#5

I read this one out of order, after #3 and #4 because they were in Volume 2, but now I'm filled in the missing backstory. This settles the question whether the stories are readable as standalones, yes they are, but reading in order helps to understand the references to past murderbot mayhem, and uncomfortable human feeeelings, and ships passing in the night encounters with other bottish, whoa re the real stars (or guest stars, as there seems to be a different non-recurring set in each episode), with distinctive personalities. The humans all kind of blur together for me, and generally they're idiots (I'm starting to sound like murderbot). One thing I feel obliged to note, the term for sexbots is uncomfortably reminiscent of the term used for forced prostitutes in WWII, which is either cleverly deliberate or unintentionally disturbing (like the confederacy overtones in Firefly, although I suppose that could have been cleverly deliberate). Anyway, back on track and on to #5.

When I started reading this book, after Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse #5 which I read as a young person learning how fucked up the world is, I had a feeling of almost Adamsian lightness of talking about heavy social things. Oh how wrong I was!

So to those who want to venture into this book, a fair warning: expect soul-crushing stuff after every corner. Reading the book is like wandering the caves of Mercury.

The story is very layered and has some twists, so don't be too arrogant if you think you see where it's going. What's more, please think the book through from back to front after you complete it.

There is only one positive character in the book, but I felt so much compassion to another one, and another one later. Which, as I recover from the book hangover[1], I find slightly distressing, but it's a testament to genius of Vonnegut.

Traditionally, I finish my non-specific reviews with a quote:

That's the worst thing you can do, Unk — remembering back," said Brackman. "That's what they put you in the hospital for in the first place — on account of you remembered too much.

[1]: www.cantonpl.org/blogs/post/book-hangovers-and-you/