Artificial Condition: Book Review

Today, we will be reviewing Artificial Condition by Martha Wells, the second book in the Murderbot Diaries. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this novel and if you should add it to your reading list!

Artificial Condition Summary

After the events that took place in the first book All Systems Red, Murderbot finds itself on an unmanned cargo ship heading to a mining facility that is connected to Murderbot’s past. It wants to learn about the initial incident where it went rogue and who was ultimately responsible.

While on the unmanned cargo chip, Murderbot encounters a powerful bot that is piloting the research transport. It names him ART (Asshole Research Transport) and befriends him. ART decides to help Murderbot find out what happened to it and to avoid being detected as a SecUnit.

To get access to the RaviHyral facility, Murderbot decides to take a contract as a security consultant for three scientists who have a meeting with their former employer. They want to retrieve their research which has been seized illegally. It is up to Murderbot to make sure nothing happens to them as well as making time to find out what really happened at the mining facility and who was ultimately responsible. 

Commentary

Artificial Condition was released in 2018 and continues Murderbot’s adventures. It was one of three novellas released in 2018 and is part of the four books that are part of the same arc. The novella won the Hugo Award for Best Novella for best novella in 2018.

I really enjoyed this novella and the whole arc. It was fun seeing Murderbot traveling across space and making friends with other bots. ART is the perfect balance for Murderbot and after reading this novella, I was already looking forward to ART’s reappearance.

Murderbot’s sarcasm makes it the perfect protagonist for this series and Martha Wells does an amazing job making us forget that it is a cyborg. As the novellas progress, we see Murderbot becoming more in touch with its emotions even though it would rather not talk about its feelings.

As always, Murderbot puts its job of protecting humans first no matter what the situation is. When it encounters a group of scientists that don’t know what they are getting into, Murderbot makes sure that they are okay and helps them navigate the cruel and treacherous world of corporate greed.

Conclusion

I ended up reading The Murderbot Diaries while on vacation and stayed up late reading the novellas. Even when I had a full day ahead, I couldn’t stop myself from reading them and it was something I was looking forward to all day.

The Murderbot Diaries is easily one of my favorite series that I read this year. Wells has written many incredible novels and I think this series puts her very high on my favorite authors to read. If you are still debating about reading this series, then hopefully this article will make you pick this series up and realize what you are missing out on. Happy reading!

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