All Systems Red

All Systems Red by Martha Wells, 152 pages

An android (with some organic parts) that calls itself Murderbot has been rented out as the security detail for a small surveying expedition on a far-off planet. Unbeknownst to the humans in the expedition, Murderbot has hacked its own governing module, allowing it to do as it pleases. For the most part, this means doing its job as normal but watching soap operas in the background. But when communications with a second surveying crew go dark, Murderbot's abilities become apparent to the crew.

This is the first in four novellas that make up the Murderbot Diaries, and while I'm not quite as taken with the book as all of the praise and accolades suggest I should be, I am intrigued by the main character's personality. There are elements of the autism spectrum that pop up in it, and I very much look forward to discussing this on Monday with the Orcs & Aliens book group.