Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Fugitive Telemetry – A Sarcastic Murder Mystery

Fugitive Telemetry is the sixth novella in Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries. If sarcastic bot constructs are your cup of tea, then you’ll love what Murderbot brings. Though not literally – Murderbot protects humans. It doesn’t feed them.

A body has been discovered at Preservation Station. SecUnit (aka Murderbot) isn’t surprised by this news. Humans are awful, and they’ve seen worse. However, the Station security is not up to hunting down a killer.

That means Murderbot must step up to the task, which, in theory, sounds fine. Then you realize that investigating the crime also includes talking to other humans. Suddenly, this mission is looking more troublesome than anything for Murderbot.

Writing

Fugitive Telemetry is a sarcasm and chaos-fueled adventure. And I do mean that almost literally. Every word out of Murderbot’s mouth is either a complaint or a line of sarcasm. Not that I blame them.

Martha Wells does know how to write a compelling space adventure. This time, we’re finally seeing more of Preservation Station. It’s by far the most intriguing station that Murderbot has been on, which is both good and bad.

Additionally, readers will get a chance to meet some new(er) secondary characters. It’s always amusing watching SetUnit have to deal with new people who don’t understand them, so that is a highlight that I’m certain many will appreciate.

Development

Fugitive Telemetry is a fast-paced read, and not just because it’s a novella. SecUnit didn’t get a whole lot of time for sitting around – there’s a murderer on the loose! And no, I’m not talking about Murderbot – as they would say, rude.

Working with more humans and finding creative solutions to new problems forced Murderbot to grow and adapt in this novella. It’s great to see, of course. All while setting up a formula for future adventures, I hope.

Since I’ve gotten my hands on Fugitive Telemetry, I’ve read it twice and listened to it a third time. (Yes, I bought the audiobook). The ending and the events leading up to the conclusion still give me chills. Good chills, I think.

What I’m trying to say is Martha Wells once again forced a connection with her readers, giving us reason to care about what will happen next, particularly when other bots and droids are involved. Or whenever Murderbot has someone to protect.

Conclusion

Fugitive Telemetry is the perfect novella for fans waiting for their next Murderbot fix. It’s funny, fascinating, and okay; it’s also a little dark. But what did you expect from a series with the main character named Murderbot?

Once again, I am blown away by Martha Wells’ writing. I love the world and characters she created here and sincerely cannot wait to see what comes next. Yes, I know that will be a little ways off. I can deal.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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