Book Summary: System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells

System Collapse: The Murderbot Diaries 7 follows the events in Network Effect. The Barish-Estranza corporation has dispatched rescue ships and additional SecUnits to a newly colonized planet in peril. However, Murderbot is increasingly skeptical of corporate ethics; if Barish-Estranza cannot claim the planet, they are determined not to leave empty-handed. This could mean capturing an entire colony of humans as a free workforce, a prize they are more than willing to fight for.

Meanwhile, Murderbot finds itself not functioning within normal operational parameters. As ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation work tirelessly to protect the colonists, they face the looming threat of Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams. They must hope that Murderbot can figure out what is wrong with itself—quickly.

On a mission to assist a group of colonists exposed to an alien contaminant, Murderbot, ART, and ART’s crew race against time to evacuate the colonists before Barish-Estranza claims them as salvage. The situation becomes even more complicated when they discover a second, hidden colony of separatists who have been living in an abandoned Pre-Corporation Rim site for decades.

Murderbot must leverage its skills as a security unit, combined with its growing understanding of human emotions, to protect both groups of colonists and devise a plan to save them from the impending corporate threat.

The Murderbot Diaries
All Systems Red
Artificial Condition
Rogue Protocol
Exit Strategy
Network Effect
Fugitive Telemetry
System Collapse

Main Characters in System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells

Murderbot (SecUnit): A rogue SecUnit who prefers watching media to interacting with humans. It is attached to ART and its crew.
ART (Asshole Research Transport): A sentient transport ship owned by the University of Mihira and New Tideland and crewed by humans.
Dr. Mensah: A human who was formerly Murderbot’s client and now its friend. She is a high-ranking member of the University of Mihira and New Tideland and is on a mission to rescue the colonists.
Iris: A human who is a member of ART’s crew and a specialist in alien remnants.
Ratthi: A human who is a member of ART’s crew and a pilot.
Tarik: A human who is a former corporate security agent and a member of ART’s crew.
(Sub-Supervisor) Dellcourt: The leader of the Barish-Estranza scout team on the planet. He is intelligent and manipulative.
Leonide: The supervisor of the Barish-Estranza team attempting to secure contracts with the colonists.
Karime: A human member of ART’s crew and its lead negotiator.
Thiago: A human member of ART’s crew.
Three (SecUnit): A SecUnit owned by ART, friendly with Murderbot.
AdaCol1 & AdaCol2: Sentient central computer systems from a Pre-Corporation Rim civilization.
Bellagia: A human colonist who is a leader of one of the factions at the main site.
Corian: A human colonist who is the historian for one of the factions at the main site.
Trinh: A human who is the leader of the separatist colony.

System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells Details & Statistics

Attribute	Details
Publisher	Tor Books (November 14, 2023)
Language	English
Paperback	256 pages
ISBN-10	1250826977
ISBN-13	978-1250826978

Statistics of System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells

Ratings:
- Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars (13,760 ratings)
- Goodreads Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (46,953 ratings)
Best Sellers Rank:
- #12,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #33 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery
- #605 in Science Fiction Adventures
Literary Awards:
- Locus Award for Science Fiction (2024)
- Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction (2023)
- Libby Award for Best Science Fiction (2023)
Publication Details:
- First Published: November 13, 2023
- Pages: 256
- Format: Hardcover
Genres:
- Science Fiction
- Fiction
- Audiobook
- Adult
- Science Fiction Fantasy
- Space
- Space Opera
Series Information:
- Book 7 of 7: The Murderbot Diaries
- Original Title: System Collapse
- Available Editions: 10 editions
Bestseller Status:
- A New York Times Bestseller
- A Washington Post Bestseller
- A USA Today Bestseller

System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells Quotes

Even having an emotional collapse, I knew saying that meant I’d lost the argument. Once we’d entered “this increasingly unlikely scenario which is not actually occurring in any way makes me right” territory, it was all over.
I wouldn’t recommend it. I lack a sense of proportional response. I don’t advise engaging with me on any level.
Humans are great at imagining stuff. That’s why their media is so good.
He got the vehicle started again and we proceeded down the stupid tunnel, into the stupid danger.
But since the thing that happened I don’t think I’ve had an emotion that wasn’t the visual equivalent of a wet blanket crumpled on the floor.
So the next time I get optimistic about something, I want one of you to punch me in the face.
Did I understand how it processed its emotions? No. But I don’t understand how I process my emotions, either.

System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells Table Of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Acknowledgments
Also by Martha Wells
About the Author
Copyright

System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 A Novel by Martha Wells Book Summary

Chapter 1

Murderbot is monitoring a meeting between ART’s human crew member Karime and a faction of colonists when it detects a Barish-Estranza SecUnit approaching their location. Murderbot, disguised as a human, helps the humans evade the SecUnit.

Chapter 2

The humans continue their work repairing the colony’s communication routers while discussing the possibility of a Barish-Estranza support ship arriving. They learn from the colonists that there may be a second, hidden colony site near the planet’s terraforming engines.

Chapter 3

The humans debate whether to contact the second colony, given the risks and the limited time they have. They decide to send Iris, Ratthi, and Tarik to the area near the terraforming engines to investigate. Murderbot goes with them.

Chapter 4

Iris, Ratthi, Tarik, and Murderbot arrive at the terraforming site and confirm the presence of a hidden colony. They try to make contact with the colonists but are unsuccessful.

Chapter 5

The humans discover an abandoned ground vehicle in a hangar, along with signs that someone has been maintaining it. They discover a powered-down passage leading into the installation. Murderbot goes ahead to scout the passage.

Chapter 6

Murderbot discovers that a Barish-Estranza team is already inside the separatist colony. The humans are frustrated because their attempt to warn the colonists has been thwarted. Iris tries to negotiate with the separatist leader, Trinh, via comm.

Chapter 7

Murderbot confronts Leonide, the leader of the Barish-Estranza team. Leonide tries to manipulate Murderbot into revealing information about the University’s plans. The meeting is interrupted when Leonide tries to discreetly record the conversation and is caught.

Chapter 8

Murderbot, ART-drone, and the humans work together to create a documentary to show the separatist colonists the dangers of accepting a contract with Barish-Estranza. They hope to convince the colonists to evacuate with the University.

Chapter 9

Iris and Murderbot meet with Leonide and her team. The meeting quickly devolves into a fight when Leonide reveals that Barish-Estranza intends to take the colonists by force.

Chapter 10

Murderbot, Iris, and Leonide flee from the Barish-Estranza SecUnits, pursued by a second SecUnit. Tarik joins them and leads them through a dangerous part of the installation. They are forced to hide when the second SecUnit gets too close.

Chapter 11

The humans and Murderbot steal an old ground vehicle, hoping to reach the surface before the Barish-Estranza team can catch them. The vehicle is damaged and they are almost killed in a crash, but manage to escape. They come out of the blackout zone caused by the terraforming station and contact ART.

Chapter 12

ART and its crew are joined by another University ship, Holism. The increased firepower and witnesses force Barish-Estranza to back down from its attempt to claim the colonists. Negotiations begin for the evacuation of the colonists.

About the Author: Martha Wells

System Collapse The Murderbot Diaries 7 — Author’s image source: wikipedia.com

Martha Wells has been a prominent author in the science fiction and fantasy genres since her debut novel was published in 1993. Her notable works include the Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series, and The Murderbot Diaries. Most recently, she released Witch King (Tordotcom, 2023). In addition to her original novels, Wells has contributed media tie-in fiction for popular franchises such as Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: The Gathering. Her extensive portfolio also includes short fiction, young adult novels, and non-fiction.

Wells has received numerous accolades for her work, including Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and a Dragon Award. Her writings have been featured on prestigious lists such as the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the British Science Fiction Association Award ballot, and the bestseller lists of USA Today, the Sunday Times, and the New York Times.

A member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, her books have been translated into twenty-five languages, showcasing her international appeal and literary significance.