Artificial Condition
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Check link for latest rating. ( 234,521 ratings, 21,429 reviews)Read More
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Artificial Condition
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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See moreAs a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.
As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.
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 pastβone 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.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Praised as a heart-pounding thriller and humane portrait of a nonhuman, the series has won acclaim from authors like Ann Leckie and Annalee Newitz. Reviews highlight its clever, inventive storytelling that balances action, humour, and compassion. Critics commend its depth and character study, noting its appeal even to those who aren't typically drawn to lethal AI narratives. Publishers Weekly awarded it a starred review for transforming a familiar action plot into a nuanced exploration of denied humanity.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781250186928
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 08 May 2018
Country: United States
Imprint: St Martin's Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 17.0mm
Width: 134.0mm
Height: 209.0mm
Weight: 230g
Pages: 160
About the Author
Martha Wells has written many fantasy novels, including 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.
Also by Martha Wells
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