Murderbot is back and as sassy and witty as ever in Martha Wells’ fifth Murderbot Diaries novella Fugitive Telemetry. While the exact reading order is debated regarding whether or not Network Effect should be read first or if, in fact, Fugitive Telemetry should be chronologically ahead, this novel is undoubtedly as entertaining, dramatic, and space opera-orientated as ever.

No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall. When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?) Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans! Again!

I don’t think I can state this any clearer than this: Murderbot is giving teenage kid going through their first rebellion vibes. Not only do we get a lot more sarcasm and purposeful prodding in terms of what should be done and how fast it should get done, but we also have Murderbot using more swear words which I find hilarious. I don’t think Murderbot could be ordinary if they tried and I will never forget its obsession with Sanctuary Moon.

Fugitive Telemetry is a great story, similar to Rogue Protocol in the sense that we have them working with a bunch of humans, augmented humans, and bots who aren’t as smart nor filled with as much common sense as Murderbot is. If feels well-balanced, with character interactions, plot progression, setting detail, and introspection all at good levels. We have some conflicts with new characters while also including interactions with characters we haven’t seen in a while (I write this with a few months between my binge read of the first four novels and the last three, so the All Systems Red crew making appearances brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye). The sweet spot is certainly reached with this one.

As a personal aside, I do think it is possible to read Fugitive Telemetry before Network Effect considering the direct connection between Network Effect and System Collapse, but I would still read it in publishing order first. I like the standalone feel to the stories, and if feels a little weird to know to be hopping into the follow-up situation of Network Effect in System Collapse with this Fugitive Telemetry story in between. I’m probably just rambling at this point, but I’m curious to see what Murderbot fans think of the chronology – did you read it in publishing order, or did you switch some novels around?

I say this a lot with these books, but that’s how you know I mean it – request them from your library, borrow them from a friend, or find them at a local bookstore. The Murderbot Diaries are exceptional sci-fi stories, they are short and sweet, and they bring such a sarcastic yet heartfelt punch with every novel. Don’t miss out on some stellar storytelling and witty robot banter!