Shall I compare thee to another book?
Thou art more snarky and more action packed.
Yes, like the rest of the internet, I’m truly, madly, deeply in love with Murderbot, and the whole Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells.
No, the books do not contain romance. Not even the barest b-story hint of it.
In fact, Murderbot doesn’t possess any gender or sex-related parts, and finds it so hard to relate to love that it fast forwards past the mushy scenes in its favourite soap operas. Murderbot also avoids friendships and interacting with others, human and AI alike, at all costs.
So why am I posting about Murderbot on a blog that’s supposed to be about “Science Fiction With Heart?”
Let me give you three reasons these stories are overflowing with heart, and why you should read the entire murderbot series even if you normally exclusively read Space Opera or Sci-fi Romance:
#1 Murderbot is HILARIOUS
One thing readers of Space Opera and Sci-fi Romance love is the engaging, hilarious banter these subgenres provide. Our favourite characters might be in the middle of saving the universe, but they’re volleying witty remarks and hilarious comebacks while they do it. The banter is often funny and lighthearted, giving the reader the feeling of being a part of a group of longtime friends.
Reading a book in the Murderbot Diaries is like reading a stream-of-conciousness version of the snarky banter we love. Murderbot’s conversations with other characters, AI and human alike, never cease to make me laugh out loud. But even when Murderbot doesn’t have a dialogue partner, its still snarking away in its head. And as the reader, you’re right there inside Murderbot’s thoughts getting to enjoy it all and feeling like you and Murderbot are longtime friends with a backstock of shared inside jokes about the follies of humanity.
#2 Murderbot is About Characters and Relationships
For an android bent on avoiding social interaction at all costs, Murderbot sure makes a lot of interesting friends. From the foolhardy and fragile humans Murderbot perpetually finds itself rescuing to its recurring frenemyship with the self-satisfied AI research vessel ART, Murderbot’s interactions with the other characters in the series are nuanced and satisfying.
But most satisfying of all is Murderbot’s ever-developing relationship with itself, which arcs incrementally over the whole series. Murderbot confronts the secrets of its past, battles its own humanity, and blazes a path for its future with equal parts sarcasm, denial and moments of raw truth.
#3 Murderbot is Utterly Relatable
Which brings me to the thing that we all truly love about Murderbot. We all see elements of ourselves and our own humanity in the anxious, sarcastic android.
Ever spend an evening devouring a romance novel because you need an escape from the stresses of real social interactions? Ever mutter under your breath about the idiocy of others only to find you’re doing the same thing yourself? Ever been in a meeting so boring and pointless you find yourself replaying an old episode of your favourite show in your head while listening with one ear?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’ll find Murderbot utterly relatable. Murderbot may be a deadly android in a futuristic world, but its anxieties, needs and frustrations are the same as ours.
If you love Sci-fi stories that manage to touch your heart and teach you something about your own humanity in the midst of fast-paced, death defying action, I highly suggest you give Murderbot a try!
The Real Reason I’m In Love With Murderbot
I see myself reflected in many of Murderbot’s personality quirks, but the person I see most of all is the love of my life. Murderbot is my husband in sci-fi character form. Every time Murderbot makes a snarky, all-too-true comment about humans, I hear it in David’s voice.
I read Murderbot when my hubby is away and I’m missing him, and it feels like he’s right there next to me and we’re going on an adventure together.
If you have a snarky, antisocial, secretly self-sacrificing loved one in your life, I bet you’ll adore the Murderbot Diaries as much as I do.
