Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Just read your comments Melissa, glad you're enjoying it!

Choko wrote: "Funny, but I was reading another book where the author was killing themselves trying to convince us how much those two characters love each other and how their love is bigger than big and so on... All those angsty feelings and longing glances, and I didn't feel even a quarter of the strength and vulnerability that I did when reading..."

Oh, I know what you mean, Choko! Some of the most powerful emotions I get are are from the connections between characters that aren't overtly romantic. It's the ultimate show don't tell. Beating us over the head with it makes it feel cheaper, not stronger.

Reading more tonight!

Chapter 9:
@Charlie I also liked the bit with the yelling at the flickering lighting.

It just clicked for me that Murderbot is sulking in the bathroom. How delightfully human.

I'm so proud of Arada being so calm and collected as a leader through all of this.

Chapter 10
(view spoiler)[Wait, so the Targets also have those implants? If they are used as disciplinary devices, then does that mean that the Targets are also subject to higher-ups? Do they have another purpose?

I'm confused. I feel like I'm back at square one again trying to figure out what happened. Even factoring in the hostage situation for its crew, how exactly did ART get attacked? What with ART's memory having been compromised, I don't know what's what.

Aww~ They're talking again.

Awww~ "Third Mom"

Awwww~ They're watching media together again~ Just like old times. <3

Re: Helpme.file excerpts
Curiouser and curiouser. I wonder how these excerpts all fit together. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11
Oh my goodness, Arada. I love your sweet little cinnamon roll heart, but we're begging you. Shut. UP! The cringe factor from the entire crew is just glorious to behold though. I feel for Overse.

Chapter 12
Oh. That actually went... smoother than expected? I still feel like the information gained is such a tiny piece of the puzzle.

Ah! Ah! Ah! Okay I just got to the part about (view spoiler)[Murderbot copying itself and suddenly I have this terrible premonition about those HelpMe excerpt files.

ART replied, only to me, It is safer. I’ve lost my crew, I won’t lose you.
Amena said, not helpfully, “Your face just got really weird. Are you all right?”

My face may have gotten weird just now. No reason. No reason at all. ༼இ﹏இ༽ (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13
I liked this bit:

(I know, it’s a logo, but I hate it when humans and augmented humans ruin things for no reason. Maybe because I was a thing before I was a person and if I’m not careful I could be a thing again.)

And this:
Thiago: “Should we split up?” (╹◡╹)
Murderbot: *grinds teeth* 川ಠ_ಠ||
Thiago: ( ◔ ౪◔)
Hahaha! That's okay Thiago, I thought it was funny!

(view spoiler)[*shoe drops* OH! The helpme file is a message to someone with a governor module! Other SecUnits? It seems like a targeted message. To the Targets? Ooh, if the Targets were also carrying out their mission under duress, that could change the tide of- But no, they were total jerks, mocking and laughing at them. And the implants don't seem to work off of code like a governor module. Hm... I guess it has the be the corporate SecUnits then. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14:
Hahahaha! Oh Murderbot, you so salty.(view spoiler)[

I’m not actually a human baby, ART, I remember the fucking directive—I helped write it.

OMG I've been waiting 5 books for this! (1) Murderbot makes human friends, (2) Murderbot makes an Asshole Research Transport friend, (3) Murderbot makes friends with Miki... and I was hoping in Exit Strategy it'd make contact with another SecUnit. Well, it definitely does NOT make friends with the CombatBot. But at last! *grabs popcorn* I think I've fully backburnered any mystery elements, and am just here to enjoy the ride now! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15
Heeheeehee! Oh man, I bet Murderbot just can't wait for the opportunity to tease (view spoiler)[ART about this.

“You’re Peri’s SecUnit.”
Oh, ART’s humans had a cute pet name for it. I saved that to permanent archive immediately.

I can just imagine after lot's of action and explosions when things finally settle down:
Murderbot: So... "Peri," huh?

And aww, we learn that ART told his crew... it's like when you meet someone's friends or family and they say, "So glad to finally meet you! They talk about you all the time!" <3

Muahaha! The giant spiked spidery ag-bots bursting onto the scene is just *chefs kiss* yes! Let chaos reign!

...

Oh no. Oh no no no no no. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17
Yes, I'm loving this new perspective. The shift to present tense is a nice stylistic choice as well.

Chapter 18
(view spoiler)[OMG, is Murderbot actually just... casually ripping off its own hand and reattaching it to escape!? Bad. Ass.

Completely tone inappropriate, but now I have this commercial jingle in my head. I'm trying to imagine 1.0 and 2.0 in some cheesy montage, and it's so ridiculous I'm.. just... I can't- *fizzt!*

Catastrophic Failure
System Shutdown

But for real, I got some next-level horror creepy crawlies from that dead body. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 20:
(view spoiler)[

ART watched with me for some of the episodes but the idea of Dr. Mensah coming aboard made it weirdly excited and it had its drones clean its whole interior again and was doing things like yelling at Turi to put their laundry in the recycler.

Aw, ART is so gosh darn adorable when its nervous.

Murderbot and Dr. Mensah chatting is just <3 <3 <3
It's fledging the nest in a way, and confirming that Preservation and Mensah will still be there to come home to. (hide spoiler)]

Well, I enjoyed it overall, and I liked how it sets up the possibility for a new arc of adventures. I am super super excited about Three, and hope it makes future appearances.

Although I got caught up in the mystery in the beginning, The confusion in the middle figuring out what happened was the weak point for me. Even at the end, it wasn't clear about (view spoiler)[how this "infection" spread, having a mixture of biological and code elements. Downloading itself into Eletra's brain and then ART's MedSystem scanner somehow picking up the code... it was just the most convoluted takeover. I want more clarity about what the Remnant actually was. (hide spoiler)]

Thanks for sticking around for my rambles and reactions.

Sha wrote: "I really want a whole series of ART and Murderbot going on targeted rebel forcelike missions against Evil Capitalism. "

Sha, I'm also all in for this idea. Please let it be true. I think on this reread through the series I was already familiar with the characters, Murderbot's growth as a person, and all the emotional aspects which were the highlight the first time. So the all thematic injustices of capitalism rang a lot louder this time around.

Gosh I love this series.

I agree with ya! The weak part was definitely the "mystery". Maybe that will clear up on the re-read. I plan to re-listen in a month or so.

Soo wrote: "I agree with ya! The weak part was definitely the "mystery". Maybe that will clear up on the re-read. I plan to re-listen in a month or so."

Well, in the beginning I was really engaged by it. I felt like I was picking up on lots of clues and was gratified (and sometimes surprised) that my guesses turned out to be correct. (view spoiler)[ART was firing wide on purpose! It was covertly trying to get Murderbot's help! And holy crap, Ras and Eletra actually were the ones who took over ART! (technically) (hide spoiler)] There was some nice tight set-up and payoff. It was later on when I felt left hanging with ambiguities. I wish more had been clarified in the middle, before the focus and tone shifted to the mission. (view spoiler)[I'm not sure why ART's memory had to be faulty. I wish its reboot could have clarified how the attack happened. There still could have been the unknown of what happened to the crew afterwards, and how to extract them. (hide spoiler)]

By all means, come back in a month when you re-listen and share any new insights or revelations you have. :)

Charlie wrote: "Also I love that the majority of our comments boil down to 'The AI bromance is adorable' knowing that ART and Murderbot would tell us to fuck off if they could hear us! 😂"

Haha! Pretty much!
Or at least Murderbot would. ART might stay tellingly silent, giving unspoken agreement to all the feeeeelings.

I totally think ART is more likely to be verbose because he's got the pushy personality to do it and come off sounding like a dictator. Murderbot is likely to do something very visible as being uncomfortable. Like putting itself into a corner and pretending to be a statue. LOL

The bit about ART not being able to recall the hijacking sequence is believable because it's not clear on when ART realized it needed to save a whole copy of itself. ART probably couldn't save itself as a whole. The primary objective could have been to save what it considers as it's personality/memories to retain self. Plus, during the process of reinstalling ART from the save, the computers were doing a total wipe and installing basic programs.

The part about the virus and how it worked was one of the plot holes. Maybe even Wells didn't quite know how to get it written down into the story without giving a bunch away. I can see that happening.

Haha! Melissa, reading your comments is almost as good as rereading the book! I might be experiencing the same emotions all over again (✿ ♡‿♡)

I wouldn't be surprised if she plans on exploring the alien remnants further in future books, and so intentionally wanted to keep their details vague.

I agree that it makes sense for ART's memory to have been partially lost, considering. It's logical, I'm just not sure why the additional mystery was necessary, if it was the best narrative choice.

My love for this book is definitely rooted in the personal relationships, not on the mystery at all. If that was my focus, then I can see not being completely satisfied. There were meanderings about when it came to the hijacking of any of the modern systems with the alien programs. But, I kind of just took it as one of those things and was not bugged by it, because it delivered on the character front perfectly for me ( ◜‿◝ )♡