by Patrick Ogle
Murderbot Diaries--Network Effect, Fugitive Telemetry and System Collapse by Martha Wells are the last of the currently available Murderbot books (excluding some online short stories). I was going to read these slowly and in a measured way, alternating with other books.
Then I just said "fuck it" and read them all in a row. This may have been a mistake.
First of all Network Effect, the fifth book, is the first to be unassailably be a novel rather than a novella. Yes, I have seen, and am indifferent to, the arguments over what is a novella and a novel. Who cares? The first four books are relatively short, concise and therefore move at a quick pace. Network Effect moves at a more deliberate clip. It is significantly more detailed and involved than the other books. It may even sometimes get a wee bit ponderous. This isn't to say it is ever less than entertaining. It fills in gaps and lets us know more about the important characters (and brings back some that most of us Murderbot aficionados missed).
But it is different from the first for books. Different isn't bad of course but I was slower reading this one. The story is more complex than the previous books and that is a good thing. To me not BETTER than the first four. Simply different.
Murderbot Diaries--Network Effect, Fugitive Telemetry and System Collapse by Martha Wells are the last of the currently available Murderbot books (excluding some online short stories). I was going to read these slowly and in a measured way, alternating with other books.
Then I just said "fuck it" and read them all in a row. This may have been a mistake.
First of all Network Effect, the fifth book, is the first to be unassailably be a novel rather than a novella. Yes, I have seen, and am indifferent to, the arguments over what is a novella and a novel. Who cares? The first four books are relatively short, concise and therefore move at a quick pace. Network Effect moves at a more deliberate clip. It is significantly more detailed and involved than the other books. It may even sometimes get a wee bit ponderous. This isn't to say it is ever less than entertaining. It fills in gaps and lets us know more about the important characters (and brings back some that most of us Murderbot aficionados missed).
But it is different from the first for books. Different isn't bad of course but I was slower reading this one. The story is more complex than the previous books and that is a good thing. To me not BETTER than the first four. Simply different.
Fugitive Telemetry is set on a space station that is familiar to Murderbot fans and reads more like a detective novel than the other books. It is another different direction--an interesting new direction for the series. I'm not sure I'd be thrilled if it KEPT on this trajectory (it doesn't as we will see when I get to the next book). But it is a fun, self contained, story.
It is a good idea to, more or less, read these books in order but if you read this one after book one or two it wouldn't throw you off. It actually seems like it would fit after book one or two in some ways.
System Collapse is basically a direct sequel to Network Effect and feels almost an excised part of the earlier book. It adds together a couple groups of Murderbot's humans (as he calls them). What that means is even more characters in a crowded book that goes back to the short format of most of these books. It basically works but is a bit less than "action packed." This story relies on suspense; what's going on in Murderbot's head? or what's around that corner?
At least to me the book provides a satisfying ending to the plot. I wonder if there isn't a bit of me wanting different things to happen going on in MY head with these last couple of books. But there is definitely a change in the pace in Network Effect and System Collapse.
Nonetheless, the series continues to impress and, to me, is sort of essential reading. It is all so smart and it tells stories fast for our newly Tik Tok shortened attention spans, while still providing intelligent writing and compelling stories.
It is a good idea to, more or less, read these books in order but if you read this one after book one or two it wouldn't throw you off. It actually seems like it would fit after book one or two in some ways.
System Collapse is basically a direct sequel to Network Effect and feels almost an excised part of the earlier book. It adds together a couple groups of Murderbot's humans (as he calls them). What that means is even more characters in a crowded book that goes back to the short format of most of these books. It basically works but is a bit less than "action packed." This story relies on suspense; what's going on in Murderbot's head? or what's around that corner?
At least to me the book provides a satisfying ending to the plot. I wonder if there isn't a bit of me wanting different things to happen going on in MY head with these last couple of books. But there is definitely a change in the pace in Network Effect and System Collapse.
Nonetheless, the series continues to impress and, to me, is sort of essential reading. It is all so smart and it tells stories fast for our newly Tik Tok shortened attention spans, while still providing intelligent writing and compelling stories.
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