Thank you, Wells, for Rogue Protocol

I have criticized Martha Wells and the Murderbot Diaries series on numerous occasions.

I have complained about the length. The individual novels are infuriatingly short. Also, I don’t understand how an author can sell a 195-page book at the same price as a giant 850-page volume. $9 for 195 pages feels like theft. Storywise, I blamed the weaknesses in the first two books on the limited word count.

You can’t build a sophisticated setting, introduce engaging characters, and guide them along complex arcs in 200 pages. The first two books felt somewhat hollow and unsatisfying and I had no intention of returning to this series. But then I found myself starting and dropping mediocre book after mediocre book.

Most of them were so unmemorable I can’t even recall them. A few irritated me to the point where I refuse to talk about them. Eventually, my interest in reading began to wither. But then I decided to backtrack. I read Rogue Protocol, book three of the Murderbot Diaries, and, OMG!

Don’t get me wrong; the novel is not great. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But Rogue Protocol is easily the funniest book I have read in the last 12 months. Clarification matters; great and fun are not the same. A book can be great without being fun, and vice versa.

The writing is okay at best. Not terrible, but not breathtaking either. The short length limits the amount of character development and exploration, which is a problem for a Sci-Fi novel with a relatively large cast. Like the previous installments in the series, Murderbot takes center stage in Rogue Protocol.

The novel picks up where its predecessor left off. Our favourite rogue security unit is on a mission to collect evidence incriminating his former employers in an illegal scheme – the same employers that framed him for a brutal massacre. Once again, Murderbot’s mission takes a backseat when he encounters humans who can’t help but stumble willingly into danger.

Most rogue security units would leave the humans to their fate. But Murderbot can’t help himself. The android’s personality has developed an annoyingly empathetic side, partly because of all the soaps he watches in his spare time. He is determined to protect the humans from themselves and the combat drones working in the shadows to murder them.

Murderbot is the story’s anchor. The android is endlessly charming because his cold and calculating demeanor hides a ridiculously shy and insecure individual who struggles to process human emotions. The character’s magnetism was not enough to elevate the first two books. This time, he is not alone.

Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary showed me that I cannot enjoy a story unless you give the protagonist one or more supporting characters to play against. Weir gave his protagonist Rocky. Wells gave Murderbot Miki, and their pairing could not be more perfect. While he won’t hesitate to sacrifice himself for his human clients, Murderbot does not like humans.

They are slow, greedy, stupid, and cruel. They have given him plenty of reasons to approach them with hostility. So, imagine Murderbot’s surprise when he encounters Miki, a gentle robot with kind human owners who treat him like a family member. Most of the laughs come from Murderbot’s nauseated response to Miki’s interactions with his human friends.

And yes, Rogue Protocol has a lot of laughs. I feel renewed after reading this book. Or, at the very least, my desire to read fiction is rejuvenated. Additionally, my appreciation for shorter stories has grown. If you have a few hours to spare this week, give Rogue Protocol a read. You won’t be disappointed, assuming you read the first two books.

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