Rogue Protocol

Loved the projection of the titular SecUnit's feelings on to the experience of another bot. Great characters as always from Wells.

It's a nice fluffy thing, which are getting a bit more fun as we go, it's still way to short to tackle anything, and is just a fluffy nothing that you at least would hope would be a bit longer.

I enjoy fluffy nothing, but this is the one that leaves you with just wanting more in the end.

I still enjoyed what little of it was there.

The main trouble I had with this novella was visualizing the locations the action took place within at the failed terraforming operation where it was set. There was a transport shuttle, the station, the terraforming facility with a tractor array and some number of pods connected by transport tubes, a zipper spacecraft, and maybe I didn't catch along the way. Murderbot does not give a detailed description of these places (which would be unnatural), except when the precise layout would affect the action or decisions being made. So, with a fairly large cast of humans and robots it was tough keeping straight who was doing what where. Following the dialogue, both spoken and transmitted wirelessly on feed channels, was a little easier, though fairly intricate owing to various falsehoods and acts of double dealing. It felt more like the second book as a whole than the first one partly because of the number of things the reader needed to juggle mentally. I think it would benefit from a second read-through.

The best part was the Murderbot viewpoint character who was required to meter out information and to take action with limited knowledge about the trustworthiness of the others it was thrown together with. It was clear what the motivations it had going in (to gather information on the corporation established as the antagonist in the first book, to keep secret how it was a SecUnit with a disabled governor module) but slower to establish those of the other players. There were bursts of action interspersed with the tension, which I liked. The ending delivered a couple of emotional hits to close things out quickly.

We got to see some other autonomous constructs in the fictional universe and to understand their capabilities and limitations. There was no one quite like Murderbot among them, but there would be quick flashes of this or that trait it would recognize it had in common, which I think helped cement the reader's identification with the character. The SecUnit wasn't the biggest, baddest fighter on the scene this time which forced it to use other talents to make up for physical shortcomings in a matchup.

The recorded entertainment channels Murderbot hoards played a less prominent role in the course of this tale but did peek forth a few times to good effect. There wa reference to lingering legal and moral issues left over from previous installments and I thought this lent a feeling of authenticity to the world. Less time was spent speculating about just what made Murderbot unique but you did get reminders that this whole issue was still out there, potentially able to cause grief later.

This is the Murderbot novella that feels the most forgettable to me. It's not bad, but partially it's that it has the most action in it, which is fine and good but isn't really what I'm here for. I do like that it establishes that there are still dangers out there for Murderbot, even as it is wildly competent in its own domain.

When I’d called it a pet robot, I honestly thought I was exaggerating. This was going to be even more annoying than I had anticipated, and I had anticipated a pretty high level of annoyance, maybe as high as 85 percent. Now I was looking at 90 percent, possibly 95 percent.

The best part of this book is Miki, the human-form bot that Murderbot can't help but be irritated by. Miki ends up being a great foil, especially around Murderbot's feelings of not-jealousy about Miki's relationship with its human Don Abene.

"Rogue Protocol" is the third entry in Martha Wells's remarkable series, The Murderbot Diaries. It stars our beloved human-like android, Murderbot, who keeps getting sucked into one adventure after another, despite its desire to be left alone, far away from humanity and small talk.

This instalment sees Murderbot investigating the supposedly abandoned Milu project, which it suspects GrayCris might be using as a front for illicit recovery operations involving alien remnants. As usual, Murderbot plans to handle this mission solo, but a group of humans in desperate need of help derails those plans, compelling our deeply introverted SecUnit to intervene.

Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas?

I love the fast-paced plot, the endearing human side characters, and the sharp humour that permeates the series. There’s something especially entertaining about an AI making fun of how irritating humans can be. The more I read these books, the more I feel a kinship with Murderbot.

Murderbot’s interactions with the humans it encounters in this thrilling story prompt it to reevaluate its own relationships with people, especially Dr. Mensah, Murderbot’s legal owner. These introspective moments, combined with Wells’ masterful creation of a believable universe filled with advanced technology, compelling action, and Murderbot’s dryly humorous voice, make "Rogue Protocol" a science fiction novella that’s both fascinating and enjoyable.

This is a series worth diving into if you’re a fan of science fiction that blends action, humour, and thoughtful character development.

Engaging, moved along well. The series is starting to feel a little formulaic but I'll read the next one. The exploration of different aspects of "what does it mean to be a bot" is compelling, Miki is a great character.

This was my favorite Murderbot book so far. The fact that so many robot characters in this series are incredibly wholesome reminds me a lot of the video game Stray. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the terrifying stories where robots turn on the human race. 

I can’t wait to read the next one!

As much as I love Murderbot, I think Miki stole the show - and even Murderbot would admit that.

I know I haven't written much of an in-depth review on any of the Murderbot Diaries, but mostly that's because I don't think I can add anything that hasn't already been said - you really should just go pick them up. Every time I finish one of these stories, I'm sad because I just plowed right through it and it was such an enjoyable read. Luckily, I have a few more to go!