Pages2Screen: The Murderbot Diaries

Today, in my occasional series Pages2Screen, I explore which is superior: Martha Wells's ongoing comedic sci-fi series, The Murderbot Diaries, or the Apple TV series of the same name.

Bookish Murderbot vs TV Murderbot

First off, The Murderbot Diaries is one of the most enjoyable science fiction series I've read in the past several years. It's right up there with The Expanse and The Protectorate (both are must-reads for science-fiction fans, BTW). The Murderbot Diaries follows the eponymous hero, a humanoid biomechanical bodyguard or SecUnit. What makes Murderbot special? They have hacked their governor module and gone rogue, only masquerading as an obedient SecUnit dedicated to protecting its clients.

Murderbot deals with identity issues while attempting to protect human clients who are always doing stupid things that might get them killed. All Murderbot wants to do is watch episodes of Sanctuary Moon, a melodramatic soap opera. Despite having gone rogue, they can't escape their quintessential nature of being a protector.

Murderbot's view of the world is slightly askew, often leading to subtle, dark-ish humor. I enjoyed the humor, but I suspect some readers may not enjoy it as much as I did. My only criticism of the series as a whole is at some point, the books feel a little formulaic—human friends go exploring and get themselves into trouble, necessitating Murderbot to save the day.

Season 1 of Apple TV's Murderbot Diaries closely follows the books, as far as I can tell. This is a great thing, and I hope it continues in future seasons. The humor is spot on in my opinion, as is the acting. Alexander Skarsgård is magnificent as Murderbot. Rarely have I encountered a performance that so completely embodies the character. My only criticism of the series is that the episodes are somewhat short. On the other hand, the creators jam tons of material into about 25 minutes per episode without making the proceedings feel overly rushed.

The Murderbot Diaries - Books or Show?

Honestly, science fiction aficionados who appreciate dark humour will get a kick out of the books and the series. Both are excellent, despite having some minor yet obvious flaws. You can't go wrong either way—I hope the TV series continues to faithfully follow the source material in future seasons.