#ArtOfTheDay: 'Ester & Zahra' by Jaime Jones

'Ester & Zahra' by Jaime Jones.

Cover art for the novella, 'Untethered Sky' written by Fonda Lee, published April 11 2023 by Tordotcom Publishing.

Book Review: 'The Murderbot Diaries: Book 4 - Exit Strategy' by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

'Exit Strategy' by Martha Wells brings the 'Murderbot Diaries' series of novellas to a close with a conclusion that is full of the action and sardonic humour of the previous novellas.

SecUnit, the androgynous, introverted and sarcastic murderbot with anxiety issues, who would much rather be watching entertainment serials than having to deal with people, is returning to Dr Mensah, the leader of an ill fated expedition of which they were stationed with from the first novella, with evidence against GrayCris, a shadowy corporation. But on finding out that GrayCris has kidnapped Mensah, it's up to SecUnit to rescue her, with the help of some familiar friends.

The standout of the series has been the character development arc of SecUnit. Starting out as an AI that managed to hack itself free of its own programming, over the course of the series they've grown as a 'person', becoming more human in their interactions with people, empathising and being able to relate to them more, as well as discovering the importance of having friends that will always have your back. The growth of the character has been really good to read, and despite being androgynous, their gender never coming up or being mentioned, their personality is very relatable and very likeable.

'Exit Strategy' is another thrill ride. With the build up done in the previous novellas, it's almost non stop action all the way, with another tightly plotted and fast paced read. Some great action set pieces, woven with a good dash of intrigue, and even getting a little bit emotional towards the end, keeps it exciting and engrossing right until the final page. It's been a real pleasure to read the series. My only criticism is that it could easily have been published as one novel to keep the flow of continuity, instead of being split into four novellas and each published a month or two apart. That aside though, the series is definitely worth picking up! Looking forward to the full length novel that is coming soon, with the further adventures of murderbot.

Available from Amazon, Waterstones, Audible Audiobooks and all good bookstores.

Book Review: 'The Murderbot Diaries: Book 3 - Rogue Protocol' by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

SecUnit, the introverted and sarcastic Security Unit murderbot with anxiety issues, is back in the third instalment of 'The Murderbot Diaries' series by Martha Wells, 'Rogue Protocol'. Still on the hunt for information on GrayCris, a shadowy corporation that is collecting alien remnant artifacts and getting rid of anyone who gets in their way, although instead of trying the save the day, SecUnit would much rather be watching entertainment serials instead!

Now masquerading as an augmented human to try and disguise themselves, thanks to ship bot ART in the last book, SecUnit has picked up the clues and finds themselves on Milu, an abandoned terraforming facility and crosses paths with a small inspection team. As things take a turn for the worst for the team, SecUnit reluctantly steps in to help the team.

The build up in the narrative up as SecUnit hacks their way across the galaxy on the trail of GrayCris was well done, setting things up nicely, and as soon as they arrive at Milu, the story picked up the pace again and was quite an exciting ride to the end as they try to escape the facility.

The addition of another bot in this series, Miki, was excellent foil for SecUnit. Not quite at the same level as ART from the second book, and not as technically sophisticated or as intelligent as our favourite cranky cyborg, Miki appeared more childlike and soon came to refer to SecUnit as 'friend', much to their annoyance.

With their decision making and empathetic understanding of certain situations, SecUnit seems to be becoming more human than robot the further the series continues. Their quirky personality has been a real highlight, making the cyborg very relatable indeed.

Overall, 'Rogue Protocol' is a great read in what's been a really enjoyable and fun series so far with one of the best lead characters I've read for a while too.

Available from Waterstones, Audible Audiobooks and all good bookstores.

2018 Chesley Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the 2018 Chesley Awards were announced at a special presentation during the 76th World Science Fiction Convention in San Jose, California, on August 16-20 2018.

The Chesley Awards were established by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (ASFA) to recognize individual artistic works and achievements in the field of science fiction and fantasy. Nominated and decided upon by the members of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, the Chesley Awards have long been internationally acclaimed as the most prestigious awards in the field of fantastic arts.

