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The Murderbot Diaries #4.5

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory

Name: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory
Rating: 4.1 (29752 reviews)
Author: Martha Wells

Martha Wells May 5, 2020

4.1 29.8k Ratings

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Synopsis

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory was originally given free to readers who pre-ordered Martha’s Murderbot novel, Network Effect, the fifth entry in the series. The events occur just after the fourth novella, Exit Strategy.

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While trying to watch episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot is—again, what is it with humans?—distracted by something that is technically outside its purview. A miner is suddenly in danger following a pointless (to Murderbot’s way of thinking) argument, and the choice is to risk discovery and leap into action, which would require hitting the pause button during a very exciting part of SanctuaryMoon, or to follow orders and stay still.

This is a tougher choice than it seems. But then, when has Murderbot ever been faced with an easy choice?

A shorter version of this story originally appeared in Wired magazine.

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It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

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Librarians note: alternate cover for ISBN 9781250186928

Network Effect

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It calls itself Murderbot, but only when no one can hear.

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Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory