment of Murderbot adventures, and even more so that this one includes Murderbot interacting with children!
I honestly expected (and wanted) more interactions with children from it, but most of the people in this book are adults.

The story takes place not too long after System Collapse , thus extending on the plotline that first started in Network Effect . It involves both familiar and new faces, as well as people that have been mentioned before but never appeared on-page thus far.
It takes places on an unfamiliar, massive space station, where Murderbot is sent in a mission.

My favourite recurring character was Three, who has definitely not gotten enough attention in System Collapse! To be honest, even now in Platform Decay it doesn't get enough attention, but I'll take what I can get.

That is maybe also my biggest gripe with the book - it just doesn't go as in depth in many of the areas where I wanted it to. Specifically, the character dynamics. The Murderbot Diaries are such an intensely character-driven series, but I have noticed before how the books (especially the last few) seem to almost shy away from showing us any details of Murderbot casually interacting with others (or other characters with each other). To a certain extend, that makes sense, as Murderbot is famously anti-social (or pretends to be). But it's starting to frustrate me a little bit, especially here, where two of the most prominent characters in the series, and the two people Murderbot itself is the most attached to, get one or two lines in the last 2 pages at most, not even enough to be considered a dialogue.

I also found the overall tension arc of this book a bit confusing - there is a huge confrontation 60-70% in the book that is very detailed, high-stakes and emotional. Then anything after that is abbreviated. A lot of the book, Murderbot and its companions spend travelling, and while the previous stops were all described in detail, the book then just skims over several more stops before going into the finale. And that finale pales significantly in comparison to the earlier confrontation, and ends super inconclusively. The book then jumps straight into a very (emotionally) unsatisfying ending.

I am aware that my personal frustration with the lack of epilogue to round out my emotional investment in the book heavily tinges how I feel about it, but I do think that even disregarding the ending, this is one of the weakest installments in the series. It has wonderful moments, the typical humor, an emotional punch, and is very intrinsically Murderbot - but the way it is plotted and structured isn't as cohesive as the other books, and it feels unbalanced in some parts.

I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read of 2026!

I was happy to see another addition to the Murderbot series, and grateful to get my hands on an early copy. This one follows our favorite SecUnit on a new mission that reads like a side quest to the larger story. It doesn’t do much to advance the main plot. Just like with all the other installments, I had trouble picturing the environments and following some of the action, but that was my issue and not the author’s fault.

The best part of the story by far was the banter and the interactions between SecUnit and the children. But there wasn’t enough of it for me. Overall, I found this book a bit lackluster in comparison to the others.

I WAS amused that SecUnit used the word “fuck” a lot. And I liked the ending quite a bit. I’ll definitely keep reading these as long as Martha Wells continues to write them.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally, this murdering cybor series is one of my favorite comfort books.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murderbot is adjusting to life with its humans learning to trust it. Dr Mensah has asked Murderbot to rescue several family members, which it will of course do because Dr Mensah and her family is its people. The plan goes awry (because no amount of careful planning would have had it predict Leonide of Barish-Estranza would be there) and due to circumstances well outside of its control, Murderbot is now responsible for rescuing more people it doesn't know. And they are juveniles. Murderbot knows its duty, though, and with its newly installed mental health module, maybe it will get though the mission er, emotionally in tact, too.

A new Murderbot book is worth dropping everything else to read, to see what adventure Martha Wells will take us on. Platform Decay is a short novel/long novella and takes place after the events of System Collapse. The plot arc feels closer to a novella in structure, and reads fast paced because of it. This is actually the first Murderbot I've read with my eyes since All Systems Red in 2020, and all of my rereads have been via audio since, but I found myself really enjoying the parentheticals and side commentary from our favorite high-anxiety SecUnit.

Murderbot's mental health module provides a new influx of comic relief (and human insight) where jokes of it relying only on its media alone to get through the worst were not sufficient after its system collapse in the previous book. We read Murderbot stories for for their keen relatability to human nature and its snarky attitude, and the emotion checks tie us back to that. The emotion checks force an honesty in Murderbot and progression in character from where it was when it first hacked its governor module to realizing who its humans were to bearing the emotional burden of choice and friendship.

Thank you to Tor for an eARC. Platform Decay is out 5/5/2026.

[Rian *fire and books* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This genuinely feels like one of the best installments in this series. There is so much emotional payoff for things we’ve been building towards. We got to meet more of Mensah’s family and let me tell you, one of them is a hoot and the other has a homicidal eyelid twitch. They’re perfect.

