One of the Books & Comics editors at Geekly. She/her. Sailor Rainbow. Glitter and spite and everything bright.System Collapse, the seventh entry into the Murderbot Diaries series that started with All Systems Red, is almost upon us, which means it’s actually a perfect time to get into the series if you haven’t already. Why? Well, for starters:
1. You just want to binge content: If anyone’s going to support you doing nothing except shutting everything down and consuming entertainment, it’s Murderbot. And with seven books now waiting for you, there’s plenty of content for any interstellar jaunt—or long weekend.
2. Parties don’t appeal: With some serious anxiety and depression to work through, and also a healthy sense of paranoia, Murderbot isn’t big on crowds. Want to stay in (your comfort zone) and read? Murderbot won’t judge.
3. Exercise? No thank you: You’re not one of those people who thinks a 10-mile run to watch the sunrise is a good way to start the morning, and neither is Murderbot, who would prefer to avoid being on a planet entirely. If you prefer intense bouts of action (get it over with quickly!), Murderbot is right there with you to do some reluctant cardio and then get back to sitting.
4. Late-stage capitalism is ruining your life: Murderbot lives in a time even more horrifyingly overrun by corporations than the present day, and it’s not any happier about that than you are. Its coping mechanisms are hacking, explosions, and—reluctantly—murder. If you want to see billionaires cry, Murderbot will make that happen.
5. Your coworkers are SO annoying: Karen, it’s not that hard to put today’s date in the field marked “today’s date,” and nowhere on the meeting agenda does it allot 15 minutes for “listing achievements of mediocre adult children!” Ugh. Ok, maybe you can admit that some of them aren’t so bad, but only grudgingly. Grudges are fun.
6. EVERYONE is so annoying: It’s a truth universally acknowledged that humans are big dumb idiots. Emphasis on the universally—Murderbot has done enough interstellar travel to know. If misanthropy is your vibe, Murderbot will be good company, since it’s not human!
7 …Except your friends: All right, maybe hating everyone doesn’t actually mean everyone. Just because you’re less “warm fuzzies” and more “room temperature plastics” doesn’t mean you don’t care. But Murderbot will keep that to itself. Feelings: so embarrassing, right?