All Systems Red (Dramatized Adaptation)

The Murderbot Diaries, Book 1

A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence.

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

Performed by David Cui Cui, Khaya Fraites, Zeke Alton, Alejandro Ruiz, Aure Nash, Bradley Foster Smith, Holly Adams, Megan Dorminy, Natalie Van Sistine, Michael John Casey, Rayner Gabriel, Shanta Parasuraman, Tanja Milojevic and Wyn Delano.

©2017 Martha Wells (P)2023 Graphic Audio LLC

Not sure about this interpretation

I was really looking forward to this when I first saw it. I'm a big fan of Murderbot, and I love to see how different creative groups interpret the source material. in other words, I am that person who will watch and probably enjoy every variation of a book/movie/play that i like.
For this production, I'm not sure how successful this interpretation was. the added sound effects provided a surprisingly interesting environment. I didn't notice the music at all, but then I never notice the music in movies. the voice actors did a fine job, though I had difficulty telling characters apart in group scenes. unfortunately, some of the characters sounded very wrong. one who is a very serious and down to earth political leader sounded flippant and immature. the inflections were off (way off) for most of the production. towards the end, it was sounding better and finally hitting the emotional marks. these are production and directoral issues and not the fault of the actors.
this was my first Graphics Audio purchase, and it could very well be my last.

I'm a fan

I'm a fan of the series and got this version with a coupon. I already have the other version.

The audio is technically fine, no glitches, chirps, or repeats. A well edited audiobook. The only problem is the chapter transitions. They are abrupt. Reading the chapter numbers makes the transitions smoother.

There are some voice acting problems. First, the narrator is too chipper. MB is not a chipper character, it's a sarcastic character. Conversely some of the other characters are a bit flat.

That said, these are only really noticeable if you've listened to both.

A new take on the books.

I always read this as melancholic. This version brings out a lot more of the humor of the book.

Murderbot addiction in full swing

I think I need a 12-step program. Once I listened to All Systems Red, I had to get all the others. I listened to them while driving across the country, and have since listen to the series multiple times. When finished, I start the whole series over again. Somewhere along the way, I discovered that Murderbot is now a series on AppleTV+. Only one season so far, but I have watched it multiple times. I usually only read a book or watch a TV show or movie one time. Help! ❤️❤️❤️

Should have considered the story’s legacy

The work (book—narrative) is so good that it deserves better than this. Another reviewer’s critique addressed speed of delivery and gender and age of key characters, and nailed the disparagement of what comes off as an amateur review performance. Dramatic presentation of the Murderbot Diaries is desirable! But this isn’t it.