#Murderbot's forbidden face

[rjalker]

[ID: A digital painting of Murderbot from The Murderbot Diaries books. It is sitting against a background that has a gradient from grey to blue green.

Murderbot is an androgynoid with dark brown human skin, intersperced with white mechanical parts on its face, neck, arms, and fingers. Its feet are entirely mechanical, resembling prosthetic feet. It is leaning back on one arm, one knee bent up and its other arm resting on top, looking off into the distance.

It is wearing black pants that are rolled up at the bottom, and a dark grey shirt with three batteries lined up vertically next to eachother with "AAA" below them.

The first is in the colors of the armantic flag: green, light green, white, grey, and black.

The second is in the asexual flag: black, grey, white, and purple.

The third is in the colors of the agender flag: black, grey, white, light green, white, grey, and black.

End ID.]

Murderbot in an “aromantic asexual agender” pride shirt, aka. the AAA battery joke!

Spawned on discord, so there’s multiple versions floating around of Murderbot in this particular shirt! Happy AAA yall!

[rjalker]

[ID: A simple MS Paint drawing showing Murderbot from The Murderbot Diaries book series glued to the wall of a xenomorph nest, from the Aliens movie series. The wall is light brown, with the resin of the nest an orangeish color.

Murderbot has dark brown skin and very short darker brown hair, and is wearing grey combat armour. Part of its helmet has been damaged, exposing the top of its head, and would be showing part of its face except for the large black censor box that has been placed over it, with white text on it that reads, "[It is forbidden to record images of this SecUnit's face.]". A white arrow points away from its face to a white "-.-" text emoji that looks like someone glaring in annoyance or anger. Black text reads, "(Instead, imagine the most annoyed expression ever.)". The shoulder pad on its left shoulder has been damaged, showing brown metal beneath like a robotic joint.

In the foreground is a dark gold colored xenomorph egg, with the silhouette of a facehugger inside, curled up partly in a ball. It has a round upper body, many skinny legs, and a long tail.

A thought bubble in the same colors as the egg floats over it, with black text that reads, "Murderbot's pronouns are it/its. Fuck you if you misgender it by using any other pronouns for it.".

End ID.]

Murderbot meets Horror Movie Monsters part 2: Xenomorphs

The facehugger is in for an unpleasant surprise when it tries to attach to Murderbot. Unfortunately, Murderbot is also in for an unpleasant surprise when it kills it. Acid blood is just not fair. But at least it can turn its pain sensors down...it's totally fine. Definitely. Really.

There just needs to be a crossover between Murderbot and Alien: Isolation in particular. Amanda and Samuels and Murderbot can be friends.

anyways fuck off if you think it's okay to misgender Murderbot or anyone else who uses it/its pronouns. I hate you personally and I mean that sincerely.

[why-bless-your-heart]

More Murderbot incorrect quotes:

Arada: “Hey, SecUnit, here's an exhibit about Dr. Mensah’s favourite robot.”

Murderbot: “Who is he? I'll kill him!”

Arada: *turns mirror around*

Murderbot: *gasp* “It’s me! No-one else look in this mirror!”

Gurathin: “Oh no, no more implants. I don't want to end up a cold, emotionless machine like you.”

Murderbot: “Oh, that's sweet, Gurathin.”

Gurathin: “I know you're all very upset, especially SecUnit.”

Murderbot: “Well, life goes on. Except for you!” *laughs*

Gurathin: “I'm sure that SecUnit has just made a cutting remark, but it doesn't know I taped over its soap operas to record this message.”

Murderbot: “You bastard!”

Mensah: “Good news, everyone! We have a mission to further the noble cause of intergalactic peace.”

Murderbot: “Nope. Watching cartoons.”

Murderbot: “My backup unit makes a backup copy of me every day, so if something happens to my body, I just download that copy into another body. I'm immortal, baby!”

Gurathin: “What? Then how come you scream every time there's danger?”

 Murderbot: “I didn't say I wasn't a drama queen.”

Ratthi: “Since when is the Internet all about robbing people of their privacy?”

Murderbot: “August 6, 1991.”

Mensah: “SecUnit, you risked your life to save me!”

Murderbot: “And I'd do it again! And perhaps a third time! But that would be it.”

Mensah: “Good news everyone!”

Murderbot: “I don't like the sound of this.”

Mensah: “You're all off to Trisol, a planet with three suns-“

Murderbot: “Here it comes-“

Mensah: “Deep in the heart of the Forbidden Zone!”

Murderbot: “Thank you and goodnight.”

Murderbot: “Admit it, you all think robots are just machines built by humans to make their lives easier.”

Ratthi: “Well, aren't they?”

Murderbot: “I've never made anyone's life easier and you know it!”

Gurathin: “Hurry up before we freeze.”

Murderbot: “What do you mean “we,” mammal?”

Murderbot: “Now, I don't like you and you don't like me.”

Overse: “I like you.”

