Book · in order
Murderbot Diaries in Order
The Murderbot Diaries is eight books: five novellas and three novels, from All Systems Red (2017) to Platform Decay (2026). Publication order works, with one real junction: Fugitive Telemetry is set before Network Effect, so chronological readers swap them.
Murderbot Diaries in Order: complete list
Check off what you've finished, it saves automatically · See all your lists → ·
Why this order?
Publication order is the default: All Systems Red (2017), Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy (2018), Network Effect (2020), Fugitive Telemetry (2021), System Collapse (2023) and Platform Decay (2026). It is how the jokes, the growth and Murderbot's slowly expanding tolerance for humans were written to land.
The series has exactly one ordering controversy, and it is worth deciding up front: Fugitive Telemetry, published after Network Effect, is set before it. Publication-order readers hit a murder mystery flashback after the big novel; chronological readers slot it between Exit Strategy and Network Effect for a smoother arc into the series' first full-length story. Both camps are right, so we ship both orders and let you pick.
Two practical warnings. First, the format trap: books one through four and Fugitive Telemetry are novellas, short and fast, while Network Effect, System Collapse and Platform Decay are full novels, so do not judge your reading pace by the first week. Second, the TV junction: the Apple TV+ series with Alexander Skarsgard adapts only All Systems Red in its first season, so show viewers should start reading at Artificial Condition. Season two has been filming since March 2026 and is expected in 2027, with no confirmed date. Martha Wells has one more book on contract and has signaled the series is winding down, so this is a saga you can genuinely finish.
Timeline 2017-2026
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2017 All Systems Red
- 2018 Artificial ConditionRogue ProtocolExit Strategy
- 2020 Network Effect
- 2021 Fugitive Telemetry
- 2023 System Collapse
- 2026 Platform Decay
Where to play it today
- All eight books are in print, ebook and audio from Tor
- The TV series streams on Apple TV+ (season one 2025; season two in production, expected 2027)
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for The Murderbot Diaries.
Frequently asked questions
How many Murderbot books are there?
Eight: the novellas All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy and Fugitive Telemetry, plus the full novels Network Effect, System Collapse and Platform Decay (May 2026). Martha Wells has one more book on contract, without a title or date.
What order should I read the Murderbot Diaries in?
Publication order for the designed experience, or chronological if you prefer the timeline: the only difference is Fugitive Telemetry, which slots between Exit Strategy and Network Effect in story time. Both orders are on this page.
Where does Fugitive Telemetry fit?
It was published after Network Effect but is set before it, on Preservation Station. Publication-order readers take it as a flashback mystery; chronological readers move it ahead of Network Effect for a smoother arc.
Which Murderbot books are novellas and which are novels?
Books one through four and Fugitive Telemetry are novellas; Network Effect, System Collapse and Platform Decay are full novels. Worth knowing before you budget reading time or money.
Where does the Apple TV show fit into the books?
Season one (2025, Alexander Skarsgard) adapts All Systems Red only, so show viewers should start reading at Artificial Condition. Season two has been filming since March 2026 and is expected in 2027, with no confirmed premiere date.
Are there Murderbot short stories?
Three worth finding: Compulsory (a prequel vignette best read after you know the character), Rapport (ART's point of view, set between Artificial Condition and Rogue Protocol) and Home (Dr. Mensah's aftermath, between Exit Strategy and Network Effect). All are extras, not required steps.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, Wikidata
← Browse all book orders