Martha Wells delivers another entertaining entry in the Murderbot Diaries with Artificial Condition. Much like the first story, this is only a novella as well and it rips along at warp speed, filled with action beats, laughs, and a small exploration of the worlds that Wells is building.

The story picks up shortly after the events of the first entry, All Systems Red. He’s arrived at a station and is looking to continue to his journey to the mining site where he may or may not have gone rogue and killed a number of humans.

He negotiates his way onto a transport he calls ART, a research transport, and with some help, augments his appearance so he doesn’t seem to be what he is, a rogue SecUnit.

Once at the next station, he hires himself out as security to a trio of researchers who have been ousted from their project by a devious company. Murderbot suspects that the company plans to kill them, but sees an opportunity to investigate the mine.

It’s a great ride, tightly written, and very fun.

One could argue that the stories are too short, but if you take them as entries into a diary, then it works wonderfully. They don’t have to be super-long stories they just have to be engaging.

Wells’ Murderbot is sarcastic, growing as a character and the world is expanding as we learn that there is more out there than even Murderbot thought. There’s also his love for media and serials, especially The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon (brought to hilarious life in the Apple adaption).

It’s fun, playful, and I love this character. He’s smart, but flawed, and it’s great to watch the character develop over the course of the story.

The first one was very much a science fiction adventure. This one toys a little with noir and evil corporations, while still building on the science fiction of the first story. We encounter some sexbots, sorry, comfort units, and we see Murderbot struggling with his anxieties over what he is and may be becoming.

This is a great ride, and while I would love an epic-sized book for the character but then we may tire of the character, and the moments. This way, we don’t tire of him, and there’s always more to come back for.

The story and the character never overstay their welcome. Their like fun little escapes, much like Murderborts escapes to Sanctuary Moon. I can’t wait to see what happens in Rogue Protocol.