Artificial Condition
Ratings1,078
Average rating4.2
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, and while I continue to love the protagonist and its development, I felt a bit let down by the book as a whole.
For such a short book, it took a while to get going, and overall, I just didn't care for the storyline much. The world building was also a bit confusing. I found it difficult to know what was and was not possible for characters to do. The ship's artificial intelligence (ART) was a fantastic character, but its abilities bordered on omniscient, and I couldn't really wrap my head around it. Murderbot could also instantly hack and alter pretty much everything she interacted with, and the playful way it's all explained doesn't actually clarify much.
The first book didn't do much explaining either, but the setting was much more controlled, so I didn't mind the lack of detail at all. Now though, Murderbot is traveling into new parts of a bigger world with more diverse tech, but can still somehow instantly hack everything. It just left me feeling a little adrift.
The strength of All Systems Red may get me to read the third book, but I'm less sure I want to continue the series now. I want to keep reading about Murderbot, but I'm just not sure one kick ass character can carry four novellas and a novel.
Wells has depth. This was not as shockingly good as the first – it felt a little contrived and was way over the top in the unlikely-coincidence department – but it was still damn good, and I've started right up on #3. I'm really enjoying Wells's characters, their dilemmas and moral reasoning and kindness and awareness. It's just so refreshing right now.
My guess is that this book was a stepping-stone: Wells has an idea of where she wants to take the saga but it wouldn't all fit with the background-establishing here, so we got an action story tossed in and a few loose threads that I'm sure we'll be seeing more of. I'm totally Ok with that.
The second book in the Murderbot Diaries series picks up pretty much where the previous one left off. Our introverted robot protagonist has tried to move off grid and live as an augmented human. At the same time she is searching for answers to her past.
A lot of this book was devoted to the relationship between Eden (our Muderbot) and ART (Asshole Research Transport). They make for an interesting odd couple and provide most of the interest in this story. The plot is not as tight as the first novella in this series and the end feeling is that we have not really advanced the story that much from the previous entry in the series. The writing is still entertaining and the sardonic wit of Eden and her burning desire to watch bad TV rather than do anything else give a nice gentle humour to all the proceedings.
Whilst not up to the brilliance of the first story, this is still an entertaining read, well worthy of your time. The novella format makes it easily digestible.
The Murderbot Diaries strangely appeal to me. As I'm still on my way to the full length novel, recently published, I'm wondering at the simple elegance and straightforwardness of the novellas.This second instalment in the series is, thankfully, pretty much more of the same in a very good way. We still get a good view of a “construct” that's basically a robot with human parts - and it shows: Murderbot feels slightly like it's a person on the autism scale.“I skimmed it but most of my attention was on getting through the crowd while pretending to be an ordinary augmented human, and not a terrifying murderbot. This involved not panicking when anybody accidentally made eye contact with me.”This time, Murderbot is literally and metaphorically on a journey: Having recently run away from its benefactor of the [b:first novella 32758901 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) Martha Wells https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484171189l/32758901.SY75.jpg 53349516], Dr. Mensah, it's now literally on the way to dig into its own - murderous? - past. Metaphorically speaking, Murderbot is on a journey to find itself, to find out what it actually wants - if having a guardian is actually the same as having an owner and other questions.“On the way to this transit ring, alone on my empty cargo transport, I had had a chance to do a lot of thinking about why I had left Mensah, and what I wanted. I know, it was a surprise to me, too. But even I knew I couldn't spend the rest of my lifespan alone riding cargo transports and consuming media, as attractive as it sounded.”Fortunately, it finds a friend in ART, a Research Transport, with computing power beyond even its own comprehension. When Murderbot gets itself hired by a human “crew”, things quickly become complicated because lurking beneath waves of “non-caring” is a complicated being that has more in common with us humans than it likes to admit. Murderbot feels more compelled to help its humans by them asking it to than it ever was by its long-gone governor chip. And yet it's still the socially-impaired escapist media junky:“I wanted to just sink into my media downloads for a while and pretend I didn't exist.”Murderbot acts uncompromisingly human and is just as full of flaws as the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, though, it transcends those flaws if it has to. If that doesn't give the rest of us nerds hope, what could?Suspenseful, intelligent, cool science fiction. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram
Good but not great. I have no idea how I feel about this. I'll keep reading buuuut I also got these first four novellas for free from Orbit.
I'm getting Bill Bixby Hulk vibes here and that's fine. Murderbot has a ship friend now.
Very good. I miss the previous cast but enjoy Murderbot's new friends. Time to check if my library is still open so I can get #3!
This second installment in the Murderbot Diaries series picks up right where All Systems Red leaves off. Murderbot has set out on its own as it searches for clues from its past and as it seeks to understand its own identity. It meets another rogue-ish “construct”, nicknamed ART, who is a real standout addition. Wells imbues these non-human characters with so much humanity that they're incredibly engaging and fun to root for. This story was a worthy successor to the first novella, even if it didn't feel as complete or fully fleshed out as that tale. On to #3!
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.
First read around, the plot was confusing because there was too much time between the first book and this one to remember the plot. Second read around, since they're so short they all make up 1 book, I'm reading them back-to-back and shouldn't have the plot refresher issue.
In book 2, Murderbot strikes out on its own, for about twenty minutes before the ship it is a stowaway on demands to watch TV together.