I can’t wait to reread this when the audiobook drops.

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a moment to get back into the swing of things, as it always does with a Murderbot story, but once things got moving I was so happy to be back with this SecUnit on another adventure surrounded by humans with too many emotions and icky human physical needs. But bonus, this time Murderbot has its own mental health module running and has emotional checks running throughout the shenanigans; what fun that was.

Really enjoyed this instalment and am already looking forward to the next. Also, side note, can't wait for more of the tv series!

3.5 stars

Full review to come.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) exchange for an honest review. **

[toloveabook · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) A new Murderbot! This is my comfort series - one I reach for multiple times a year. I desperately needed this to be good, and it did not disappoint!

Platform Decay is charming and funny, with action that kept me on the edge of my seat. It has everything that made me fall in love with the series. Murderbot is on a mission to rescue a kidnapped family. As always, Murderbot is trying its best to keep these humans safe, even though the juveniles insist on clinging to it and the stupid station is the size of a planet and it’s new mental health module won’t stop demanding emotion checks.

The huge space station setting was genuinely interesting, and I fell in love with all the new characters. I was especially thrilled to see how Murderbot adapted to interacting with juveniles. I’m so impressed with how Wells continues to develop Murderbot as a character. Murderbot is growing and changing but is still the Murderbot we know and love. Fans will love this latest installment of The Murderbot Diaries!

I received an eARC from Tor Books. Opinions are my own.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Tor who provided me a copy of this title though NetGalley.
Once again Wells delivers a Murderbot book that's fun, sassy, and exactly what fans come to expect from this series. It starts with Murderbot and Three infiltrating a station on a rescue mission which turns into a more complicated situation, because as usual, Murderbot has shit luck when humans are involved.
We're introduced to a few new members of Mensah's family, and they are a delight, Naja especially. She's not allowed to have a gun, and I would love to know the context surrounding that.
The story also reads like the space version of the worst airport experience ever and has an overall lighter tone from System Collapse. This is added to by the addition of Murderbot's new mental health process Emotion Check, which is so enjoyable, I can't wait to see how it's utilized in future books.
Murderbot continues to be the most relatable character I've ever read and l think fans new and old will greatly enjoy this instalment.

[Stacey Markle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotion Check : Delightful

This 8th episode of the Murderbot Diaries delivers all of the clever banter, action and dare I say...humanity?

SecUnit takes on a new rescue mission. Along for the ride is Farai and the others, but we also get some new characters that will add to Murderbot's responsibility. As always, B-E is hunting them but SecUnit and it's tech are clever enough to stay one step ahead.

I could not love Murderbot more.

thank you to NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

[Jenn "JR" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just over two years ago, I discovered — and promptly devoured — Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries. The series hooked me with its unusual protagonist: a part‑organic, part‑mechanical security construct who has hacked its governor module and claimed its own autonomy. Calling itself “Murderbot,” it’s a hyper‑competent multitasker who can monitor a dozen threats while binge‑watching future‑space telenovelas. As a relatively “new” human, Murderbot has a complicated relationship with emotions, and the series tracks its gradual, often funny, often touching evolution as it figures out what it means to be a person, make friends, and navigate feelings it never asked for. It’s no surprise that many readers see Murderbot as a stand‑in for teenagers, neurodivergent folks, or anyone who has ever felt out of sync with the world.

If you’re new to the series — or if you’ve only watched the Apple TV+ adaptation — there’s still time to catch up. At its core, Murderbot’s story is a sequence of adventures that double as a coming‑into‑personhood narrative. It has an intrinsic sense of fairness, a habit of pulling information from wildly diverse sources (especially pop culture), and a growing awareness of the political structures around it. One of the series’ ongoing themes is the tension between the hyper‑capitalist “Corporation Rim” and the more egalitarian societies struggling to exist outside its reach.

Platform Decay, the eighth installment, can absolutely stand alone. Wells gives new readers enough grounding to understand who Murderbot is, what it can do, and why its freedom is precarious.

This time, the action unfolds on a massive rotating space station shaped like a torus, orbiting a planet that has been strip‑mined into ruin. (If you’re not familiar with torus habitats, the Stanford Torus page on Wikipedia has great visuals.) The station itself is one of the book’s delights: Wells avoids the trap of “video‑game level design” by giving each subdivision its own history, socioeconomic profile, and architectural logic.

