Artificial Condition

Martha Wells

May 2018 · RB Media · Narrated by Kevin R. Free

About this audiobook

The follow-up to the hugely popular science fiction action-adventure All Systems Red Artificial Condition continues The Murderbot Diaries, a science fiction series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure." It has a dark past-one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself "Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don't want to know what the "A" stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue. What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.

Ratings and reviews

Artificial Condition dares to ask the question - what if two machine (well one part human part manchine and one machine) intelligences work together to pretend to be human to get a job? It's another interesting story from this series! Murderbot continues to be way too relatable and picks up more friends on it's adventures. Love the narration so much!

I enjoyed it, but found it less engaging than the first book. I'm probably not going to continue with the series unless the author/publisher stops charging a ridiculous amount for such a short story.

Martha Wells wrote an amazing story. Kevin R. Free does a magnificent job bringing her character to life.