More seriously, Artificial Condition explores themes of unresolved trauma. As much as we might yearn for it, closure is far from a guarantee. Even if we don't find anything surprising when we revisit the past, we may still be surprised that we do not feel better after doing so.
Just surviving trauma is enough of a feat, let alone how it can create tunnel vision, or make us far too hard on ourselves or others. On the other hand, small gestures of tenderness and care from others can feel overwhelming or misplaced. Trust, vulnerability, and self-compassion are really difficult to access when you are caught in a holding pattern of fear and unease. And that is what the silly robot taught me in this one.
2019 review: I read [b:All Systems Red|32758901|All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)|Martha Wells|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631585309l/32758901._SY75_.jpg|53349516] last year, and loved it. I was excited to finally continue the series. I love Murderbot. I love how the tone and length of the books match our protagonist. The narrator is so clearly winded by social interactions that go on for too long. I love that Murderbot is both very motivated by emotion, and very uncomfortable expressing emotion. I love Wells' commentary on the ability to say no (and exist around others who accept your no). It's a funny and endearing series, with enough speculative technology and self-reflection to make it more than surface-level.
That was a fun, quick read. The Murderbot goes in search of mysteries in its own past. On the way it has to utilize its special security skills and learn to deal with humans. It also gains a friend – well, perhaps more of a big brother.
Solid four stars.
This one felt sort of anemic compared to the first one, and the one that followed. idk
4 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary: An ungoverned, free-willed cyborg and security expert searches out an episode in its past in which it seems to have killed a considerable number of people.
Review: I'm glad to fill in the gap between books 1 and 3, even if out of sequence. This book has more in common with its prequel than its sequel – the character is the focus, and works well. The story is reasonably credible (if a little pat in places). The brevity of the book screams out ‘This should have been a portion of one big book‘, just as the other parts did.
Still, aside from that ongoing complaint, the book is a lot of fun, and a good continuation of an engaging story. I wish Wells' Raksura stories had been this good. If you haven't started these yet, I recommend them. However, you may want to wait for the inevitable omnibus volume, so that you don't have to read the books with these artificial separations.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Well Murderbot continues on their adventure/quest, I don't know what to call this thing because those both sound too lighthearted for these novellas but odyssey seems a bit too portentous for the media consuming, human love-hating, and well, maybe not as smart as they think Murderbot. Anyway, this installment is a logical progression of the series and Martha Wells adds some great new characters, keeps the world suitably grim, and adds a bit more humor to an already darkly funny mix. Also I think the reader (sames as #1) did a better job at the humor. Good stuff. Onto #3.
Executive Summary: This book seemed to have less high stakes, but I think in many ways I liked it better. Definitely another great entry in this series.
Audiobook: Kevin R. Free once again does a good job at portraying Murderbot. He nails the sarcasm very well. This book definitely works well in audio.
Full Review
I really enjoyed the first book of this series, but I struggle with the rise in popularity of novellas. I've become so spoiled by 20+ hour audiobooks that a 4 hour book feels like a bad deal.
I managed to get this book as part of a buy one get one sale, and realized that despite it's short length it's one of the best series of the last few years. I feel like the stakes of this story wasn't quite as high as the last book, but I really enjoyed the relationship between Murderbot and the Research Transport ship.
It was this kind of slice of life aspect to the story that endeared Murderbot to me even more than the first book.
That isn't to say there isn't any action. Murderbot takes a job protecting humans who just can't help but get themselves in trouble. Luckily our sarcastic TV loving robot is here to save the day!
I enjoyed this so much I decided to just bite the bullet and buy the rest of the series. I'm eagerly looking forward to the final two novellas and to see where things go from here.
I liked it, but wasn't engaged as much as I was on the first one.
This is the second book in the series and for me not as good as the first book, it was just ok.
Short version: More Murderbot! Yay!
Slightly longer version:
On a quest to find out more about THE INCIDENT when it went rogue, my favorite Murderbot finds an unexpected ally in ART, a research transport bot, and needs to take on clients as a security consultant to blend in.
This quote sums it up nicely:
“Yes, the giant transport bot is going to help the construct SecUnit pretend to be human. This will go well.”
While I enjoyed meeting ART and getting to know Murderbot better, somehow I din't love this second instalment quite as much as I did the first. I'm still looking forward to more Murderbot in the future, though. :)
As if one couldn't adore Murderbot anymore, Murderbot now has a new awesome friend named ART. God, I love this.
Can someone give Murderbot her own TV show? Please. I love these novellas. I can't wait for the 3rd and 4th installment. They are just action packed-when I'm not laughing. I swear, Murderbot's observations of humans and other robots just make my day. I really feel for her too. I want to see this mystery solved as badly as she wants to solve it. Go, Murderbot!
This was everything you loved about the first Murderbot Diary, but moreso. Murderbot explores the meaning of its newfound freedom, while still speaking with the sardonic wit that is quickly becoming its trademark. Along the way it interacts with other AI, which allows Wells to do some interesting worldbuilding, and provides more human fodder for Murderbot to dunk on.
The dark humour of Murderbot is the sort of thing that wouldn't be for everybody, but in a genre that often takes itself Very Seriously, it feels like a breath of fresh air, and the novella length of the story prevents it from becoming overly grim or the humour stale.