Exit Strategy

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Exit Strategy is the fourth installment in The Murderbot Diaries series, bringing our anxious hero back into the orbit of Dr. Mensah. For those who have read the previous novellas, how does this entry build on or change your understanding of Murderbot’s journey? For new readers, did you feel you had enough context to connect with the story?

2. What was your immediate reaction to Murderbot’s narrative voice? Did you find its blend of lethal competence, social anxiety, and dry, media-obsessed humor compelling?

3. Did the novella’s high-stakes rescue plot and corporate espionage feel balanced with the deep dive into Murderbot’s internal emotional landscape?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Murderbot spends thousands of hours watching entertainment media like The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon to understand social cues and process its feelings. How do you use stories, whether from books, shows, or films, to make sense of the world or navigate your own experiences?

2. Throughout the story, Murderbot struggles with a deep-seated fear of connection, believing it leads to vulnerability and loss of control. Why do you think it is so difficult for it to accept the friendship offered by Mensah’s team?

3. The novella shows that even a simple act like buying clothes is a major step in Murderbot’s journey toward selfhood. What small, everyday choices have you made that felt surprisingly significant in shaping your own sense of identity?

4. Were you surprised by Murderbot’s decision to offer freedom to the hostile Combat SecUnit? Have you ever had an unexpectedly empathetic reaction to a seemingly hostile or antagonistic force?

5. The Preservation team’s trust in Murderbot is essential to the rescue mission. Do you find their willingness to rely on a self-described “murderbot” believable? Have you ever found yourself in the position of having to trust a potentially dangerous ally?

6. Murderbot bluntly tells Dr. Mensah it has no desire to be human, challenging a common trope in stories about artificial beings. What did you think about its clear rejection of humanity as the ultimate goal?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The story is set in a future dominated by corporate power, where entities like GrayCris operate with the authority of governments. Can you think of any real-world examples, past or present, where corporate interests have seemed to override national or ethical laws?

2. Dr. Bharadwaj wants Murderbot to participate in a documentary to advocate for construct rights. How does Murderbot’s struggle for personhood resonate with historical or ongoing movements for civil rights and recognition?

3. The bond company’s refusal to help without a new, expensive contract highlights a system where safety is a monetized service, not a right. In what ways do you see this transactional logic playing out in our own society?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Martha Wells uses a first-person perspective filled with parenthetical asides and cynical observations. How does this narrative style create a sense of intimacy with Murderbot while also emphasizing its deep sense of alienation from others?

2. What is the significance of hacking in the story? How does it function as Murderbot’s primary tool for asserting its agency and intelligence in a world that sees it as property?

3. How does the recurring motif of contracts highlight the difference between the hollow, transactional relationships of the corporate world and the personal loyalty Murderbot develops for Mensah’s team?

4. The hostile SecUnits and the advanced Combat SecUnit serve as dark mirrors for the protagonist. What do these encounters reveal about what makes Murderbot a unique individual rather than just a rogue machine?

5. The final threat Murderbot faces is not a physical enemy but a disembodied, sentient code that attacks the gunship. Why do you think the author chose to make the climactic battle an intellectual and psychological one?

6. Murderbot’s quest for autonomy in a world that denies its personhood shares thematic ground with other classic science fiction, such as Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968). How does Murderbot’s journey compare to the struggles of replicants or other artificial beings in fiction you’ve encountered?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. At the end of the novella, Murderbot is presented with several job offers and the chance to participate in a documentary. If you were its legal counsel, like Pin-Lee, what path would you advise it to take next, and why?

2. Imagine you’re designing a “safe space” or living quarters for Murderbot on Preservation. Based on what you know about its personality and needs, what features and amenities would you include to make it feel secure and comfortable?

3. If you could add a new episode to Murderbot’s favorite show, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, what would the plot be?