Murderbot is my new favorite thing!

I just finished Network Effect by Martha Wells. This is the first full-length novel featuring Murderbot. What a joy!

I only just discovered Murderbot late last year, but the first four novellas came out a few years ago. I can't believe no one has mentioned them to me before— they seem like exactly the sort of thing I would love— but I just happened to see them mentioned on twitter. I looked for them at the local library, but they were all checked out. Then I noticed that the audiobook edition for the first one was available, so I got that. I loved it, so I did the same with each of the other three. They are all read by Kevin R. Free, so he is now the voice of Murderbot for me. I fear that if they ever make a Murderbot movie, I won't be able to see it because Murderbot won't sound right.

But when I got to Network Effect, I had to get on a waiting list. It only came out last May, so there's still a lot of folks who haven't listened to it, I guess. Also, it's much longer, so each person on the list probably keeps it longer.

While I was waiting, I found "Compulsory", a Murderbot short story published a couple of years ago. I also listened to "Obsolescence," which is not a Murderbot story, but feels like the same universe. There is also another Murderbot short story, "home: habitat, range, niche, territory," but I haven't found that yet.

But then I finally got my turn at Network Effect and I devoured it. I tried to stretch it out longer, but I couldn't help myself and before I knew it, I reached the end. Just as well, now the next person on the list can have it!

However, unlike Jane Austen, Martha Wells is still alive and writing! Indeed, a new Murderbot novella, Fugitive Telemetry, is supposed to be released in a couple of months. I can't wait! I am already on the waiting list for the ink-on-paper version at my local library. I don't know how long it takes for audiobooks to come out, but I will probably want to listen to that eventually too.

Fugitive Telemetry takes place before Network Effect, apparently, so there won't be any news about Three. Three is a new character introduced in Network Effect that I am hoping to hear more about.

Murderbot on my phone