Murderbot: “You do? Look, are you going to help or not?”

Overse: “I don't know why I should. I mean after what he-“

Murderbot: “Wait, wait, wait, wait. What is it you like best about me?”

Arada: “Is she coming?”

Murderbot: “I'm not sure. But I do know that she likes my in-your-face attitude.”

Ratthi: “The keys to the ship! They must have fallen into the crate! Mensah’s gonna kill me!”

Murderbot: “Nah. She'll probably make me do it.”

[ladyherenya]

Books read in July

I had more time to read, but I also read a few novellas and rediscovered audiobooks.

It occurred to me a few years ago that an audiobook makes housework less tedious, but back then the library often didn’t have books I wanted as audiobooks, and there was inconvenience of lugging around a CD player or transferring umpteen CDs to my iPod. Now my library now has a good range on Overdrive, and being able to borrow audiobooks online and download them straight to my phone makes finding and listening to them so much easier. It’s amazing.

I’ve asterisked my favourites.

(My longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing.)

* The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red by Martha Wells: Told from the perspective of the Security bot assigned to a team surveying an uninhabited planet. The self-dubbed “Murderbot” avoids arousing suspicions about its hacked governor module and its binge-watching habits. But when things start going wrong, it has to work much more closely with its human clients than it would prefer. AI-with-feelings is one of my favourite things, and this particularly AI is delightfully grumpy and introverted. But this doesn’t just have an entertaining narrator, it also has a high-stakes mystery and some decent humans, and the combination is amazing. Well and truly exceeded my expectations.

Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor: After a year at university, Binti returns home. It’s a difficult homecoming, because not all of her family approve of her decision to go to university, and Binti’s plans of undertaking the pilgrimage that will mark her transition to becoming a Himba woman are disrupted by revelations about her heritage from her father’s side. An interesting, unusual story about culture, identity, prejudice and technology. It ends with a lot of things unresolved, in a cliff-hanger-y sort of way that strongly suggests the story isn’t over.

* The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Marguerite Gavin): A gripping story with unusual worldbuilding, set in the world of the five gods. Lord Ingrey, sent to retrieve Prince Boleso murderer, becomes convinced that Lady Ijada was acting in self defence - and that no one else will accept that. Things quickly get much more complicated, and Ingrey and Ijada become tangled in mysteries about the past and the gods’ plans. I’m very glad I listened to the audiobook! The narrator highlighted the amusing moments, and I suspect I became much more attached to the characters as a result of experiencing their story more slowly. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.

August Folly (1936) by Angela Thirkell: A summer of dinners, donkey rides, rehearsals, train journeys, cricket, secret worries, siblings and romance. When Richard Tebbin comes down from Oxford, he’s moody, awkward and self-absorbed - and becomes promptly besotted with the much older and married Mrs Dean. This is not a situation I’d consider delightful or charming, yet I was captivated. Thirkell astutely portrays family dynamics, with their various tensions, and many of the characters have complexities or contradictions, and show unexpected depth, strength or growth. I’m very glad I didn’t skip this one (in spite of the odd and unnecessary, but fortunately brief, references to prejudiced attitudes).

Dealings with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (unabridged dramatisation): Cimorene has no interest in being a traditional princess. When her parents attempt to arrange a suitable marriage for her, she defies convention by running away and volunteering to becomes a dragon’s princess. This story combines dragons with the of subversion of fairytale tropes, so I’m surprised I didn’t become more invested. I don’t know if this was due to the dramatisation or the story itself - Cimorene is so capable and content with her circumstances it’s hard to connect with her. Or maybe this is simply one of those books I would have appreciated more fifteen years ago?

Black Dog series by Rachel Neumeier:

Black Dog Short Stories: A collection of short stories, mostly set just after the events of Black Dog. All of them involved more action than I was expecting. I enjoyed them, especially the backstory in “The Master of Dimilioc”.

Pure Magic: The black dog community of Dimilioc has dealt with one threat, but they have other enemies out there - and things really don’t go to plan. The result is very tense with very high stakes, and I couldn’t put it down.  Dimilioc’s reluctant new member, Justin, grew up unaware of his magic and knowing little of black dogs. I appreciated the different perspective he brings. Unlike Justin, Natividad’s very certain she wants to be part of Dimilioc - but is still getting her hand around what that actually means. I liked how the story ultimately deal with her agency and her disobedience.

Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt: Lexie’s father runs six fan conventions every year, and Lexie is right in the thick of it. As a look at the friendships and chaos behind the scenes at conventions, Unconventional is engaging and reasonably lighthearted. However, because the focus isn’t limited to convention shenanigans, the story loses something by never properly showing Lexie’s life beyond convention weekends. A couple of issues feel resolved too easily and some of the conclusions Lexie reaches feel a bit... artificial. I was disappointed that it was almost-but-not-quite something with more depth. Still, it’s fun and fannish.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss: A mystery set in the late 19th century, in which most of the characters are borrowed from, or are the offspring of characters from, 19th century Gothic and mystery fiction. I’d read most of those stories and was delighted to see them all woven together like this. It’s all very meta in a way I really appreciated. After her mother dies, Mary Jekyll tries to find her father’s murderer. Instead she becomes involved in Holmes’ investigation into murders in Whitechapel and meets several highly unusual women with connections to the Société de Alchimistes. And together they write their own story.

