The latest sci-fi series, Murderbot, debuted this month on Apple TV+ to favorable reviews–which isn’t unexpected given the show’s original material. Similar to many successful streaming series, Murderbot is not a completely new IP, but rather an adaptation of a book series by Martha Wells entitled The Murderbot Diaries. The first installment, a novella named All Systems Red, was immensely successful upon its release in 2017 and received numerous prestigious accolades, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards for best novella of that year. Its six sequels have also earned positive reviews and commendations. If you’re keen on exploring the original content, the entire series is available in various formats at Amazon–including hardcover, Kindle ebook, and Audible audiobooks.
The Murderbot Diaries Four-Book Collection (Hardcover)
$44 (originally $80)
The novels and Apple TV+ program center around a security android, which refers to itself as “Murderbot” (portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard in the series), who gains consciousness and must conceal its self-awareness by fulfilling the perilous–and frequently deadly–tasks it’s programmed to complete, despite preferring to relax and watch television instead.
While the series contains seven books, one of the most effective ways to begin is with The Murderbot Diaries Four-Book Collection, which–as implied by the title–features hardcover versions of the initial four novellas in the series: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, and Exit Strategy. The collection is currently on sale for $44, which is almost a 50% discount from its regular $80 price.
The Murderbot Diaries Four-Book Collection will keep you engaged for a while, but it does not encompass the complete series, and you’ll need to obtain Books 5-7 to finish the saga. Conveniently, all three are available now–in fact, all seven Murderbot Diaries titles are accessible in standalone formats should you wish to skip the four-book collection. Each volume features a hardcover edition, while a number of them also offer paperback versions.
Network Effect (Book 5) and System Collapse (Book 7) are complete-length novels, while Fugitive Telemetry (Book 6) is an independent novella. Each of the novellas presents a swift reading experience (160-176 pages), with Book 5 being twice the length of any other volume, and Book 7 approximately 250 pages long.
The Murderbot Diaries Complete Series
- All Systems Red (Hardcover) — $16.57 (
$25) | Paperback — $11 ($18) - Artificial Condition (Hardcover) — $12.40 (
$20) - Rogue Protocol (Hardcover) — $12.18 (
$20) - Exit Strategy (Hardcover) — $12.31 (
$20) - Network Effect (Hardcover) — $16 (
$29) | Paperback — $13.89 ($19) - Fugitive Telemetry (Hardcover) — $11.87 (
$22) - System Collapse (Hardcover) — $17.74 (
$22)
Alternatively, if you enjoy ebooks, all seven Murderbot Diaries titles are also offered on Kindle. In fact, this may be the most economical way to experience the series. While you can buy each volume, you can also register for two months of Kindle Unlimited at no cost–or as part of your current $12/month membership if you already have an account.
The series is also accessible in audiobook form via Audible. As with the ebook versions, you can acquire all seven volumes individually, but several entries in the collection, including Book 1, are part of the Audible Premium library, which costs $8/month. Audible Premium Plus subscribers ($15/month) can utilize their monthly credit for the Murderbot titles not covered by the Premium library. That said, members might prefer to conserve their credits for higher-priced titles, as most of the Murderbot audiobooks can be obtained for less than the credit value ($15). A few audiobooks are offered for below $7 for Audible members.
New Audible members can receive a complimentary 30-day trial, which provides one credit. It’s crucial to understand that audiobooks bought with credits are yours indefinitely, but the Premium library is exclusively available to active members.
Brendan Hesse on Google+
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