# System Collapse

![Book cover of System Collapse](/books/covers/system_collapse.jpg)

by [Martha Wells](/books/authors/martha_wells/)
Book 7 of [The Murderbot Diaries](/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries/)
Awards: [Locus](/books/by-award/#locus-award)
★★★☆☆

## Review

_System Collapse_, by Martha Wells,
is the seventh book in _The Murderbot Diaries_. It picks up
right where [_Network Effect_](/books/network_effect/) left off: Murderbot, ART, their
humans, and a bunch of colonists are trapped on an alien-contaminated world
while the Barish-Estranza Corporation tries to drag everyone into slavery.

The corporate slavery and alien-contaminated world sound like heavy subjects,
but [_The Murderbot Diaries_](/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries/) has always had an element of escapism that keeps things
from feeling oppressive. For the reader, that's the competence porn and tight
action. For Murderbot, it's watching soap operas while trying to ignore its
feelings. _System Collapse_ leans much more on the second and ignores the
action. I almost put the book down during the first half, which reminded me of
the ending of [_Matter_](/books/matter/): Murderbot and its team walking through too many
corridors while it tries to hide its debilitating PTSD from both the humans
and the reader. Fortunately, the second half goes back to what works, with
Murderbot causing mayhem and saving people.

After years of using media to learn about humans, how to walk and stand
"normally", and even how to be a detective in [_Fugitive Telemetry_](/books/fugitive_telemetry/), Murderbot finally
turns stories into a weapon. Outgunned by Barish-Estranza, it and its humans
fight back the only way they can: propaganda. They create a real-ish story
mixing fake shots and voices with real interviews to win over the colonists.
Weaponizing Murderbot's media obsession against a foe it can't physically
overpower is clever, but it comes too late to fully save the book.

[_The Murderbot Diaries_](/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries/) and _System Collapse_ in particular really drive home how Wells is mixing two classic sci-fi ideas: evil corporations
and alien contamination. Barish-Estranza's treatment of people as property is
the latest iteration, but we've seen it before with the zaibatsus and their
indentured scientists in [Gibson](/books/authors/william_gibson/)'s [_Sprawl_](/books/series/sprawl/) series and with
the Weyland-Yutani Corporation from _Alien_. And _Alien_ is also where
the two ideas come together: Weyland-Yutani is trying to capture an alien that
infects its hosts.

The idea that alien remnants are dangerous just by existing is also common in
sci-fi. The classic of the genre is [Arkady](/books/authors/arkady_strugatsky/) and [Boris Strugatsky](/books/authors/boris_strugatsky/)'s [_Roadside Picnic_](/books/roadside_picnic/), where the danger might not even be intentional. But there
is also [Vinge](/books/authors/vernor_vinge/)'s [_A Fire Upon The Deep_](/books/a_fire_upon_the_deep/), where ancient
horrors can be released from the Transcend. Finally, I've realized that [_The Murderbot Diaries_](/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries/) is really close to [Alex](/books/authors/a_n_alex/)'s [_A Mote in Shadow_](/books/a_mote_in_shadow/).
Both have evil corporations, both have infectious alien remnants, and both
have high-stakes action. But while [_A Mote in Shadow_](/books/a_mote_in_shadow/) gives you a sense of
existential dread, in Wells's version it's...
almost cozy? I think it's because Murderbot is extremely competent. Whereas [Alex](/books/authors/a_n_alex/)'s protagonists are in way over their heads, you know Murderbot
is going to come out on top.

Halfway through this book, I was sure it was going to be the last time I read
[_The Murderbot Diaries_](/books/series/the_murderbot_diaries/). The pacing really, really made me want to put it down. But
the second half was classic Murderbot. Maybe I still have a few more in me. I
guess we'll see when I get to _Platform Decay_.

## Reviews that mention _System Collapse_
- [_Artificial Condition_](/books/artificial_condition/)†
- [_Exit Strategy_](/books/exit_strategy/)†
- [_Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory_](/books/home_habitat_range_niche_territory/)†
- [_I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter_](/books/i_sexually_identify_as_an_attack_helicopter/)†
- [_Last Stand_](/books/last_stand/)
- [_The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress_](/books/the_moon_is_a_harsh_mistress/)†
- [_Network Effect_](/books/network_effect/)†
- [_On Basilisk Station_](/books/on_basilisk_station/)†
- [_Shards of Earth_](/books/shards_of_earth/)†
- [_This Is How You Lose the Time War_](/books/this_is_how_you_lose_the_time_war/)†
- [_The Triumphant_](/books/the_triumphant/)†
- [_We Are Legion (We Are Bob)_](/books/we_are_legion_we_are_bob/)†

† _Mentioned via a link to the series._

## Related Books
- [_Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory_](/books/home_habitat_range_niche_territory/) by [Martha Wells](/books/authors/martha_wells/) --- ★★★☆☆: Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory, by Martha Wells, is a short story from The Murderbot Diaries, set between Exit Strategy and Network Effect. It shows us Murderbot and Mensah adjusting to their new situation after the GrayCris storyline.
- [_Network Effect_](/books/network_effect/) by [Martha Wells](/books/authors/martha_wells/) --- ★★★★☆: Network Effect, by Martha Wells, is the fifth book in The Murderbot Diaries. It’s the first full-length novel in the series and features Murderbot getting kidnapped by ART to rescue its crew.
- [_Fugitive Telemetry_](/books/fugitive_telemetry/) by [Martha Wells](/books/authors/martha_wells/) --- ★★★☆☆: Fugitive Telemetry, by Martha Wells, is the sixth book in The Murderbot Diaries. In it, Murderbot is reluctantly pulled into a murder investigation by Preservation Station security.