Read this when
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1)
A killer robot hacks its own programming… to binge-watch soap operas and avoid eye contact. Honestly? Relatable. 📺
Who it's for
Murderbot narrates with dry, grumpy honesty about how excruciating it finds being looked at, talked to and treated kindly, and many readers feel recognized seeing that discomfort presented as a normal part of a likeable hero rather than a defect.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Martha Wells's 2017 science-fiction novella (Tor.com), the first of The Murderbot Diaries. It is narrated by a cyborg security unit that calls itself Murderbot, which has secretly hacked the governor module that controls it and would rather watch serialized entertainment than deal with humans. Assigned to protect a planetary survey team led by Dr.
Where to find it
In print (Tor.com Publishing); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. Won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards; adapted as an Apple TV+ series (2025).
Before you start
Heads up: Action violence and a massacre.
Age: Ages 14+
She was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.Kate Chopin, The Awakening
