Network Effect
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(as of Aug 03, 2025 15:08:36 UTC – Details)
Martha Wells’ New York Times and USA Today best-selling Murderbot series exploded onto the scene in 2017, and the world has not been the same, since.
Murderbot returns in its highly anticipated, first full-length stand-alone novel, Network Effect.
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 AI you’ll listen to 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.
Customers say
Customers find this book engaging and action-packed, with plenty of fascinating twists and turns and terrific fight scenes. They appreciate the well-developed characters, particularly the Murderbot protagonist, and the thought-provoking world-building. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting the remarkable level of storytelling craftsmanship. Customers enjoy the book’s humor, with one noting its dry fish-out-of-water style, and consider it a worthwhile read that doesn’t disappoint.
Michael Lynn McGuire –
Book number five of a seven book series of science fiction novellas, short stories, and novels
Book number five of a seven book series of science fiction novellas, short stories, and full length novels according to the publishing date. However, this is book number six of the seven book series according to series chronological date. I reread the well printed and well bound hardcover published by Tor in 2020 that I bought new from Amazon. I purchased the hardcover since it was cheaper than the trade paperback at the time. The series won the 2021 Hugo for the best series. I have all seven books in the series and am reading the seventh book now.Dr. Arada really wants Murderbot to stop calling hostile people “Targets”. But, Dr. Arada is a terminal optimist. Murderbot is providing security for Dr. Arada’s latest planetary survey when they are held up for food and ransom by a gang in a large boat on a water world. Dr. Thiego was attempting to negotiate with the Targets when the leader shot Murderbot. Murderbot seems to always be the first to get shot. And the last to get shot. As Murderbot resolves the situation, they launch their vessel from the ocean, and join the tractorship in orbit. They return to the Preservation system but are kidnapped almost as soon as they emerge from the wormhole by a unknown spaceship and are dragged back into the wormhole to an unknown system.Murderbot is a SecUnit, similar to a T-800 Terminator with a cloned and severely modified human brain. The brain is supplemented by the AIs in the cpu embedded in its head. There are lungs, there is a blood mixture with a synthetic, there is human skin over the entire body, there is a face, there is hair on the head and eyebrows. Everything else is machine. Somehow, the blood is enriched with electricity as there is no stomach or intestines. But, there are arteries and veins to keep the skin and brain alive. It has a energy gun in each arm and several cameras. The SecUnit can sustain severe damage to everything but the head and still survive.There is a personal MedSystem that continuously monitors the health of the SecUnit and gives constant updates to the SecUnit. And controls the clamps on the various arteries and veins throughout the torso and extremities of the SecUnit in case of damage. And shuts down the SecUnit in case of total system failure. Or reboots the SecUnit if needed.There is a personal SecSystem that has a threat awareness module that continuously updates the SecUnit on any and all threats it perceives. And monitors and controls up to thirty drones.There is a Governor that monitors what the SecUnit is doing versus the current orders (verbal or embedded) and punishes it using pain sensors in the human brain until it complies. And the governor will fry the brain of the SecUnit when if it leaves the vicinity of the controlling authority or the controlling authority leaves vicinity of the SecUnit.Murderbot is a self named SecUnit due to an unfortunate circumstance with 57 miners on a remote moon. It has hacked its governor and no longer allows the governor to give it orders or inflict pain. It prefers to internally watch its 35,000 hours of downloaded media such as episodes of “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon” and “WorldHoppers (aka Stargate)”. Even though it has a face, it does not like to interface with humans, yes, very introverted. It will follow human orders if it sees fit to do so.Murderbot is an incredibly interesting character. It handles horrible situations easily and personal interactions difficultly. Like I said, interesting.Quotes from the book:1. “I am actually alone in my head, and thatâs where 90 plus percent of my problems are.”2. “Anyone who thinks machine intelligences donât have emotions needs to be in this very uncomfortable room right now.”3. “There is a lot about what is going on here that I donât understand. But I am participating anyway.”Warning: There is violence and death in the books. Books one through four are a series of novellas, not regular length books. Book five is a regular length novel, book six is back to the novella, and book seven is a full length novel. You can buy a collection of the first four hardbacks at a nice discount.There is a free short story “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” between books four and five.My rating: 6 out of 5 stars
Crystal teh Great –
Murderbot Diaries is a great sci-fi series! Read it!
