Murderbot TV Series

What's a super-powered cybernetic killing machine to do when it hacks its own programming to free itself from all constraints? Watch TV, of course! Well, assuming it can find some time for TV when all the humans around it keep &$##ing up and almost getting themselves killed.

This is the primary premise of the gloriously fabulous Murderbot Diaries book series by Martha Wells, and it remains the core theme in Apple's 10-episode TV series, which hits the service in May.

I first discovered the book series during the first year of the pandemic, and it instantly became one of my all-time favorite reads. I've gone back several times since and both re-read and re-listened to the whole series, enjoying it just as much through each fresh iteration as I did in the beginning. (Arguably, the novellas are better than the novels, but they're all still great fun).

Naturally, I'm skeptical of TV series made from a favorite IP, but when I first heard about Apple's plans for my dear Murderbot, I couldn't help but get a little excited. That excitement has climbed dramatically since the new trailer was revealed.

Sure, this TV version of Murderbot might not fit with every readers' imagined version of the titular hero – but I think Alexander Skarsgård is a great choice for the role (especially after seeing and hearing some of his version of Murderbot in that trailer). There are a lot of bad TV shows out there right now, but Apple's done well with Severance (easily the best series to hit the small screen in the last 20 years). My hope is that Murderbot gets similar high-quality treatment and comes out on top -- this is one series I would be happy to binge.

👋 Hi there! I’m Odin Halvorson, a librarian 📚, independent scholar 📖, film fanatic 🎬, fiction author 📝, and tech enthusiast 💻. If you like my work and want to support me, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to my newsletter for as little as $2.50 a month! 📣

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