The million-copy, New York Times bestselling Murderbot series is back in another full-length novel adventure!
We’re thrilled to share the cover of System Collapse, a new Murderbot Diaries novel from Martha Wells—available November 14, 2023 from Tordotcom Publishing.
Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse.
Everyone’s favorite lethal SecUnit is back.
Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.
But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!
Yeah, this plan is… not going to work.
Buy the Book
System Collapse
Martha Wells has written many fantasy novels, including The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, the Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads and ending with The Harbors of the Sun), and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer, as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction. Her New York Times and USA Today-bestselling Murderbot Diaries series has won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards.
That menacing shape Murderbot is facing looks like trouble, too…
It’s good to see art by Jaime Jones again!
OH NO MURDERBOT! D:
I love the series but I was crestfallen going through the previous “full length book” as it was a novela stretched out thin killing the rythm and pacing that makes this series addictive.
Hope for another great entry!!!
@5 Matter of opinion. I found Network Effect as intense a read as any of the previous installments, and with more to think about.
Murderbot Diaries individually and in series is a masterpiece of speculative fiction
Available Nov 14…wtf…..give us the damn candy now!!
wow what a gorgeous cover. watch out, MB!!
can’t wait for Nov!
@1: …but not as much trouble as having a deep conversation with humans.
Cantwaitcantwaitcantwait!!!!
Oh no, poor Murderbot. I know it doesn’t like being on planets, but judging from that cover art…
P.S. It feels funny to post a comment on this article by clicking the button that certifies “I’m not a robot.”
OMG November! I don’t want to wait!
Murderbot is fine on the cover, that’s looks like one of the colony agricultural units. In Network effect murderbot states they are terrifying to look at but mostly harmless, right up until one of them falls on murderbot at least. You can see that murderbot is in a field on the cover.
I am thrilled another book in the series is arriving. November 23 seems a long way off to tell us now though.
I rushed to my ebook app to get it only to see it’s not out yet.
Glad to hear there’s a new book, but November? Media gets announced so far from there arrival date, it almost feels pointless. Tell us in August, not January. Again, so glad there’ll be a new book, love the others, but just say it’s being worked on if it’s almost a year off.
And….preordered! Very excited!
(and I’m pleased to have something to look forward to…especially more Murderbot!)
Love it! I don’t think murderbot would mind the giant spider thing as much as not having booty covering armor
Super! Thank you! I am looking forward to this sooooooooooo much, and Witch King too!
It got its armor back!
I don’t want to wait til November, I want it now!!!!!!!!!
That painting makes me think of the time honored definition of diplomacy – saying nice doggy until you can find a rock.
Well, the November date is quite understandable if you keep in mind that it has to sit on a dozen or so computers (but not yours) for most of a year before some publishing company employee is allowed to click on “release”. Only then can it be transmitted instantly out of that one building in New York.
Yooo I can’t wait!!! I’ve never pre-ordered a book in my life, but you can bet your sweet tush that I’m pre-ordering this one! <3
What great news! I have been so patiently waiting (riiiiiight) for any news about the next Murderbot!
Yes. I am off to order it now.
Martha Wells series is the best I’ve ever read in my 77 years, and I’m including the likes of Asimov, Heinlein, Zelasny, Clark, and all the others. Martha is a treasure.
Does anyone know if this cover was designed by an actual human artist or by AI?
Oh no. It’s 6,995 hours until November 14, 2023.
I need new media having already watched Sanctuary Moon 310 times.
Cover art by Jaime Jones
Cover design by @CFoltzer (Twitter)
If it were to be delayed by two weeks, it would come out on my birthday, but I couldn’t stand the extra wait.
Just finished Network Effect recently and I was hoping there would be another in the series. This is great news.
I have loved the series and even the short! er title that they admitted was short. Nevertheless, even though I have read Network Effect 4 or 5 times (audio book, but it kind of counts), it’s just not as good the 1st & 2nd. I hope for a return to the 5-star reads of before.
I agree with @18. That armor seems a bit tush cover deficient. I love the Murderbot stories. There is just such a human feeling from this non-human being.
Why does that thing in the background of the cover make me think of Stranger Things.
YES!!!!!!! I’ve been eagerly anticipating the next Murderbot book! <Sigh> but almost a whole year to wait.
I hope there’s some follow-up for the SecUnit named Three, too. Murderbot needs a little sibling to give it grief.
I’m going to have to go back and reread Wells’ Raksura series for a quasi-fix. (She’s a favorite author of mine, I’ve read all of her books I can find.) It’s not Murderbot but the next best thing, imo.
I’ve pre-ordered her Witch King book coming out in May. She’s a great writer, so I’m expecting to enjoy it but it probably won’t generate as much of an emotional connection as Murderbot.
@35 Yessss, I have my fingers crossed hard for more of Three’s journey! It’s such a sweetheart. ;_;
When will the preorder be available on Audible? I keep checking back but it’s not up yet. I’d love to get this pre-ordered so I don’t miss it!
Oh happiness: a new Murderbot novel!! Oh sadness: I have to wait all the way to November!!!