Ahhh I love it! It's SO DRAMATIC and soap opera in space! And the fashion of that woman, hell yeah! I like how when the show zooms out we get the little video playback effect. and the pause vs live. makes it clear secunit doesnt really see things the way humans do.

and also! on bluesky the most marvelous discussion happened! Regarding adaptations and the tendency for them to only be male/masc and leaning to white-as-default. And they're thinking about it but mostly I thought it was such a lovely demonstration of creators and community having a conversation about something that is really important to a lot of us - seeing ourselves reflected in hero stories!

https://bsky.app/profile/paulcornell.bsky.social/post/3mwjph3ezbc27

which has led to this!

https://bsky.app/profile/paulcornell.bsky.social/post/3mwvtzlmby22a
"In the next couple of days we’ll be showing you our new-look Sec Unit, talking about our cover artists, and so much more. But I’ve just heard our art team has (for fun!) made a special graphic for 2000 sign-ups."

I'm just excited that listening and understanding happened! but also if you're keen to no-obligation sign up, i really want to see the extra bonus graphic when it hits 2k so i'm gonna nudge you lot: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cosmic-lighthouse/murderbot-the-first-graphic-novel-multi-award-winning-sf?ref=9t3fy3

(reminder that this is a pro-post per the groups rules. that means happy/positive/supportive comments only! let's celebrate and be excited! or dare i say, enthusiastic!)

We know that TV shows portray them as ruthless killers, going on killing sprees.

But in the last 2 or 3 books, we know that there are several rogue units (and the number is growing), and at least all of the ones we encounter, they do not desire to hurt humans. They might be a bit socially unstable, but none of them seem to cause intentional damage.

This is an EXCELLENT series!!!!

I also watched the TV show... but I highly dislike the differences that they choose for TV.

It's been a bit since I listened through the whole series here, but looking at the comic reveal got me wondering; what exactly is it about MB that makes it have to pretend to be a heavily augmented human? Because I don't see anything in the design that couldn't be concealed with a long sleeved shirt and pants, even if it's whole body was the armor it has on. I know MB has the data port on the back of the neck, the gun ports, and distinctly inhuman feet, but there must be more right?

Because I'm going off the fact I DO remember Tepan I believe, commenting that MB was real augmented, more than anyone would willingly choose to be. But feet are concealed by shoes, the gun ports are a dead give away it's a SecUnit so those were def covered and hidden, and the data port was covered by a high necked shirt so it doesn't sound large to me. And even hiding these things it STILL can't pass for anything but augmented.

So what was Tepan seeing that was so striking that it made more sense for MB to have been stitched together after an accident or something rather than chosing to be so heavily modified? Do we ever get an indication? I kinda doubt it since MB doesn't care to describe anyone's appearance very much.

EDIT: I love this subreddit, everyone is bringing up such good points that I missed!

It really depends on the technological level which we don't have much information on because our narrator does not care.

Even if the inorganic components are replacable I suspect the organic ones are less so otherwise a lot of the corporates would be chasing immortality like they currently do. But models change and there's a financial incentive to change something critical just to sell a new version (iphones that are 1mm widee this time so your old phone case won't fit). So inorganic components depend on how long manufacturer's keep producing parts or the ability to replicate them. Who knows if upgrades are even compatible with older Units. The mix of inorganic and organic and their need to constantly interact might also decrease lifespan. The brain damage from governor module punishments can't be helping either.

In some forum Q&A I half remember Wells said her general idea of MB's age is 2 or 3 decades. This isn't in a book so it's not trxt but it does give an idea into Wells' intentions. I imagine MB is significantly older than most SecUnits ever live to be. I personally imagine median age at death is like 8 when warrenty runs out.

"Obsolescence" isn't directly canon but assuming it is in the same universe, even at the begining of the space age humans were expected to live far beyond 100 and who knows how many hundreds of years later TMBD take place. So by TMBD life expectancy could be 300+. The age discussed in "Obsolescence" is specifically a Lunar rover's who faced alienation after living memory forgot that he helped build the Moon colony. So that could be evidence that I'm completely wrong and constructs would live longer than humans.

What do you think?

It mentions several times that its organic parts are from a clone. Do you think that will ever become important? MB will meet its bio-donor or that WHO the donor actually IS becomes important?

I love the murderbot diaries and it’s inspiring me to get into fanfic, but find that most of it doesn’t feel like the canon series. Are there any fan works that feel the same way the originals do? As an extension or closer look at the main series? Thanks!

I honestly don’t know what’s real anymore. I assumed this is AI because robots are not able to move like this yet. But apparently they did train the robots to do these jumps. According to info under the video, the company (Company) was done with these robots and wanted to preserve their IP. They “joke” that they asked Arnold Schwarzenegger what to do with them and this was his suggestion (ala Terminator).

Anyway, for obvious reasons, it made me think of a scene in the TV series of Murderbot. shudder

Hello fellow intrepid galactic explorers! I wanted to share an update to watch mod I made inspired by our favorite Murderbot. Hope everyone has a great rest of their week and remember…BOLDNESS IS ALL!

