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All Systems Red Audiobook
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Publisher Description
All Systems Red is the first tense science fiction adventure novella in Martha Wells' series The Murderbot Diaries. For fans of Westworld and Ex Machina. All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. 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.
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“The creature telling this story, a security unit tasked with protecting a planetary survey team, calls itself ‘Murderbot.’ It’s depressed and withdrawn, and Kevin R. Free performs the character perfectly, giving its voice languid tones and a slow-speaking pace but layered with an unsettling tension that hints at dangerous rage. There are similar subtle notes in the other characters’ voices. In this short work we don’t get to know many of the team well, but Free provides each of them with as much individuality as the text allows. His pacing varies nicely as the plot thickens, and listeners will be left eager to hear what’s next in the android’s adventures. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“Wells imbued Murderbot with extraordinary humanity, and while this is a fun read, don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s not a profound one.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“A cranky robot with a heart (er, OS?) of gold. There’s a distant planet, a group of scientists, and a slightly anti-social droid that hacks itself to go against its more sinister programming. The best thing about my new best friend Murderbot? There are two more books in the works due out this year. Sci-fi sigh.”
— BookRiot -
“Meet your favorite depressed A. I. since Marvin.”
— B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog -
“A great kick-off for a continuing series.”
— Locus -
“I already can’t wait for the next one.”
— Verge -
“Wells gives depth to a rousing but basically familiar action plot by turning it into the vehicle by which SecUnit engages with its own rigorously denied humanity.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Awards
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A BookRiot Pick of Books to Read If You Miss Doctor Who
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A Verge Pick of Best Books of 2017
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Winner of the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novella
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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Winner of the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella
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Winner of the 2018 Alex Award
All Systems Red Listener Reviews
- — John Atwood, 9/5/2025
- — Kay Reutner, 5/29/2025
- — Jonathan Ferguson, 3/29/2025
- — Alex Tabor, 1/13/2025
- — Matthew Grierson, 8/28/2024
- — Patsy Thorsbakken, 12/26/2023
- — Jonathan Hepburn, 9/3/2022
- — Colder68, 8/23/2022
- — Rex Shaffer, 5/31/2018
About Martha Wells
Martha Wells is the author of a number of fantasy novels, including the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer. Her short stories have been published in Black Gate, Realms of Fantasy, and Stargate magazine, and in several anthologies. She is also the author of the media tie-in novels Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary and Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement and a Star Wars novel, Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge.
About Kevin R. Free
Kevin R. Free is an audiobook narrator and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several AudioFile best narrations of the year selections. Known for his work with young-adult novels, he has read titles by Rick Riordan, Walter Dean Myers, and Joe Haldeman. In 2011 he was named a Best Voice in Young Adult and Fantasy from AudioFile magazine for his narration of Myers’ The Cruisers: Checkmate.