The plot centers on Murderbot and its fellow SecUnit, Three — a newer model who has been free for far less time — as they attempt to rescue their friends from Preservation. These friends, all brown and all from a non‑Rim world, have been illegally detained by Corporation operatives and are being processed for indentured servitude (or worse). The parallels to the past year of ICE overreach in the U.S. are unmistakable. Wells doesn’t soften the critique; she uses the sci‑fi frame to make the injustice sharper, not more distant.

While Murderbot can hack security systems, forge credentials, and erase itself from surveillance feeds without breaking a sweat, its real challenge is blending in. Much of the book’s humor comes from its attempts to navigate the crush of humanity on the torus, including installing movement‑assist modules so it can walk more like a natural‑born human. The resulting journey has a bit of Tintin energy — lots of transit systems, lots of motion, lots of chaotic detours — all described with Wells’ signature dry wit.

There’s plenty of action: rescuing friends, evading capture, investigating reports of a “rogue SecUnit” (which turns out to be Three making some questionable choices out of boredom), and dealing with wealthy, entitled kids who have turned piracy into a hobbyist “smash and grab.” Through it all, Murderbot remains Murderbot — trying to minimize harm when possible, but taking undeniable satisfaction in dealing decisively with people who insist on being terrible. At one point, it does all this with a kindergartener attached to it like a barnacle, which is exactly the kind of chaotic tenderness that makes this series work.

And ultimately, Platform Decay is less about whether Murderbot will succeed — long‑time readers know the mission will get done — and more about how it gets there. The pleasure of this installment is in the movement, the worldbuilding, the character beats, and the messy, funny, deeply human moments along the way. After so much fast‑paced action, the ending feels a bit anticlimactic, but that’s because the real payoff is the journey itself.

ORIGINAL URL: http://www.livegreenwearblack.com/202...


Thanks to TOR and NetGalley for the ARC. The book is due out in May 2026.

[Devin Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the whole extraction plotline and had nO idea how much i needed a novella of murderbot having to protect children in my life but this was perfect 🥺😭💕🖤

[Victoria Janssen]

Platform Decay by Martha Wells is the eighth in the Murderbot series; it’s due out May 5, 2026. I had a copy via Netgalley. Our hero begins a rescue mission to an unusual space station–a torus circling a dead planet–with Three. After Three separates to provide a distraction (which seems like it will turn into a separate story), Murderbot proceeds with the rescue. Then it unexpectedly encounters an old enemy, which leads to a hazardous journey through an interesting series of environments, while trying to avoid security in search of a rogue Sec Unit…or more than one. The plot rollicked along and I loved how Murderbot did its job while also acknowledging and wrestling with its emotions.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I didn’t love System Collapse, the previous book. I’ve read it three times now and it seems less funny and meaningful than all the other books in the Murderbot series, and harder to follow.

So I was nervous about Platform Decay. We spend almost no time with any other characters we know – at least with any other characters we know well. The “bunch of humans it doesn’t know” referred to in the book’s blurb are relatives of Mensah. But I scolded myself for expecting Ratthi and Gurathin all the time and went with it.

Aside from new humans to deal with, and a new location, it was pretty typical Murderbot. Figuring stuff out, doing too many things at once, being sarcastic, not having enough time to watch media. The new humans are fine and cast a bit of light on Murderbot’s relationship with Mensah. (And an early reference to JollyBaby made me laugh.)

This book is definitely not a starting point for a new reader or someone who has only watched the TV series. We are in pretty deep with Murderbot at this point. I would say this was most similar to Artificial Condition, only with less ART and with Murderbot feeling more confident in its own skin.

I read an advance reader copy of Platform Decay from Netgalley.

[Gretal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought me so much joy! I've missed being in Murderbot's head.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was solid. I think Murderbot itself was more engaged with the humans, which definitely signifies some growth there. Though the actual mission felt a little like throwing spaghetti at the wall from the sheer amount of totally disconnected things that kept happening that Murderbot then had to somehow weasel its way out of without putting any of its humans in danger. The ending felt more than a little abrupt, but I suppose that’s par for the course with novellas.

I also had a hard time slotting this story into the overall timeline. I think, based on references to Amena and the existence of Three that it takes place chronologically right after the previous novella, but that wasn’t super obvious (at least without rereading that one)

{Thank you TorDotCom for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}

[aforestofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRIENDS

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Low-key stakes, maximum Murderbot vibes

Platform Decay once again proves that Martha Wells could make Murderbot do something mundane for 250 pages, and I'd still read and enjoy it. 

