Thursday, March 26, 2020

Spring Reading 2020 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)

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These stories are so enjoyable. I'm glad that this one was longer, but it still ended too soon. I felt like Murderbot reaching the end of a favorite media series and wanting more. The progression of this rogue security unit's growth as an independent person rather than a corporate controlled tool is fascinating. The snarky humor (it did name itself Murderbot, after all), the obsession with human entertainment media, and the reluctant friendships with humans, all make the events entertaining even while they are tense or violent or deep in technical details. Murderbot's internal dialogue and asides to the reader are full of observations about how it perceives humans or responds to their actions. When analyzing a human's request to have SecUnit (as they call it) around it says, "Yeah, I assumed it was about me, but humans assume everything is about them, too. It’s not an uncommon problem, okay?" Now really, how many partially biological artificial intelligence security constructs do you know who talk that way?

This is a wonderful series for folks who enjoy their sci-fi with some sarcastic humor woven in, along with all the alien artifacts, corporate greed, laser blasts, wormholes and general geeky fun. I can't wait to see what Murderbot does next. Due to some language and the degree of violence, this is best for YA readers and beyond.

I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes. The book will be released on May 5, 2020.

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