Rogue Protocol

June 25, 2018
Three books into the far-future Murderbot Diaries, the shakier pillars of Wells’s worldbuilding are showing cracks. Equipped with knowledge of its past—but lacking armor—the sentient Murderbot, calling itself Rin, turns its focus on GrayCris, the corporate baddie that has loomed over the saga. GrayCris is manifest only in contract minions and solicitors but has left one concrete locus to investigate: a derelict terraform facility that may have been used to recover alien artifacts. The facility has been reclaimed by new owners who are sending a team to assess it, giving Rin opportunity to infiltrate that team. The group includes “pet robot” Miki, a naïf who nonetheless comes in handy when, inevitably, the expedition goes apocalyptically wrong. A central proposition of Rin’s character is that it’s never been treated as a person, but throughout the books, humans have interacted with it appreciatively and respectfully. Also, GrayCris’s motives are annoyingly vague. Still, where the core question of Rin’s personhood is concerned, Wells once again knits combat, investigation, and rumination into a thoughtful, irresistible story. Agent: Jennifer Jackson, Donald Maass Literary.

August 1, 2018

Security Unit (SecUnit) android Murderbot just wants to be left alone with its books and movies. But GrayCris Corporation is not going away, and questions are being asked of the whereabouts of Dr. Mensah's SecUnit. So heading off to the terraforming facility called Milu, which may hold clues about GrayCris's past, and finally free, Murderbot seems the logical pursuit. Eventually joining a group that is going to pull off usable tech before Milu falls into a star, Murderbot once again has to deal with fragile humans, along with a less sophisticated but humanoid bot named Miki. It seems that emotions are going to still get in the way, and Murderbot must use its skills and snark to save the day. VERDICT This third outing featuring Wells's introverted Murderbot (after All Systems Red and Artificial Condition) highlights a unique protagonist in search of a way to live, while learning about the faults and foibles of humanity. Continuing the fast pace and enjoyable interactions of the series' previous books, this latest entry is a refreshing and clever addition.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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