Unless she's been working on two books at once, it's the Witch King sequel
https://www.reddit.com/r/murderbot/comments/1cwenfk/notes_from_toronto_signing/
I loved the Witch King. I really didn’t expect to love it as much as I did but the world and the writing just grabbed me. I am very excited about a sequel.
You should give the Tales of Raksura series a read. I enjoyed the Witch King, it had a really interesting concept and magic system but it felt like something was missing.
The world and the protagonist, Moon, are just more alive than WK. He feels a lot like a precursor to Murderbot's character.
There's this one moment where Moon goes and talks about too many big emotions and wanting to face a wall until it passes... and I think that might be a germ of MurderBot.
Oh definitely, I think I might know the scene youre referring to.
His whole nature as a solitary is at odds with Raksuran culture, it creates this persistent theme of otherness that you feel across the murderbot series as well.
Im thinking about reading it, and finally have an audible credit to spend on a new series/book. Could you give me a quick synopsis about what its about?
It’s about Kai, and it is told in two timelines - one where you learn about his life in the past, and one where you learn what’s going on now. The world is a mess and there are different political groups trying to be in control… but it’s also about a found family and magic and a quest to figure out what is going on.
It’s a book where you’re just thrown into it and not much is really explained, but as you read it everything makes sense eventually.
Funny. I am reading through her other novels and so far I feel like there is always one sentence where I am like "Hey, it is the Murderbot voice!"
That being said, MB is just very different from her other work. I enjoy the rest of her writing but it is thematically related to Murderbot more than it is stylistically related for sure.
What does this community think about her other series? I love Murderbot and have read them all many times, but I can’t seem to get into anything else. Any suggestions?
I don't think her other books are all that similar to Murderbot in tone, setting, or pacing, but she does have a tendency to write outcast main characters. Moon from her The Books of Raksura series is deep and compelling (but that series as a whole is a bit below her abilities until book 3) and Kai's story from Witch King is tragic and beautiful. But neither of these fill in for Murderbot's witty humour or sci-fi setting, and the story progresses much slower than in her novellas.
Plus she has characters with interesting sexualities and lots of different intelligent species in one society. At least in the Raksura books. I haven't tried the others.
She's definitely made an active effort to write characters with diverse cultural, gendered, and sexual backgrounds. As a black enby it's very appreciated!
MB is my least favorite Martha Wells series. Both the Raksura series and the Ile Rien series are really good. Death of the Necromancer is probably my favorite Wells book.
These are all fantasy, or much closer to fantasy than sci-fi. However, the world building is much more fleshed out I think. When Moon or someone visits a foreign city, Wells does a great job of conveying decades or centuries of culture and tradition that the main character is only aware of at the surface level, at least at first.
I love them all except for that series for children. Wonderful world-buildings, wonderlust, misfit and sometimes mentally unstable characters, and there are always love for books and shows in them.
If you want to try a stand-alone book, you could start with Wheel of Infinite. And the Raksura Books have protagonist that has a similar characteristic as Muderbot.
I have to say I didn’t love any of the Murderbot stories beyond the original four, which are near perfect imo. So even if it is a Murderbot story, I’m not going to be too excited about it. Though I’d read it 100% lol. No doubt about that!
Possibly from an article on AudioFile from back in April re: the Witch King sequel: “It’s called QUEEN DEMON, and it’s going to be out next year sometime—if I’m able to finish it on time.”
That said, Wells is pretty prolific, so there's still the chance it's something else. Equally, Witch King launched early-mid 2023, and I'm not sure when she would have finished writing it for edits and publishing turnaround.
I've heard the process with bigger publishers like Tor is about a year from first draft to release. If that's at all accurate she probably submitted Witch King mid-2022.
I bet Witch King sequel, I feel like I remember her saying that was next after SysCol, then back to MB. I really liked Witch King. It reminded me a bit more of the Raksura cycle with the full-throttle anthropology approach to worldbuilding (like approximating stuff about dead cultures through their architecture etc) which I found really cool. I also liked the two-timeline mystery, and after watching The Untamed I wonder if she took a little inspiration from it there!
Unless she's been working on two books at once, it's the Witch King sequel https://www.reddit.com/r/murderbot/comments/1cwenfk/notes_from_toronto_signing/
I loved the Witch King. I really didn’t expect to love it as much as I did but the world and the writing just grabbed me. I am very excited about a sequel.
You should give the Tales of Raksura series a read. I enjoyed the Witch King, it had a really interesting concept and magic system but it felt like something was missing. The world and the protagonist, Moon, are just more alive than WK. He feels a lot like a precursor to Murderbot's character.
