Book Review: Artificial Condition

Martha Wells, Artificial Condition. New York: Tor Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781250186928.

Genre: science fiction

Subgenre: A.I., robots, mystery

Series: Murderbot Diaries, Book 2

Format: hardcover

Source: Berea branch, Madison County (KY) Public Library

 

This is the second book in the Murderbot Diaries series, and it was a great and fun read. In this novel, the former SecUnit that identifies itself as Murderbot delves into its past. It knows it was present and/or involved in an incident that caused human deaths. Was Murderbot responsible? Was it some other cause? Murderbot goes back to the mining facility where it went rogue to seek answer. However, it needs a work permit. To get it, it gets hired as a "security consultant" to a group of researchers involved in a labor dispute with their former employer. This seems like a simple job, but it soon turns out to be less than simple. Murderbot, luckily or not, has assistance from a research transport vessel with its own intelligence, ART. Murderbot will need all the help it can get to unravel this mystery, keep the researchers safe, and stay ahead of anyone seeking to capture it. 

The novel is a well written and well paced adventure. The author presents a good action science fiction story with very good humor. ART and Murderbot  are great together as they get to know each other and learn to work together. The plot gets more complex as it moves forward, so it keeps you reading to find out how it ends. Along the way we learn with Murderbot the truth about its past. 

The novel is fun, entertaining, and keeps you reading once you start. The writing is concise. I do appreciate that so far the novels are short, fun, and to the point. The writing is good. The setting is interesting. The humor is good also, which add to the entertainment value. Overall, this is an excellent novel I highly recommend. 

5 out of 5 stars.