Words I Write Crazy: Week 18 Reviews: Obsolescence, Compulsory, All Systems Red

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Week 18 Reviews: Obsolescence, Compulsory, All Systems Red

From Goodreads:

Take Us to a Better Place is a collection of powerful, perceptive, and seamlessly crafted fiction that tells multiple truths about the realities of our health and the world in which we live. Roxane Gay writes: "These stories are at once hopeful and cautionary tales. They are, above all, a call to action, offering all of us the opportunity to rise to the occasion of contributing, in ways we can, to a world where a healthier life is possible for all." Conjuring a future that is at once vivid and hopeful, as well as heartbreaking and perilous, these deeply human stories will linger long after you finish. The stories may also spark new ideas about what a healthy future might hold—and how we might get there.

featuring the searing science fiction/future fiction writing of New York Times best-selling author Martha Wells (winner of the Nebula, Hugo and Locus Awards).

From Goodreads:

Murderbot—the sardonic, almost-homicidal, media-loving android created by Martha Wells—has proven to be one of the most popular characters in 21st century science fiction. Everything that makes this protagonist (it would be wrong to call Murderbot a hero) beloved of fans is on display in Compulsory.

While trying to watch episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot is—again, what is it with humans?—distracted by something that is technically outside its purview. A miner is suddenly in danger following a pointless (to Murderbot’s way of thinking) argument, and the choice is to risk discovery and leap into action, which would require hitting the pause button during a very exciting part of SanctuaryMoon, or to follow orders and stay still.

This is a tougher choice than it seems. But then, when has Murderbot ever been faced with an easy choice?

A shorter version of this story originally appeared in Wired magazine.

From Goodreads:
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

My first review of Obsolescence, The Future of Work: Compulsory, All Systems Red

My second review of The Future of Work: Compulsory, All Systems Red

My Review:

Reading these stories again was really great, and I'm glad I did, because the excitement for the show is really amped up, I can't wait to see how they're going to tell this story!

Author: Martha Wells
Series: The Murderbot Diaries #0.1, 0.5, 1
First Read: July 10th, 2023, February 3rd, 3rd, 2019

Second Read: July 10th, 2023

Read: April 26th, 26th, 26th, 2025
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Rereading! And they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books!
Publisher: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Subterranean Press, Tor.com
Published: January 21st 2020, December 17th 2018, May 2nd 2017

Obsolescence: