Murderbot Diaries Books in Order
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells contains 12 books, published between 2007 and 2026. The first book is All Systems Red (2007) and the newest is Platform Decay (2026). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 12
- Published
- 2007–2026
- Confirmed
- 3 of 12 titles
- Pages on record
- 1,172 in 6 of 12 books
- Reading time
- 20–29 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 1,172 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 6 of 12 titles with a page count on record.
The Murderbot Diaries is a science fiction series by Martha Wells, published by Tor Books and narrated by a security android that calls itself Murderbot. Murderbot is a SecUnit, a construct owned by a megacorporation and fitted with a governor module that punishes any unapproved action. Having hacked the module, Murderbot conceals the fact, keeps up the appearance of a normal SecUnit, and fills the boredom of guard duty by watching media. Twelve books make up the run, a mix of novellas and novels opening with All Systems Red and reaching Platform Decay in 2026, and the series carries both Hugo and Nebula awards. A chronological order exists alongside the publication order.
How many Murderbot Diaries books are there?
Murderbot Diaries has 12 books, released between 2007 and 2026.
Murderbot Diaries Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 12 Murderbot Diaries books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1All Systems Red2007 · 158 pages · confirmed 3/420071583/4
- 2Artificial Condition2018 · 158 pages · confirmed 2/420181582/4
- 3Rogue Protocol2018 · 158 pages · confirmed 2/420181582/4
- 4Exit Strategy2018 · 172 pages · confirmed 2/420181722/4
- 5Compulsory2018 · confirmed 2/42018–2/4
- 6Obsolescence2018 · confirmed 2/42018–2/4
- 7Network Effect2020 · 350 pages · confirmed 2/420203502/4
- 8Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory2020 · confirmed 2/42020–2/4
- 9Fugitive Telemetry2021 · 176 pages · confirmed 2/420211762/4
- 10System Collapse2023 · confirmed 3/42023–3/4
- 11Rapport2025 · confirmed 2/42025–2/4
- 12Platform Decay2026 · confirmed 3/42026–3/4
Murderbot Diaries Books in Chronological Order
In story order, Obsolescence comes first and Platform Decay comes last. Chronological order follows the events inside the story rather than the release dates. The 12 books below run in that in-universe sequence.
- 6Obsolescence2018 · confirmed 2/42018–2/4
- 5Compulsory2018 · confirmed 2/42018–2/4
- 1All Systems Red2007 · 158 pages · confirmed 3/420071583/4
- 2Artificial Condition2018 · 158 pages · confirmed 2/420181582/4
- 11Rapport2025 · confirmed 2/42025–2/4
- 3Rogue Protocol2018 · 158 pages · confirmed 2/420181582/4
- 4Exit Strategy2018 · 172 pages · confirmed 2/420181722/4
- 8Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory2020 · confirmed 2/42020–2/4
- 9Fugitive Telemetry2021 · 176 pages · confirmed 2/420211762/4
- 7Network Effect2020 · 350 pages · confirmed 2/420203502/4
- 10System Collapse2023 · confirmed 3/42023–3/4
- 12Platform Decay2026 · confirmed 3/42026–3/4
Do you have to read Murderbot Diaries books in order?
You should read the Murderbot Diaries books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Murderbot Diaries book also stands alone.
Where to start with Murderbot Diaries
Start with All Systems Red (2007), the earliest published title. In the chronological order, Obsolescence comes first.
What is the newest Murderbot Diaries book?
Platform Decay (2026) is the newest Murderbot Diaries book released so far.
Is there a new Murderbot Diaries book coming?
No next Murderbot Diaries book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Awards Murderbot Diaries has won
Wikidata records 11 awards and 1 nomination for Murderbot Diaries. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2024Wonfor System Collapse
- Locus Award for Best Novella2022Wonfor Fugitive Telemetry
- Nebula Award for Best Novel2021Wonfor Network Effect
- Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2021Wonfor Network Effect
- Hugo Award for Best Novel2021Wonfor Network Effect
- Bob Morane award for best foreign novel2020Wonfor All Systems Red
- Locus Award for Best Novella2019Wonfor Artificial Condition
- Hugo Award for Best Novella2019Wonfor Artificial Condition
- Nebula Award for Best Novella2018Wonfor All Systems Red
- Locus Award for Best Novella2018Wonfor All Systems Red
- Hugo Award for Best Novella2018Wonfor All Systems Red
- Dragon Award for Best Science Fiction Novel2024Shortlistedfor System Collapse
Murderbot Diaries at a glance
- Still running
- Murderbot Diaries is still running, with a title published as recently as 2026.
- Release pace
- Murderbot Diaries books have appeared about one every 2 years on average.
- Length
- 1,172 pages across the 6 of 12 books with a recorded length, a median of 165 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Murderbot Diaries books, 6 of 12, were published in the 2020s.
What the Murderbot Diaries books are about
6 of the 12 Murderbot Diaries books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: science fiction is tagged on 6 of 6. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Science fiction 6 of 6 books
- Form:novella 5 of 6 books
- Androids 4 of 6 books
- Artificial intelligence 4 of 6 books
- Human-computer interaction 4 of 6 books
- Life on other planets 3 of 6 books
More books by Martha Wells
The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.
- Martha Wells books in order 38 books