Best Cover Illustration: Hardcover
Marc Simonetti
'The Sword of Shannara' by Terry Brooks (Grim Oak Press, August 2017)

Best Cover Illustration: Paperback or eBook
Jaime Jones
'The Tiger’s Daughter' by K Arsenault Rivera (Tor, October 2017)

Best Magazine Illustration
Ingrid Kallick
Cricket Magazine (January 2017)

Best Interior Illustration
Gregory Manchess
'Above the Timberline' by Gregory Manchess (Saga Press, October 2017)

Best Gaming Related Illustration
Melissa Gay
'Offering Sagaborn' RPG Core Rule Book (Lone Wanderer Entertainment, August 2017)

Best Product Illustration
Annie Stegg Gerard
'Stormy Serenade', DragonCon T-shirt art 2017

Best Colour Work: Unpublished
Charles Urbach
'Not All Treasure is Gold' (Coloured Pencil)

Best Monochrome: Unpublished
Ruth Sanderson
'Dragon Drum' (Ink)

Best Three Dimensional Art
Forest Rogers
'Octopoid Descending' (Kato polyclay)

Best Art Director
Neil Clarke
Clarkesworld Magazine

Lifetime Achievement Award
Alan Lee

Book Review: 'The Murderbot Diaries: Book 2 - Artificial Condition' by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

'Artificial Condition' by Martha Wells continues not long after events from the first novella, 'All Systems Red', with SecUnit (aka Murderbot) now 'free' and setting off to investigate the truth behind a massacre it feels it was responsible for, and the reason it dubs itself 'Murderbot', but cannot remember the actual incident.

As with the first novella, I loved this sequel. SecUnit is still the awkward introverted cyborg that still hates dealing with humans and being in social situations, and would much rather be watching their favourite serial. But this time it grudgingly makes a friend, of sorts, the bot AI of an unmanned Research Transport, the SecUnit referring to it as ART (what the A stands for becomes very apparent in their early relationship), as it travels to a remote mining moon in search of answers.

The banter between SecUnit and ART is very funny and very human at times, and the two strike up a partnership, with ART also assisting with SecUnit's investigation. The investigation takes a twist when SecUnit takes on a contract for a group of researchers looking to try and get their research back from a scheming corporation.

The story is an exciting and thrilling read. The world building is expanded upon as we get to learn more about worlds, and the corporations that control them. The character development of SecUnit is great too, as it becomes more human like with it's emotions. And as with the first book, I'm still reading SecUnit as female, even though it's written as androgynous. I don't know why, but it just seems to fit the character in my head perfectly somehow.

It's not as action packed as the first novella, but it is tightly plotted and there's more than enough to keep you absorbed, entertained and keep you turning those pages until you finish the book, as I was. Looking forward to reading the next in the series, 'Rogue Protocol', when it's released later in the year.

Available from Amazon, Waterstones, Audible Audiobooks and all good bookstores.

Book Review: 'The Murderbot Diaries: Book 1 - All Systems Red' by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

I really enjoyed 'All Systems Red' by Martha Wells. The story of a part organic, part robotic security unit, or SecUnit, tasked with looking after a small group of scientists and technicians on an expedition to another planet.

It's told from the point of view of the SecUnit, who, after secretly hacking and disabling the governor module that controls its behaviour and obedience, now refers to itself (if only in private) as Murderbot, and is painfully shy and would rather be watching the serials they've downloaded from the entertainment feeds, mostly of a show called 'Rise And Fall Of Sanctuary Moon', than interact with people. But when suspicious things start happening, as well as another research station suddenly going off line, SecUnit reluctantly has to get involved with the expedition group to find out what is happening and is surprised to find that they want to protect 'their humans'.

Its a fast paced and enjoyable read, a mix of science fiction and thrilling mystery. I liked the setting up of the corporate funded expeditions and the world building that surrounded it. I got vibes of Duncan Jones' 'Moon' movie with a big conglomo that only cares about profit and does things on the cheap. The character of SecUnit was really well fleshed out and I liked the personality that came through slowly as the bot came to terms of having to interact with the group of researchers it was there to protect, becoming more human than robot. Although it's written as an androgynous cyborg, I had the impression of it being female for some reason. Dr Mensah, the lead on the expedition, and the rest of the scientists and technicians came across as likeable and were a well knit team, even Dr Gurathin, who was suspicious of the SecUnit. Each had their own personalities and concerns, making them seem like a real group of people rather than just a bunch of generic scientists on an expedition.

The only downside for me is that it was over too quickly, as I was really enjoying the novella, but as it's the first in a series of four stories, the next being 'Artificial Condition', which is now available (as of May 2018), I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of the Murderbot Diaries.

Available from Amazon, Waterstones, Audible Audiobooks and all good bookstores.

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Jaime Jones

I've previously showcased a few of my favourite pop culture and vintage pulp artists, and each weekend I showcase art from more of my favourite artists.

The art of Jaime Jones.

#CoolArt: 'Saladin's Fury' by Jaime Jones

'Saladin's Fury' by Jaime Jones, concept art from the 'Destiny' video game, and a new officially licensed print from Cook & Becker, in partnership with Bungie.

24" x 14" giclee canvas print in a signed and numbered limited edition of 40 for €115 (Unframed).

Go here to buy.