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Network Effect

Network Effect

A Murderbot Novel
CyberpunkScience Fiction
Pages
352
Published
2020
Language
English

Synopsis

It calls itself Murderbot, but only when no one can hear. It worries about the fragile human crew who've grown to trust it, but only where no one can see. It tells itself they're only a professional obligation — until they're captured, and an old, complicated ally from Murderbot's past needs urgent help. Drastic action it is, then. Network Effect is the first full-length novel in The Murderbot Diaries, following the four novellas that introduced the reluctant, media-obsessed security unit.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

AdventurousFunnyThought-ProvokingLightheartedTense
Reluctant HeroFound Family

Genres

Cyberpunk Science Fiction Space Opera

About the author

M
Martha Wells

Martha Wells (born September 1, 1964, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in anthropology in 1986. Her first novel, The Element of Fire (1993), opened the Ile-Rien sequence; she has since written the Books of the Raksura, the Emilie young-adult novels, tie-in fiction for Star Wars and Stargate, and the standalone fantasy Witch King. She is best known for The Murderbot Diaries, beginning with the novella A...

Characters

MurderbotProtagonist
PerihelionSupporting

A research transport AI from Murderbot's past (nicknamed ART), whose hijacked ship drives much of the plot.

All characters in Network Effect

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need to read the previous books in the series before this one?

    While this is the first full-length novel in the series, it assumes familiarity with the protagonist and the established relationships from the preceding four novellas. Reading the novellas in order provides essential context for the character development and interpersonal dynamics that drive the plot.

  • What major awards has this book won?

    This novel received significant critical recognition, winning the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 2020 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 2021 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

  • Is there a specific reading order for the series including the novellas and novels?

    The series is best experienced in publication order to avoid spoilers and to follow the natural progression of the narrative arc. Although some later entries like Fugitive Telemetry are set earlier in the internal timeline, they are written with the expectation that the reader has already completed the preceding books.

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