Title: Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6)
Author: Martha Wells
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Publication Date: April 2021
Format: eBook
Length:  168 pages

Read if you like: futuristic societies, questions of robot and AI ethics, critiques of capitalism, witty humour, diverse cast, themes of identity and freedom

Rating:

If you’ve been around on this blog for a while, you’ll know that it’s no secret that The Murderbot Diaries is one of my all-time favourite series. I’ve been slowly making my way through the books over the past couple of years, taking one in every couple of months to spread out the joy. I am happy to report that Wells’ streak of excellent storytelling continues through book six.

It’s always a challenge to give a spoiler-free review when you’re this deep into a series so if you still haven’t picked up Fugitive Telemetry and want something vague, know that this book has all of the things that I’ve come to love so much about this world and it’s characters. If you’re more interested in the details, continue reading below.

The Book Synopsis: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

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!

The Review

I loved this addition to the Murderbot series, where we once again find ourselves in the midst of a murder that Murderbot is not responsible for. 

I have come to really enjoy the way that Wells has managed to pull out so many smaller stories that layer into the overarching narrative that’s always ongoing in this universe. The dynamic between the Company, Murderbot, the companions they’ve come to begrudgingly enjoy, and the broader political systems at play across what equates to an entire solar system leaves so much room for new and interesting verticals. Wells uses these vehicles to continuously build a little more complexity into Murderbot with each book, and Fugitive Telemetry was no exception. 

In this particular novella, it was thoroughly enjoyable to see Murderbot grapple with their freedom and the perceptions humans had of it. It’s been evolving more and more over the past couple of books despite a veneer of apathy and I keep wondering where it’s headed as the series continues. Murderbot has been largely misunderstood since day one, but their newfound freedom puts the perspective of others, and the impacts those perspectives have, into a sharper contrast.

I liked the introduction of some new and memorable characters paired with some of the returning cast I’ve come to love. I also appreciated the amount of humour and wit that Wells layered into Murderbot, particularly given that much of this story is spent very much through a running internal monologue in their head. They have serious and introspective moments, but they’re balanced well with a lot of sass and it’s a combination that’s so entertaining. 

 I’ll keep reading these stories for as many books as Wells writes. Giving this one 5 stars for the sheer enjoyment that is reading through this narrative time and time again.