Lux M. Vale

There’s a scene where everyone is talking about Sanctuary Moon, somebody gets something wrong, Murderbot immediately corrects them, and one of the scientists basically goes, “It’s watching it.”

That was it.

I was dead.

At that exact moment I knew I had adopted Murderbot. Ride or die. That is my robot now.

And honestly, I identified with Murderbot WAY too much.

Every time Murderbot is basically like, I don’t want to look at humans. Please leave me alone. Stop perceiving me. I want to watch my shows, I felt that in my soul.

There is a REASON I’m an author who has managed to keep my actual face disconnected from Lux M. Vale. I don’t want to be perceived either. Just read the books. Why are you looking at me?

So obviously Murderbot and I were going to get along.

What I was NOT prepared for was the emotional damage.

I do not read books because I want to cry. I don’t want your feelings. Keep your crappy emotions away from me. I came here for sci-fi, adventure, dry humor, and sarcasm.

And then the last chapter of this tiny little novella had me SOBBING.

I’m mad.

Because underneath all of Murderbot’s sarcasm and obsession with entertainment, this is actually a story about autonomy and figuring out what you want when your entire existence has been controlled by other people.

And apparently that was enough to emotionally assassinate me on a random Tuesday.

Five stars. I freaking love this robot.

I was actually planning to take a break from the series and read Whalefall next—you know, the book where a guy gets swallowed by a whale, which is personally one of the most horrifying concepts anybody could ever put on paper.

But unfortunately I already own Murderbot book two because apparently Past Me knew exactly what was going to happen.

So I guess we’re continuing.

There were a couple relationship/worldbuilding things that aren’t personally my thing, so I skimmed them and moved on. They weren’t what I was here for anyway.

I was here for Murderbot.

And Murderbot delivered.

Also, sci-fi people: GIVE ME RECOMMENDATIONS!!

I tried Moss in Space. It did not work for me.

I’m not really a romance reader. Give me adventure. Found family. Coming-of-age. Weird people becoming emotionally attached against their will. Space. Robots. Monsters. Somebody having the worst day of their life in an interesting location.

I also LOVE sentient creatures and sentient things in general. My favorite trope is literally houses becoming sentient and eating people, so please understand the kind of nonsense I am looking for here.

If the setting itself can become alive and hostile? Excellent.

If something nonhuman develops feelings and is deeply inconvenienced by them? Even better.

That is my lane.