Activation Degradation: A Novel

Written by Marina J. Lostetter

Narrated by Hayden Bishop

The Murderbot Diaries makes first contact in this new, futuristic, standalone novel exploring sentience and artificial intelligence through the lenses of conflicted robot hero Unit Four, from Marina Lostetter, critically acclaimed author of Noumenon, Noumenon Infinity, and Noumenon Ultra.

When Unit Four—a biological soft robot built and stored high above the Jovian atmosphere—is activated for the first time, it’s in crisis mode. Aliens are attacking the Helium-3 mine it was created to oversee, and now its sole purpose is to defend Earth’s largest energy resource from the invaders in ship-to-ship combat. 

But something’s wrong. Unit Four doesn’t feel quite right. 

There are files in its databanks it can’t account for, unusual chemical combinations roaring through its pipes, and the primers it possesses on the aliens are suspiciously sparse. The robot is under orders to seek and destroy. That’s all it knows. 

According to its handler, that’s all it needs to know.

Determined to fulfill its directives, Unit Four launches its ship and goes on the attack, but it has no idea it’s about to get caught in a downward spiral of misinformation, reprograming, and interstellar conflict. 

Most robots are simple tools. Unit Four is well on its way to becoming something more....

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Sep 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063139343

Marina J. Lostetter

Marina J. Lostetter’s original short fiction has appeared in Lightspeed’s Women Destroy Science Fiction! and InterGalactic Medicine Show, among other publications. Originally from Oregon, she now lives in Arkansas with her husband, Alex. Marina enjoys globe-trotting, board games, and all things art-related.

Reviews for Activation Degradation

[balen5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

From narration to story-line to chosen narrator, this experience disappoints.

I have found that attempts to draw too close a connection between an unknown work and a very successful writing nearly always means that the unknown work is a disappointment. That proves to be the case with this book. It is unfortunate.

The author was unable to generate any sense of connection to the characters. I never cared enough about any thing in this book. That is very sad.

This work and the Murderbot books are very dissimilar. Do not pick this book under the belief that it will be as entertaining and thought provoking as Murderbot. You will be disappointed. Unfortunately.