Science fiction · Adventure · Fantasy
Network Effect
The first full-length Murderbot novel. The security android, known for avoiding humans and binge-watching shows, is dragged into an ambush with a familiar spaceship intelligence and a team of people it has grown to care about.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2018
- Pace
- Fast
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 352
- Format
- Book 5 of 8 in The Murderbot Diaries
Read this if you've enjoyed the novellas and want a longer, more action-heavy Murderbot adventure.
Skip this if you haven't read the novellas, since the characters and history are assumed.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about Network Effect
- What is Network Effect about?
- The first full-length Murderbot novel. The security android, known for avoiding humans and binge-watching shows, is dragged into an ambush with a familiar spaceship intelligence and a team of people it has grown to care about.
- Who should read Network Effect?
- Read it if you've enjoyed the novellas and want a longer, more action-heavy Murderbot adventure. Skip it if you haven't read the novellas, since the characters and history are assumed.
- How long and how fast is Network Effect?
- It is a fast-paced, medium read of about 352 pages, first published in 2018.
- Does Network Effect have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, Death, Kidnapping.
- Can I borrow Network Effect for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Network Effect; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after Network Effect?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Martian, Ancillary Justice, Old Man's War.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved Network Effect
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The Martian Another funny, resourceful narrator solving life-or-death problems in space, with plenty of technical charm.
-
Ancillary Justice
If the AI viewpoint is what you love, this is a denser, political space opera about machine identity.
-
Old Man's War
A quick, witty military sci-fi with a narrator whose voice and body are not what they were.
Science fiction
