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Compulsory

Compulsory

The Murderbot Diaries #0.5
Short storyCyberpunkSocial Sci-Fi
Published
2018
Language
English

Synopsis

Murderbot—the sardonic, almost-homicidal, media-loving android created by Martha Wells—has proven to be one of the most popular characters in 21 st century science fiction. Everything that makes this protagonist (it would be wrong to call Murderbot a hero) beloved of fans is on display in Compulsory.

While trying to watch episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot is—again, what is it with humans?—distracted by something that is technically outside its purview. A miner is suddenly in danger following a pointless (to Murderbot’s way of thinking) argument, and the choice is to risk discovery and leap into action, which would require hitting the pause button during a very exciting part of SanctuaryMoon, or to follow orders and stay still.

This is a tougher choice than it seems. But then, when has Murderbot ever been faced with an easy choice?

A shorter version of this story originally appeared in Wired magazine.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

Thought-ProvokingReflective

Genres

Cyberpunk Social Sci-Fi Science Fiction

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...

Frequently asked questions

  • Is this story part of the Murderbot Diaries series?

    This short story, titled Compulsory, is officially categorized as a prequel to the series and is often referred to as Murderbot 0.5.

  • Should I read this before starting the first novella?

    While it provides a brief glimpse into the protagonist's internal state, it is generally recommended to read the first full novella, All Systems Red, before this piece to gain a complete understanding of the world and character dynamics.

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