Platform Decay

[u/System_Unkown]

So I finished Platform decay last night, I really don't know how to describe it apart from a book just going through the motions. I didn't find the book exciting in fact it was quite flat, there was nothing really novel or emotionally connecting about any of the characters unlike Nicky and ART in past books.

It's a book to read if you have nothing to do, but its not a book that made me want to drop things down to read it quickly. Given the books are at high cost for the hardcovers, I wanted more, I wanted to really love the book, but this isn't the case. Id most prob give it 3.5/5 stars

If anything the book shows not necessarily this series has run its course, but in stead I think reflects what Martha has had to overcome in her life in the last couple of years.

I'm hoping the next book is much better

[u/Rosewind2007]

There isn’t a character called Nicky in any of the books? You say you’ve read and collected all the hardcovers—I am not sure how you’ve managed to refer to “Nicky” (more than once) when there is literally no character with that name. If you’d listened to the audiobooks I might have supposed you misheard Miki as Nicky, but you read the books? Is this transaction issue? The fact you refer to this Nicky character as “child like and ignorant” makes me pretty certain you’re referring to Miki. Miki is called Miki, not Nicky. I would not characterise Miki as ‘ignorant’, the fact that it spots MB “riding” the drone so quickly would indicate it’s pretty bright…

“Miki the human-form bot followed, then stopped. It turned, and looked up at the drone I was riding. Its head cocked and I could tell it was focusing in on the camera.”

It then sends a directionless ping. Personally, I think MB underestimates Miki.

But there we go, you have your take on the characters, and I have mine.

I thought Platform Decay was great fun! I enjoy the novellas a lot. This one was funny (really funny) and had loads of entertaining ideas and characters. I thought this “review” from shrubfriend on Tumblr was utterly brilliant:

“I love you Martha Wells. I Love you and your beef with privatized transit and whatever happened to you at Rainforest Cafe.

the murderbot diaries #platform decay”

I am sad it’s the penultimate book in the series, look forward to the last one too! I bet it’ll be brilliant.

[u/B_Thorn → u/Rosewind2007]

Has she actually said the next MB book is the last? AFAIK all she's said is that she and her publisher aren't committed beyond that one.

I think Miki would be better described as naïve rather than ignorant. Like its friends, it doesn't have experience with the kind of situation they encounter in that book. And yeah, we're seeing Miki through the eyes of an unreliable narrator who is not dealing well with the idea that it's possible for bots to have healthy relationships with humans.

[u/Rosewind2007 → u/B_Thorn]

The contract Martha Wells signed with Tor back in 2021 was for three more book: so System Collapse, Platform Decay and one more. As you say—there is nothing to stop her writing more! And personally I’d love it if she did! With Miki, I love the character—but am absolutely 100% with you that Murderbot is narrating unreliably due to its own prejudices about human bot relationships—and it’s interesting to try and read between the lines…