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells is a great sci-fi series! I loved every single moment of reading all of it, including this book.I read all the Murderbot Diaries books in the span of about two months. Then I read them all again. I had a hard time putting them down.The books are all written in first person from the perspective of Murderbot, a security unit construct that has overridden its governor module and likes consuming media. All Systems Red follows its first experience having true free-will. Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy continue the first story line, and bring it to a good final stopping point. Fugitive Telemetry is a stand alone story set chronologically after Exit Strategy. Network Effect and System Collapse occur chronologically after Fugitive Telemetry, and follow Murderbot through a new adventure.The writing is good though possibly a little simplistic. The story line is excellent. Very fast paced. The world building is amazing (if you’re really into world building also read the Raksurian series by Wells).The tone is at different times serious, sarcastic and funny. Always a lot of action, but also lots of discussion of emotions and relationships. Zero sex and romance. There are also topics of depression and anxiety, violence and lots of swearing. I would recommend for older teenagers and up. And if you don’t like stories that cast a negative light on corporations then this book is not for you.I originally read the series in the order it was released, which is not in chronological order for that universe. Either order seems fine to me (look up online the chronological order if you want to read them that way). There are also several other short stories from that universe as well.The physical book itself was in great condition.
lizzie nicholson –
Murderbot might not quite know what friendship is. It might not quite understand why it wants to look out for these humans, beyond the professional obligation it no longer has. But when it’s humans are kidnapped during a survey mission, and a ship from the past needs help, Murderbot is all in.Murderbot’s personality and personal growth continued to develop in this book. Back on Preservation with Dr Mensah, Murderbot had the opportunity to explore it’s feelings a little bit more – not that it enjoyed that much. Murderbot started to interact more with the Mensah’s family. A stand out character in this book was Amena – her daughter. Amena cut through Murderbot’s emotional armour effectively, and showcased Murderbot’s ever-evolving emotional intelligence.This is the first full length Murderbot novel. The extra length in this book allowed a deeper exploration of Murderbot’s feelings and developing relationships with other characters. It also reintroduced ART, the transport ship intelligence from Artificial Condition, and we saw more of what the AI in this series was capable of. Alien presence was briefly introduced too, and the stage was set for Murderbot to have further missions away from Preservation.One of the things I love about this series is the moral question it poses. All the bots are treated as ‘things’. We met more SecUnits in this book, and after one of them is forced to stand down, left by the humans it is contracted to protect and subsequently shut down, there’s a poignant reminder that artificial intelligence is still intelligent
FeuerWasser –
Wirklich gutes Buch, ich liebe die ganze Serie, aber Vorsichtig, die korrekte Reihenfolge ist:Really good book, I love the whole series, but Attention, the correct order is:Fugitive Telemetry (Vol.3 – Part 1)>Network Effect (extra Buch, NICHT Teil von Vol. 3 (additional book, NOT part of Vol.3))>System Collapse (Vol.3 – Part 2)and also, Martha likes brackets (like i do (no really)).
Jeremy Borot –
Une écriture originale, quelques trouvailles et un personnage principal attachant. Merci !
Kathryne M. –
When it comes to Martha Wells and Murderbot, thatâs really it in a nutshell. I want more! Thereâs something so achingly touching about a creature that is not meant to feel emotions but does, (enormously so) who hates the fact the it does, yet is so grateful for the bonds they create with the people and âthingsâ it has built relationships with.There is something so awkward about referring to the Murderbot character as âitâ when âitâ is so much more.There is something so uplifting about a group of disparate people interacting with each other with grace and respect that gives one hope. And it is exquisite to know that it is absolutely possible for humans to treat an âitâ with love and respect despite how it identifies itself.The fact that all of this is glued together with beautiful humour and humanity⦠I want more!
Rodrigo Menendez Arzac –
Espere hasta leer esta novela después de haber leÃdo los otros cuatro cuentos cortos para poder escribir mi reseña y puedo decir que toda la serie de Murderbot es excelente. Aunque el precio de los primeros 4 cuentos es alto considerando que no son novelas sino cuentos cortos, la verdad es que se disfrutan tanto que al final vale la pena el gasto. Creo que serÃan mucho más atractivas para el público en general si sacaran un paquete de la serie completa a un precio más razonable.