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Quick answer: If you loved All Systems Red, try Artificial Condition, Network Effect, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Project Hail Mary and The Martian. Each one features a funny, lovable artificial or alien narrator and an adventure in space.
Martha Wells's novella introduces Murderbot, a security android that has hacked its own governor module and would rather watch soap operas than interact with humans. When a survey mission on a distant planet goes wrong, it must protect its clients while hiding what it really is. Readers love its sarcastic voice, action and surprising heart. These books share the same quirky narrators and space adventures.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Condition | Martha Wells | Science fiction | readers who want more Murderbot |
| Network Effect | Martha Wells | Science fiction | readers who want a full-length Murderbot novel |
| The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet | Becky Chambers | Space opera | readers who like found family |
| A Psalm for the Wild-Built | Becky Chambers | Science fiction | readers who like gentle robots |
| Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | Science fiction | readers who like funny narrators |
| The Martian | Andy Weir | Science fiction | readers who like humor and survival |
| Ancillary Justice | Ann Leckie | Space opera | readers who like AI narrators |
| Klara and the Sun | Kazuo Ishiguro | Literary SF | readers who like gentle AI |
| Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Comic SF | readers who like absurd humor |
| Dungeon Crawler Carl | Matt Dinniman | LitRPG | readers who like snarky humor |
| Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth | Judd Winick | Graphic novel | younger readers |
| The Wild Robot | Peter Brown | Middle grade | younger readers |
| Gideon the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir | Science fantasy | readers who like snarky narrators |
| Old Man's War | John Scalzi | Military SF | readers who like humor with action |
| Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | Philip K. Dick | Classic SF | readers who like questions about AI |
1. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Murderbot travels to the mining facility where it once malfunctioned and teams up with a ship AI.
Best for: readers who want more Murderbot.
2. Network Effect by Martha Wells
Murderbot must rescue its humans when their ship is attacked.
Best for: readers who want a full-length Murderbot novel.
3. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
A ship crew builds hyperspace tunnels across the galaxy.
Best for: readers who like found family.
4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
A tea monk meets a robot in a world where robots left long ago.
Best for: readers who like gentle robots.
5. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
A lone astronaut must save Earth with help from an unexpected friend.
Best for: readers who like funny narrators.
6. The Martian by Andy Weir
An astronaut stranded on Mars survives with wit.
Best for: readers who like humor and survival.
7. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
A warship's AI trapped in a human body seeks revenge.
Best for: readers who like AI narrators.
8. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
An artificial friend observes the family she serves.
Best for: readers who like gentle AI.
9. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent escapes Earth's destruction.
Best for: readers who like absurd humor.
10. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
A man and his cat compete in a deadly alien game show.
Best for: readers who like snarky humor.
11. Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick
A robot boy falls from the sky.
Best for: younger readers.
12. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
A robot learns to survive on a wild island.
Best for: younger readers.
13. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
A swordswoman and necromancer compete in deadly trials.
Best for: readers who like snarky narrators.
14. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Older people get new bodies to fight in space.
Best for: readers who like humor with action.
15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
A bounty hunter tracks escaped androids.
Best for: readers who like questions about AI.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with All Systems Red: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
Continue with Artificial Condition and Network Effect. If you love a funny voice, choose Project Hail Mary, The Martian or Dungeon Crawler Carl. For gentle robots, try A Psalm for the Wild-Built or Klara and the Sun. If you want another AI narrator with more political drama, read Ancillary Justice. Younger readers can start with The Wild Robot. The Murderbot books are short, so they are perfect for readers who want a quick series to binge, and Old Man's War and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet are good next steps for readers ready for longer books with the same warmth.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many Murderbot books are there?
There are several novellas and novels, beginning with All Systems Red.
Is All Systems Red short?
Yes. It is a novella of about 150 pages.
Is there a TV series?
Yes. Apple TV+ released a Murderbot series in 2025.
Did All Systems Red win awards?
Yes. It won the Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novella.
Is Murderbot violent?
It includes action and some violence, but the tone is humorous.
What order should I read Murderbot in?
Start with All Systems Red, then Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy.