Murderbot | Apple TV+ (Alexander Skarsgard, David Dastmalchian, premieres May 16)
- Thread starter Aragorn
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Interesting. I'm not sold on Skarsgard as Murderbot, though. Murderbot is genderless, so I wish they'd cast a non-binary actor. I'm not sure what I think of his performance; I didn't think he delivered "That was private!" with anywhere near the intensity it warrants.
I could see some of that in the trailer. They're basically telling the story from a different point of view, showing events that were just described at second hand or inferred in the books. Certainly a different experience, but that's unavoidable.
A big part of what's being added is that we'll actually get to see Sanctuary Moon, and reportedly they've shot a lot of material for the show-within-the-show.
I could see some of that in the trailer. They're basically telling the story from a different point of view, showing events that were just described at second hand or inferred in the books. Certainly a different experience, but that's unavoidable.
A big part of what's being added is that we'll actually get to see Sanctuary Moon, and reportedly they've shot a lot of material for the show-within-the-show.
I am now reading the books!
This looks like a lot of fun. I read the first novella a few months ago, and this looks like it does a pretty good job of at least getting the major points.
I do agree with @Christopher that it's annoying they seem to be more or less turning Murderbot into a guy, when it's genderless in the books.
I do agree with @Christopher that it's annoying they seem to be more or less turning Murderbot into a guy, when it's genderless in the books.
There are some social elements in common with The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, but this is not a book that promotes libertarianism.
Sanctuary Moon is a program within the main narrative that is referenced a lot. The main narrative takes place in a world that is closer to the society in the Alien series. On the surface, the stories are action adventure stories perfectly suited to movies or television. Underneath, they are a really interesting and nuanced take on contemporary society and what it means to be human in the modern world.
Now, the norm on non-binary genders and multi-partner relationships is going to raise a few eyebrows on screen and draw more attention to the books--but it is very much an integral aspect to the stories and I hope that it hasn't been tossed aside in hopes to appeal to a mass audience.
Sanctuary Moon is a program within the main narrative that is referenced a lot. The main narrative takes place in a world that is closer to the society in the Alien series. On the surface, the stories are action adventure stories perfectly suited to movies or television. Underneath, they are a really interesting and nuanced take on contemporary society and what it means to be human in the modern world.
Now, the norm on non-binary genders and multi-partner relationships is going to raise a few eyebrows on screen and draw more attention to the books--but it is very much an integral aspect to the stories and I hope that it hasn't been tossed aside in hopes to appeal to a mass audience.
Well, there are some parts of its galaxy that are like Alien and other parts that are more like Star Trek. Most of the stories take place in corporate-ruled space that's pretty dystopian, and the SecUnits like Murderbot are products of that society, but the human protagonists are from a more democratic and ethical society with more concern for sentient rights, though it's hard for Murderbot to trust in their good intentions, since Murderbot has a low opinion of humans in general, and is also more or less autistic and hates social interaction, except as something to watch other people do on streaming media. So yeah, it's a satire of corporate dystopias, but with more optimistic underpinnings than such satires typically have.
Apple TV+ shows tend to have pretty diverse casts and often include LGBTQ characters prominently, so that's encouraging, despite the casting of the title role.
I would love to discuss the Murderbot books with spoilers, but never really thought there would be enough people for a dedicated thread.