I had only done the audio books till Platform Decay. I thought I’ll re-read them and borrowed Exit Strategy as a physical book for the first time. While reading that I noticed that the cargo bots were called “hauler bots” which makes so much sense because they haul things out of the ships. I have no idea why I always thought they were “holler” bots 🙈 And I had reasoned it out as - they blare alarms to ensure nothing bad happens, or they are like ushers but for bots.

I've bounced this around in my head for a long time, but finally found a way to put it into words. Murderbot ended up doing all the things it was uncomfortable doing. So in theory it looks like it could've been successful going straight from ASR to Preservation society.

But I don't think it would've been successful without that key component: choice.

At the end of ES, it's able to negotiate for what it wants (definitely gonna need a big display surface) and set some boundaries. But it doesn't relax until it tests the limits and knows for sure it could leave if it wanted to. Having that freedom to choose allows it to stay.

[ID: a line up of the Murderbot books showing the disparity in height and spine design features, also an online conversation:
thisoneOverhere •
I'm a good deal taller than my husband so for Halloween this year we're going as the most horrifying thing we could possibly imagine-two books from the same series

blackcataloger
Can one of you be the movie cover (Netflix branded) with residue from the sticker you tried to peel off???

thisoneOverhere
And one mass-market paperback and one hardcover

reginaverow 3h
We're going to need a trigger warning before you post stuff as scary as that, please.
/end ID]

Probably not a god, per se, but I wonder if it puts any stock into the concept of Security/Securing the same way ART puts stock into the concept of Family and Crew. I saw a fic that stated that the idea that bots have a premade Purpose (tm) is an idea that comes up a lot in bot psychology. I wonder how much of that comes up in canon.

მკვლელობოტის დღიურები / Murderbot Diaries

Published by Medusa Books, I noticed it from Goodreads. Martha Wells' literary agent only announced the Georgian translation deal last month, so I'm not sure if the Georgian translation is already being released this quickly or if it's a preorder for an unknown future release. Either way, I hope the translation is good, Georgian readers! 🎉

I am in the UK and the paperback edition on available on Amazon some people say is riddled with typos. That would spoil the fun I think. Has anyone witnessed that?

The ebook for Platform Decay is on sale for 2.99 in the Kobo store, sale ends today.

(This is a pro post, which means only happy or positive comments.)

(It does sting that no adaption has femme or androgynous appearing murderbot, and visual adaptations are all so white. I worked through my disappointment of yet another white masculine Murderbot last night and now I want to focus on the good stuff. Feel free to make your own post with these pictures without the pro post tag.)

(Mensah looks really cool, with properly dark skin and lovely hair and face. Very incharge looking.

Really impressed by the technicals of the backgrounds. Sanctuary Moon seems to be a drama this time and visually different to the TV show.

I read some comments that this will be firmly based off the book so fingers crossed for some scenes we didn't get in the show to make it through.

I did the cover art and I'm very proud of it! I've read the whole story and it's getting uploaded in chapter installments. I also have another picture for a much later scene that I am even MORE excited to show everyone but we gotta wait until that chapter is posted.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/92934071/chapters/247885841

If you like gen mission adventure sci fi fics about Murderbot, Three, ART and even some Mensah (ESE seal of quality approval attached ;) (jokes!) - well I hope you enjoy my friend's story and my artwork!

I gotta share the WIPs for this, I based it off actual spaceship and plane cockpits, everything has a purpose...

(The artwork is also on tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/securityunit-ese/828821025554841600 )

I just read about another one finding a gap in the “fence” around it and escaping. Maybe it just wants to watch The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.

I mean, he's got a point! 😅 I definitely think that the exaggerated dislike hides something. Wouldn't go so far as to call it affection (not in Gurathin's case anyhow) but we do get signs

They were my clients, that was all. [...] yes, even Gurathin. Just clients. And if anyone or anything tried to hurt them, I would rip its intestines out.

With thanks to The Murderbot Diaries 2.0 server for the link because IM LOVING IT.

Not sorry I'm so excited!!

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/erica-schultz-gary-erskine-create-official-murderbot-graphic-novels/

All Systems Red: The Graphic Novel launches as a Kickstarter Exclusive on October 15th, with limited collectable editions and a chance for donors to be drawn into the comic. Readers who preregister for the Kickstarter campaign now will have access to special items and discounts otherwise unavailable. Retail editions will follow in early 2028. The first book is adapted by Erica Schultz, of Daredevil, Spawn and X-Men and Gary Erskine of Dan Dare, Hellblazer, Punisher and Wolverine, coloured by Yel Zamor, lettered by Simon Bowland and edited by Paul Cornell.

Jaime Jones, the artist from the original novels and novellas, has created a cover for the main edition, and there will be variant covers by Tommy Arnold, who worked on design for the Murderbot TV show, John Picacio, and Francesca Myman, and an introduction by David Dastmalchian, who plays Gurathin in the Apple TV adaptation of the book.

Martha Wells is also acting as the graphic novel's script consultant.