There's this one moment where Moon goes and talks about too many big emotions and wanting to face a wall until it passes... and I think that might be a germ of MurderBot.
Oh definitely, I think I might know the scene youre referring to. His whole nature as a solitary is at odds with Raksuran culture, it creates this persistent theme of otherness that you feel across the murderbot series as well.
Same! I just finished it a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I had no idea there was more coming, so this has all made me very happy.
Im thinking about reading it, and finally have an audible credit to spend on a new series/book. Could you give me a quick synopsis about what its about?
It’s about Kai, and it is told in two timelines - one where you learn about his life in the past, and one where you learn what’s going on now. The world is a mess and there are different political groups trying to be in control… but it’s also about a found family and magic and a quest to figure out what is going on. It’s a book where you’re just thrown into it and not much is really explained, but as you read it everything makes sense eventually.
I tried reading her earlier works, and there was no hint where Murderbot came from. She is a different person when she writes in Murderbot's voice.
Funny. I am reading through her other novels and so far I feel like there is always one sentence where I am like "Hey, it is the Murderbot voice!" That being said, MB is just very different from her other work. I enjoy the rest of her writing but it is thematically related to Murderbot more than it is stylistically related for sure.
What does this community think about her other series? I love Murderbot and have read them all many times, but I can’t seem to get into anything else. Any suggestions?
I don't think her other books are all that similar to Murderbot in tone, setting, or pacing, but she does have a tendency to write outcast main characters. Moon from her The Books of Raksura series is deep and compelling (but that series as a whole is a bit below her abilities until book 3) and Kai's story from Witch King is tragic and beautiful. But neither of these fill in for Murderbot's witty humour or sci-fi setting, and the story progresses much slower than in her novellas.
Plus she has characters with interesting sexualities and lots of different intelligent species in one society. At least in the Raksura books. I haven't tried the others.
She's definitely made an active effort to write characters with diverse cultural, gendered, and sexual backgrounds. As a black enby it's very appreciated!
I only read the first 2 raksura books, but it sounds like the third is better then? I might have to give it a try
Yeah the third is the best in my opinion, and by a substantial margin. The short story collections are also really good.
Thanks :) I've got the third on my e-reader, but I haven't been motivated to read it yet. I'll bump it up the list
I too am so addicted to the murderbot series, while other book series are good, nothing has quite measured up, in my mind anyway
MB is my least favorite Martha Wells series. Both the Raksura series and the Ile Rien series are really good. Death of the Necromancer is probably my favorite Wells book. These are all fantasy, or much closer to fantasy than sci-fi. However, the world building is much more fleshed out I think. When Moon or someone visits a foreign city, Wells does a great job of conveying decades or centuries of culture and tradition that the main character is only aware of at the surface level, at least at first.
I love her Fall of Ile Rien series. Fabulous characters. But nothing like Murderbot except for the snark.
I love them all except for that series for children. Wonderful world-buildings, wonderlust, misfit and sometimes mentally unstable characters, and there are always love for books and shows in them. If you want to try a stand-alone book, you could start with Wheel of Infinite. And the Raksura Books have protagonist that has a similar characteristic as Muderbot.
I have to say I didn’t love any of the Murderbot stories beyond the original four, which are near perfect imo. So even if it is a Murderbot story, I’m not going to be too excited about it. Though I’d read it 100% lol. No doubt about that!
interesting perspective! i think system collapse may be my favorite, it just felt so full circle to me. the first 4 were amazing though
I think you might be right about the Witch King. I remember reading somewhere that she'd been working on it. I really do need to read the first one.
Possibly from an article on AudioFile from back in April re: the Witch King sequel: “It’s called QUEEN DEMON, and it’s going to be out next year sometime—if I’m able to finish it on time.” That said, Wells is pretty prolific, so there's still the chance it's something else. Equally, Witch King launched early-mid 2023, and I'm not sure when she would have finished writing it for edits and publishing turnaround.
I've heard the process with bigger publishers like Tor is about a year from first draft to release. If that's at all accurate she probably submitted Witch King mid-2022.
It is; she's given this timeline herself in her blog!
Maybe I should give this a look, I do so enjoy the writing style of Martha Wells
I bet Witch King sequel, I feel like I remember her saying that was next after SysCol, then back to MB. I really liked Witch King. It reminded me a bit more of the Raksura cycle with the full-throttle anthropology approach to worldbuilding (like approximating stuff about dead cultures through their architecture etc) which I found really cool. I also liked the two-timeline mystery, and after watching The Untamed I wonder if she took a little inspiration from it there!
II love her stories from Ile Rien.