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In case you haven’t heard the news, Graphic Audio recently released their production of Artificial Condition, the second novella in the MurderBot Diaries series. I preordered it immediately and listened to it the day it was released. I promptly forgot to review it until now, so here we are.

Once again, I found listening to the Graphic Audio version of Artificial Condition to be a bit…odd? This is mostly because I’m so used to hearing Kevin R. Free’s voice (having listened to the audiobooks more than a dozen times). I was a bit thrown by the choice for ART’s voice, but it grew on me.

Artificial Condition is probably my favorite of the series (so far), so I feel like it was a given that I’d fall in love with this version of the story. I’d probably fall in love with any version, as long as they got the characters right.

It was fun having different voices for all of the characters. It helped to highlight their differences. I also feel like the cast has done a great job of drawing our attention to different elements, which I appreciate.

My Original Review of Artificial Condition:

Artificial Condition is the second book in the Murderbot Diaries, and man, was it worth the wait! Murderbot is the nickname our main character gave itself, which is humorous and sad. Murderbot is a SecUnit (Security Unit) sent out on mining and scientific missions as human and resource protection. Our lovely SecUnit has found a way to free themselves from the system, but the question is, how long can they remain so?

I knew immediately I would like this series, even before I read the first book. So far, it hasn’t disappointed me (and I don’t think it will). I love Murderbot and the strange and clever ways they handle all sorts of situations, from social interactions (hint: awkwardly) to threatening ones and everything in between.
Artificial Condition felt more cerebral than All Systems Red, which makes sense. All Systems Red had to establish the world, the characters, and the situation Murderbot was in and explain what made Murderbot unique from the rest of the SecUnits. Artificial Condition didn’t have to do any of that. Instead, the focus is entirely on Muderbot’s personality and personal quests. In this case, Murderbot is determined to find out what happened to it in the past.
Personally, I love this tangent in the series. Seeing MurderBot’s past (and the conflict caused by it) made the character feel more three-dimensional. It also tore at my heart. It still does – every time I think about it.
I love the little details that went into this novel. Such as how Murderbot traveled, interacted with other bots and humans, and figured things out as they went. It all showed us a lot about how Murderbot handles different problems, and in many ways, it made the characters seem so much more human than they’d like us to consider them.
Murderbot is such an interesting character study. At what point can we say a person or being achieve sentience? Martha Wells explores this subject without ever having to be so blunt as to say those words out loud. Is Murderbot a sentient being? Is the fact that they hacked themselves, thus freeing themselves, a signifier of an autonomous being? What about their joy of media (mostly trashy television shows)? They have likes, loves, dislikes, and even an array of social and mental anxieties. Is that enough? Or is it more? Is it how they treat humans? Because humans aren’t always kind to each other; I mean, look at the events of the last book for crying out loud. In short, I love the million questions this series raises just by existing.
I am a MurderBot fan. Now and forever.

Highlights:

• Cyberpunk meets Solarpunk
• Rogue Android/SecUnit
• Sarcastic Characters
• Space Adventures
• Artificial Intelligence

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