All Systems Red by Martha Wells Narrator: Kevin Free
Series: Murderbot Diaries #1
Published by Recorded Books on October 30, 2017
Genres: Science Fiction
Length: 3 hours, 17 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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In a corporate-dominated spacefaring 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.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
All Systems Red was free from the Tor book club a few months back but when it was part of an Audible sale I jumped at getting it. I’ve seen great reviews and it won a Nebula award. There’s a good reason.
The world-building is fascinating. There are humans, enhanced humans and androids. Murderbot works for the Company that supplies them to expeditions to different planets. Various expeditions have different purposes. They may go to collect minerals / resources, or to study conditions. Murderbot and his droid counterparts are called SEC units. They provide security for the expeditions. They are weaponized to fight if needed.
Murderbot is hilarious, protective of his humans, yet does not want to interact with them. I don’t want to spoil the fun but his human expedition is not like the others. There is plenty of action and a surprising new world for Murderbot in this longish novella. My only complaint would be each one is like half a book in this Murderbot Diaries series. The next one, Artificial Condition is already available, with Rogue Protocol releasing on August 7. Without a doubt, I’ll be buying and listening to them all.
Narration:
The narrator was new to me but I loved his voice for Murderbot. It had that straightforward style with lack of emotion one would expect for a droid but the words contradict this at times. He handled the dry wit perfectly with great timing and it was an excellent performance. I’m going to need the whole series on audio. I listened at my usual 1.25 speed and LOVED it.
Listen to a clip:
About Kevin Free
Kevin R. Free has appeared on national television in commercials and on NBC’s Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. New York audiences have seen Mr. Free Off-Broadway, creating the role of Memphis in From My Hometown both for Amas Musical Theatre and at the Gramercy Theatre, for which he was nominated for an Audelco Award. He was also seen Off-Broadway at the York Theatre in Taking A Chance On Love, and as Bubber Brown in The New Federal Theatre’s acclaimed The Conjure Man Dies. He has been featured in concerts with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and with the education department of Symphony Space.
Mr. Free has performed regionally in many places, including his home state of North Carolina at Charlotte Repertory Theatre (Belize in Angels in America, Paul in Six Degrees of Separation) and at the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival (Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ariel in The Tempest). Other favorite roles in the musical theatre include Dromio of Ephesus in The Boys From Syracuse at CENTERSTAGE, Nemur in Chasing Nicolette at Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia,Milton in Avenue X at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Gift Guy in Adventures In Love at the Ordway in St. Paul, MN, and Flick in Violet at Stage One in Wichita, KS and at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, for which he was nominated for a Barrymore Award.
About Martha Wells
Martha Wells has written many fantasy novels, including The Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads), the Ile-Rien series (including The Death of the Necromancer) as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, media tie-ins (for Star Wars and Stargate: Atlantis), and non-fiction. Her most recent fantasy novel is The Harbors of the Sun in 2017, the final novel in The Books of the Raksura series. She has a new series of SF novellas, The Murderbot Diaries, published by Tor.com in 2017 and 2018. She was also the lead writer for the story team of Magic: the Gathering’s Dominaria expansion in 2018. She has won a Nebula Award, an ALA/YALSA Alex Award, a Locus Award, and her work has appeared on the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Award ballots, the USA Today Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. Her books have been published in eleven languages.
She has had short stories in the magazines Black Gate, Realms of Fantasy, Lone Star Stories, Lightspeed Magazine, and Stargate Magazine, and in the Tsunami Relief anthology Elemental, The Other Half of the Sky, Tales of the Emerald Serpent, Mech: Age of Steel, and The Gods of Lovecraft.
She has essays in the nonfiction anthologies Farscape Forever, Mapping the World of Harry Potter, Chicks Unravel Time, and The Kobold Guide to Magic.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 Audiobook Challenge
- COYER BSBB
murderbot. That is hilarious.
That is what the unit calls itself! It is funny. I am buying the next one with my $10 coupon from audible which is supposed to be available today. I can’t wait!
I heard wonderful things about this one! Glad to see you like it. I got ebook when it was a freebie! I cannot wait!
oh yay! You got the ebook freebie also. I did love it. I just bought the second book as an audiobook, since I had a coupon from Prime Day. And I’ve already requested book 3 from the publisher. It is excellent and funny.
Oh wow Anne, I adding this to my wishlist! Awesome review.
Thanks Kimberly. It was amazing so I hope you get a chance to listen or read it soon. I loved it so much.