Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

Martha Wells's Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus Award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Murderbot Diaries, comes to a thrilling conclusion in Exit Strategy. Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right? Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit. But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue? And what will become of it when it’s caught? "I love Murderbot!" —Ann Leckie The Murderbot Diaries #1 All Systems Red #2 Artificial Condition #3 Rogue Protocol #4 Exit Strategy At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ah, Murderbot. I've missed its jaded-ass voice, and its obsession with entertainment media is so relatable. “Why am I compelled by my guilty conscience to work, I just want to stay in my corner and watch drama serials all day” is definitely a mood.

I'm starting to think that the episodic nature of Murderbot novellas are probably... deliberate? To perhaps mirror the episodes of the serials that it loves watching so much. In any case, that's completely up my alley and my short attention span these days. This installment was enjoyable, with Murderbot teaming up with some old friends to bring down a nasty corporation.

There're definitely some interesting messages to be had if you dig a bit deeper below the surface - there is criticism about capitalism and big corporations gaining too much power, there is questioning what exactly makes humans human, and then also living through events from the perspective from a robot for whom the boundaries between AI and humanity is tenuous at best. This is the book where Murderbot catches feelings, and it doesn't like it.

I'm not a huge sci-fi reader so there are occasionally passages where I zone out quite a bit. Murderbot can sometimes get a bit technical in its narrative, but even just being there for its hilarious asides and commentary on the events and people around it, as well as the dialogue that goes on between itself and its companions is worth reading this whole series for.

Certainly continuing on the rest of the series.

Realistic, gradual and sustained character growth is rare in novels. And yet, Murderbot has clearly grown in this fourth installation, which it reunites with many of the characters from the debut novel. Murderbot starts having and believing in its emotions and starts believing that relationships with people matter. Most of this novella is emotional work and it feels deeply satisfying after the first three books.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Murderbot novellas and this, the 4th entry to the series, is the best so far. The basic premise remains - we have our Murderbot (security unit) who has managed to rewrite their programming to make themselves self aware but has to hide that they have overridden all their protocols. We return almost full circle as the Murderbot finds out that Dr Mensah, who befriended them back in the first novella, is in danger. Despite going rogue they are still a SecUnit at heart and they go in to rescue Dr Mensah. The action stakes are raised in this outing, the action sequences some of the best yet in the series. The characters were all in place before so less time needs to be put into the character development and the novella can focus on the plot. The novella format works in our favour as it gives just enough time to produce a tidy, fast paced action pastiche without dragging or feeling slow.

So happy that more Murderbot is in the works!