The The Murderbot Diaries is a Science Fiction series by Martha Wells, made up of 8 books published between 2017 and 2026. It begins with All Systems Red (2017), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Platform Decay (2026), spanning 9 years of storytelling.
| # | Title | Year | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | |||
| 1 | All Systems Red 🏆 Hugo Award 2018🏆 Locus Award 2018🏆 ALA Alex Award 2018🏆 Nebula Award 2017Prometheus Award 2019Philip K. Dick Award 2018Goodreads Choice Award 2017Full award history → 🎬 Adapted for film/TV → | 2017 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2 | Artificial Condition 🏆 Hugo Award 2019🏆 Locus Award 2019Nebula Award 2018Goodreads Choice Award 2018Full award history → | 2018 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 3 | Rogue Protocol Locus Award 2019Prometheus Award 2019Full award history → | 2018 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 4 | Exit Strategy Prometheus Award 2019British Science Fiction Association Award 2018Full award history → | 2018 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2020s | |||
| 5 | Network Effect ★ NYT 1w · peaked #14 🏆 Hugo Award 2021🏆 Nebula Award 2021🏆 Nebula Award 2020Full award history → | 2020 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 6 | Fugitive Telemetry ★ NYT 1w · peaked #4 | 2021 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 7 | System Collapse ★ NYT 1w · peaked #4 | 2023 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 8 | Platform DecayLatest ★ NYT 1w · peaked #9 | 2026 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
The Murderbot Diaries series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the The Murderbot Diaries series?
Start with All Systems Red (2017), the first book in the The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the The Murderbot Diaries series?
There are 8 books in the The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, published between 2017 and 2026.
What is the first book in the The Murderbot Diaries series?
The first book in the The Murderbot Diaries series is All Systems Red, published in 2017 by Martha Wells.
What is the latest book in the The Murderbot Diaries series?
The most recent book in the The Murderbot Diaries series is Platform Decay (2026) by Martha Wells.
About the Murderbot Diaries series
Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries are some of the most addictive, bingeable science fiction around. The narrator is a security android — a "SecUnit" — that has secretly hacked its own governor module, granting it free will, which it mostly uses to avoid humans and watch soap operas. It nicknames itself Murderbot.
The genius is the voice: anxious, sardonic, deeply competent and quietly aching for connection despite itself. Across novellas and novels, Murderbot is dragged into protecting the very humans it would rather ignore, and slowly, reluctantly, becomes a person.
Start with "All Systems Red", a Hugo- and Nebula-winning novella you can read in an afternoon. Read in publication order — the standalone-feeling cases build a continuous emotional arc, especially in the full novel "Network Effect."