This novella isn’t high-stakes or earth-shattering, and honestly? I didn’t mind one bit. Spending time in Murderbot’s head is the whole appeal — the dry humor, the reluctant care, the constant analysis of human weirdness.

What really struck me is how vulnerable Murderbot feels despite being the most heavily armored, heavily armed being in any given room. Wells does such a good job making that contrast feel natural — this balance of soft, anxious interiority wrapped in indestructible metal (although there is a good portion of....costume change...in this novel).

The story itself is quieter: more observation, more relationship dynamics, more internal processing than explosive action. And it works. I was fully hooked, simply because time with Murderbot is time well spent, even when the stakes are small and the character growth is incremental rather than colossal.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for the eARC!

#PlatformDecay #Murderbot #Netgalley 

[Slmstanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an Advance Reader copy of this title!

Those of us who are Murderbot fans will need no inducement to have already pre-ordered this title; any review which stated "Shenanigans Ensue" would cover the heart of the book reasonably well for such individuals.

(For those who haven't yet discovered the joy and beauty that is this series, please be advised that this is the latest volume in a series; don't start here.)

The shenanigans mentioned above include: Murderbot and Three undertaking a rescue of Mensah's family members from a Corporate station, Three absolutely having their own ideas about the agenda of the day (hint: not all SecUnits are the same), Murderbot being surprised that it isn't the center of the universe, a good look at what the folks-next-door think about Corporate goons, and how when you've only ever had a hammer, it's hard to remember to use the other tools in your new toolbox (metaphorically speaking.)

In short: it's just as awesome as all the others!

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 8th installment in the Murderbot Diaries starts with a bang and doesn’t slow down. The pace and action is going to grab you and not let you go until the end, so be prepared to buckle in once you get started.

We rejoin our favorite SecUnit (now with new and improved PTSD!) as it embarks on a rescue mission to save its humans from more, significantly more violent, humans. Even better, both Three and ART are still part of the retinue, with hints that more machine intelligences could be added later in subsequent books.

Who knew that a robot was going to be one of my favorite representations of autism and trauma in media, but here we are. Murderbot’s autism-adjacent character has been discussed previously, but what I really found subtle and accurate about the way the character has developed (particularly in this book) is how people on the spectrum respond to and deal with trauma. Murderbot heavily intellectualizes its feelings throughout the book, which is not the same as FEELING those feelings, something that is a common struggle with people on the spectrum. Murderbot may not be human, but it is definitely a person.

I also very much enjoyed watching how Murderbot interacted, both externally and internally, with kids. It was simultaneously frustrated, confused, and incredibly protective and tender–much to its own distress. I found these interactions incredibly funny and endearing. Who knew I could love Murderbot more?

These books just keep getting better and better. Between the action and character development, Platform Decay is definitely ranking among my favorites of the entire series thus far. Don’t be surprised if you want to flip to the first page and start again as soon as you finish reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the series. I enjoyed it, although I won’t call it a fave. This weirdly feels like a filler episode since SecUnit isn’t yet on mission with Art and its crew. This is a rescue mission. I was so confused in the beginning since we are thrown in with little explanation, but as well it all comes to light pretty quickly.
There were a lot of moving parts, places, hostile #s, and drones so I did get confused a few times on what exactly was happening. I think I might enjoy this one more the next time through.

But yes, I enjoyed this and as always am looking forward to the next one!

—review copy obtained through NetGalley—

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that gave me a whole lot of emotions. I hope Martha Wells keeps writing these for a long, long time.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muderbot never disappoints. I loved seeing Murderbot deal with its trauma and I adored getting to see snapshots of Three learning how to be its own being. I did wish we got more reoccurring characters, but it was delightful to see Murderbot through the eyes of Mensah's family members. It was also lovely to see it get more comfortable with people and being seen as a valuable team member. A great follow up in the series! Left me wanting more, as always.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Murderbot!!!! I should’ve saved this or read closer to pub date, but I couldn’t!! And I have no regrets, except that it’s over now. (I’ll probs reread it in Graphic Audio format eventually, though).

This one starts out right in the action and you have no idea what’s going on for the first 15% or so (I thought I’d maybe missed a book??). But ofc it’s all intentional. And the payoff is great.

I can’t say too much for fear of spoilers, but the humans in this one are delightful. I love them all!!

Maybe it’s messed up, but I kind of cheer when Murderbot gets to fight/shoot people? I mean, you’re reading a review for Murderbot #8, you probably get it.

