Compulsory by Martha Wells

Compulsory is a very short story by Martha Wells and every fan of the Murderbot series is sure to want to pick this one up, especially as it could be read as a standalone introduction for readers new to the series which started with All systems red, an Alex Award winner in 2018. 

Murderbot is an android, addicted to watching soaps. While engrossed in episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot sees a miner in danger after an argument. Can Murderbot leave the series which is at an exciting moment to rescue the miner? Should Murderbot follow orders and stay still or act? With the governor module broken, this is a demanding question for Murderbot.

In this short story Wells’ clever writing continues to engage readers with its sardonic main character, humour and ethical dilemmas. Fugitive Telemetry, winner of the Nebula Award, is a full-length novel starring Murderbot and not to be missed.

Themes: Science fiction, Androids, Artificial intelligence, Human-Computer interaction.

Pat Pledger