Murderbot Diaries

14 primary works • 19 total works

All Systems Red

by Martha Wells

Published 2 May 2017

All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or lain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. In a corporate dominated s pa cef a ring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid - a self aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as 'Murderbot.1 Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighbouring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

All Systems Red [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 12 September 2023

Artificial Condition

by Martha Wells

Published 30 January 2018

Artificial Condition continues The Murderbot Diaries, a science fiction series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans.

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

It has a dark past-one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself "Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don't want to know what the "A" stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.

Artificial Condition [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 13 October 2023

Rogue Protocol

by Martha Wells

Published 1 September 2018

SciFi’s favoUrite antisocial A.I. is back on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

Martha Wells' Rogue Protocol is the third in the Murderbot Diaries series, starring a human-like android who keeps getting sucked back into adventure after adventure, though it just wants to be left alone, away from humanity and small talk.

Read Rogue Protocol and find out why Hugo Award winner Ann Leckie wrote 'I love Murderbot!'

Rogue Protocol [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 16 November 2023

Exit Strategy

by Martha Wells

Published 1 November 2018

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?

Exit Strategy [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 16 November 2023

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory

by Martha Wells

Published 19 April 2021

"Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory" is a short story set in the world of Martha Well's Murderbot Diaries. This story was originally given free to readers who pre-ordered Network Effect, the fifth entry in the series. The events of "Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory" occur just after the fourth novella, Exit Strategy.

Network Effect

by Martha Wells

Published 5 May 2020

You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot.

Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century.

—

I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.

When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

Network Effect [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 15 January 2024

Fugitive Telemetry

by Martha Wells

Published 27 April 2021

No, I didn't kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn't dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

A new standalone adventure in the New York Times-bestselling, Hugo and Nebula Award winning series!

Fugitive Telemetry [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 24 January 2024

System Collapse [Dramatized Adaptation]

by Martha Wells

Published 11 March 2024

System Collapse

by Martha Wells

Published 14 November 2023

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonised planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.

The Murderbot Diaries

by Martha Wells

Published 22 September 2020

The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 3

by Martha Wells

Published 17 February 2025

“No, I didn't kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn't dump the body in the station mall.”

In Fugitive Telemetry, when Murderbot discovers a body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people - who knew?)

System Collapse follows the events of Network Effect, where Murderbot, ART, and the humans from Preservation are work to protect a human colony from being abducted by the Barish-Estranza Corporation. But with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!

The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1

by Martha Wells

Published 17 February 2025

'As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.'

First, read the first two stories that started the Murderbot phenomenon in All Systems Red and Artificial Condition!

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is (and to watch its favorite show in its downtime.)

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

And when Murderbot teams up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), they infiltrate the mining facility where Murderbot went rogue to try to understand its past.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 2

by Martha Wells

Published 17 February 2025

“Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas?”

Science fiction’s favourite antisocial A.I. is back in Rogue Protocol! The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is.

And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

In Exit Strategy, 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?