Anyway, if this series ever ends, I will cry!! (Emotion check: feeling all the feelings)

Thanks to Netgalley & Tor for the e-arc! It’s out May 2026!

[Hollowspine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 8th book in her Murderbot Diaries series Wells further develops the characters and world while giving readers yet another action - and ugh emotion - packed novella. SecUnit is relieved to be off Hell Plague Planet, and on another extraction similar to Exit Strategy, only this time with more humans to save, including a complicated alliance that gives a glimpse into family dynamics in the corporation rim.

Fans of the series will be excited to welcome Three into the mix, and see it try to navigate it's own journey into autonomy, aided by a aggrieved, yet supportive, SecUnit. All-in-all yet another absolute gem of a book to add to the series.

[Pippin Took, the Shire Hobbit · Rating 2 out of 5]

“There was nothing I could do about it now, so I watched episode 487 of Sanctuary Moon and tried to pretend none of this was happening.”

Thank you to netgalley and TorDotCom for the arc.

I am a huge fan of Murderbot and the first 5 books have all been either great or excellent reads for me. The last two books have been mixed reads for me and unfortunately this one is a miss for me as well.

It is mostly a taste thing though. To me Murderbot is about popcorn action, found family, and MB’s sarcastic internal running commentary. As Murderbot grows, evolves, and deals with freedom, it is put into situations where it can’t keep making wisecracks and punch its way out- This is fair, sensible, and adds a realistic character arc to SecUnit. It’s just not fun for me as this is one of my designated comfort series and I want more of the stuff I am familiar with.

Coming specifically to this book, Murderbot is once again trapped in a situation where it has to rescue a bunch of humans from a dangerous situation. The blurb mentioned that MB has to spend time with a group of humans it doesn’t know and this piqued my curiosity. This situation is the recipe for success because MB is socially awkward and brings itself comfort by snarking about the humans it is stuck with internally. However, because of the stuff I’ve mentioned previously, the interactions between Murderbot and the new set of humans are not fun.

One other thing I was missing was dialogue. Usually Murderbot books are dialogue heavy but this book appears to be very descriptive and we barely have the characters talking to each other. They’re stuck in a gigantic space station and they travel across many zones that are described in detail. I don’t know if it was again a me thing but the plot also felt like it lacked urgency. I have travelled for 7 books with MB and I know how capable and powerful it is. The challenge and level of enemies it is facing does not appear to have scaled up, contributing to this book feeling like a filler episode. I was always convinced that Murderbot would win the day even if it suffered some losses. And since there wasn’t much interaction between the group, and it was a new cast of characters who I was told was very important to some familiar characters but was only told that- and I never connected with them, I couldn’t feel invested.

As always your mileage may vary, so take my review with a pinch of salt. This book didn’t work for me, but I am still invested in the Murderbot universe and will be excited every time there’s a new murderbot installment. Murderbot is just such an amazing character and concept, and Martha Wells has more than earned my faith.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

System Decay

***OUT IN MAY!***
Ok let me level with you… we are 8 books deep. Granted they are not large books BUT at this point, my biggest takeaway would be to say if you haven’t read this series, what the heck are you waiting for?

Emotion check: So damn happy this was so fun. Eight installments in and our favorite cranky antisocial SecUnit has a new mission and this one includes him having to talk to humans and *gasp* children. It is a rescue mission and to go further would ruin a lot of the fun that is set up here. Final time I’ll say it.. 8 books… this book starts pretty much where System Collapse ends so be aware remembering the events of these novels are important to get the most out of this one.

Guys, this book made me smile a lot. Murderbot is has such a dry humor. Literally he would be happiest watching Netflix and actually chilling. He will always be my favorite. Trust me when I say you will love this book.

Thank you Tor for my review copy!

[D.G.]

Finally we have a pub date!! 🎉 Time for me to read the last two books for the 15th, 20th time? (This is my Sanctuary Moon, I re-read these books obsessively, specially when something is going wrong in my life.)

[Arden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you so much, Murderbot. So, so much. That ending made me cry tears of love.

thank you TOR for uploading the digital ARC on a day I really, reeeaaallly needed it.

[Rachel Ayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun and satisfying entry, can't wait for more!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murderbot is back with yet another half-assed rescue mission involving — UGH — juveniles who want to *hold its hand*. Don’t worry, Murderbot has projectile weapons and plenty of anger to work out on the baddies.