System Collapse

Martha Wells

Nov 2023 · The Murderbot Diaries Book 7 · Sold by Tordotcom

About this ebook

A New York Times Bestseller.
A Washington Post Bestseller.
A USA Today Bestseller.

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells's bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.

The Murderbot Diaries
All Systems Red
Artificial Condition
Rogue Protocol
Exit Strategy
Network Effect
Fugitive Telemetry
System Collapse


At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

Another great installment following everyone's favorite Murderbot. System Collapse follows directly on the heels of Network Effect, to the point where unless you remember it very well you should reread or you'll be a bit lost. Typical Murderbot shenanigans ensue with typical humor. The only downside I found to this book is that as Murderbot becomes more human, I find myself less interested. At several points in herein I found myself wondering more about 3 than Murderbot.

Once again, Wells has managed to get inside my brain and describe my experience as an autistic woman perfectly. This book inverts certain things beautifully, helping me think about trauma and choice in a new light. I stayed up all night to finish it and I have no regrets.

A bit disappointing compared to the other murderbot stories. There are large parts of the book that are compelling and flow well, but I'm left with a nagging suspicion that the author ran out of time to tell the whole story.

About the author

MARTHA WELLS has written many novels, including the million-selling New York Times and USA Today-bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, which has won multiple Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards. Other titles include Witch King, City of Bones, The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, the Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads and ending with The Harbors of the Sun), and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer, as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction.