Martha Wells’ Murderbot series is one of my favourite new series of books from the last few years. I love everything about them: I love Murderbot, and how breathtakingly relatable it is while resolutely refusing to be human; I love the relationship between Murderbot and ART; I love the intricate development of the in-world shows that Murderbot would prefer to spend all of its time watching, rather than having to deal with humans (urgh; also, relatable). I don’t love the universe it’s set in, because “the Corporation Rim” is a deeply unpleasant place and also all too believable - but I do love the way Wells deftly captures what it’s like, and how some on the edges might refuse to participate.
All of which is to say our first subscriber essay, from Joanne Anderton, is an absolute delight for me, because Anderton looks at Murderbot and its emotions over the whole seven-book (so far?!) arc, and what that tells us about ourselves as well as about Murderbot. As someone who rewatches and rereads their favourites a lot (I just finished Ann Beckie’s Ancillary Justice for the 8th time), and who enjoys binging tv, this absolutely hit home.
And if you haven’t yet read Murderbot, don’t worry! I think you’ll still get a lot out of the essay… not least the desire to go read the books… .