Court of Fives trilogy by Kate Elliot: In postcolonial Efea the Saroese Patron class are forbidden from marrying Efean commoners.  As the daughters of a Saroese army captain and his Efean lover, Jessamy and her sisters, occur a precarious place in society. But that hasn’t prevented Jessamy from sneaking out and training to compete in the Fives. When her family’s circumstances change, she has to use all the skills to protect those she loves.

* Court of Fives (narrated by Georgia Dolenz): I loved this. The narrator is excellent - Jessamy and her sisters are so lively and believable - and the story’s absolutely gripping. I stayed up much later than I should because I was so worried for the characters! Jessamy’s impulsive high spirits and interactions with her sisters reminded me of Jo March from Little Women. I love that Jes’s relationships with her family are the heart of the story, and that she develops a more nuanced understanding of her parents’ choices. She also realises how they’ve sheltered her from challenges others face.

* Poisoned Blade (narrated by Georgia Dolenz): Jessamy has always dreamed of competing as an adversary in the Fives - but not when her victories are ordered and used to advantage by the man who tore her family apart. As Efea’s political situation crumbles, Jes becomes more aware of its complexities and of her unique position with loyalties to people from both classes. Frustratingly yet understandably, she takes a lot of risks - she’s learnt she’ll never win by playing it safe. I love how Jes’s relationships with her family remain central to the story, and how believably complex and strong-willed they all are. 

Night Flower (prequel novella): A cute story about how Jessamy’s parents met. It’s interesting seeing them as young people newly arrived in the city - moreover, seeing them as they see each other, not as their daughter perceives them twenty years later - but I was a little disappointed it didn’t show more of their relationship. I wanted to read about the point where, with a more thorough understanding of each other and of the sacrifices their relationship will involve, they chose to build a life together.

Jane and Prudence (1953) by Barbara Pym: Charming but it is also unromantic and sometimes uncomfortably astute. Jane and Prudence are friends who met years earlier at Oxford as a tutor and a student respectively. Jane is a vicar’s wife, adjusting to life in a new parish; Prudence is twenty-nine and unmarried, working in a London office. I appreciated that Jane is not particularly good at some things, like running an efficient household and yet is accepted as she is. Jane and Prudence’s friendship is also realistic and refreshing - they don’t always understand each other, but their friendship has persisted despite their differences.

The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne: Kate is a teenager who has grown up knowing nothing about her father. After her mother dies her father’s identity is unexpectedly revealed. He’s a senator, with a family, and he’s running for president. As the campaign progresses, Kate has to decide how much is she prepared to pushed around, and what she will do when she doesn’t agree with her father’s politics.A few odd details initially struck me as a bit unrealistic - but I read the rest in one go. It satisfactorily addresses my quibbles, and finds the right balance between lighthearted and heartwarming.

[rjalker]

PSA, Murderbot's pronouns are it/its, not they/them.

-solid B+ on the Turing Test -

My murderbot design was inspired by astro boy (but with wayyyyy more body horror) 

i barely finished chpt 1 before drawing this. im OBSESSED with cyborgs with sharp metal parts haphazardly stuffed under living tissue, there’s something so dystopian about an entity that’s built be a walking weapon with the bare minimum of humanity left on the surface to make it palatable.

I wanted a design that was fairly androgynous and strikes a good balance between wide-eyed innocence and Extremely Offputting ™. i particularly like murberbot’s flat, dead camera-lens eyes and the weird contrast between their smooth ken-doll body and protruding, tacked-on weapons. 

[rjalker]

I'm trying to add IDs to posts in the Murderbot fandom and a lot of people draw its face, so any instances like that will be tagged, "Murderbot's forbidden face".

Not that I expect anyone following me wants to filter it, but just as a psa.

[rjalker]

[ID: A screenshot from the Hero Forge website, showing the character Murderbot from The Murderbot Diaries book series, standing on a blue platform with mist and plant-covered stone pillars behind it.

Murderbot is an androgynoid with warm brown skin and short coily dark brown hair, and brown eyes. It is wearing a blue-black long-sleeved shirt, and grey-green pants with armoured boots and knee-plates, with extra pockets on the sides. Its shirt and pants are both stained with splashed blood. It is holding a gun pointed at the ground in its right hand, and is staring forward towards the camera with a frown. End ID.]

i made murderbot in hero forge :)

[rjalker]

[ID: The same 3D model as above, now with Murderbot averting its gaze so that it is looking to the side away from the camera. End ID.]

i made murderbot in hero forge :)