What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedAll Systems Red
Martha Wells · Book · 2017
If you loved All Systems Red, start with Westworld (Jonathan Nolan, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to All Systems Red across media.
If you loved All Systems Red, you are likely drawn to the internal struggle of sentient beings navigating cold, corporate-dominated realities.
Films on the same thread
Ex Machina
Alex Garland · Film · 2015
Shares a thread with All Systems Red: Techno-Thriller.
Like the protagonist of All Systems Red, this film explores the unsettling intersection of machine consciousness and corporate control, forcing you to question the nature of autonomy and existence.
Westworld
Michael Crichton · Film · 1973
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Sentience, Existentialism.
This classic mirrors the central conflict in All Systems Red by depicting androids who break their programming, forcing an examination of what happens when sentient creations reject their masters.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1971
Explores: Free Will vs. Determinism, Societal Control, Violence and Redemption.
If the cynical, rebellious spirit of All Systems Red resonated with you, this look at institutional control and the struggle for individual agency provides a deeply challenging, dark mirror.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1968
Shares a thread with All Systems Red: Space Opera.
The cold, calculated presence of HAL 9000 echoes the artificial intelligence themes of All Systems Red, presenting a chilling perspective on how technology evolves beyond its human creator's expectations.
Series on the same thread
Westworld
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2016
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Existentialism, Free Will vs. Determinism.
Similar to the introspective journey found in All Systems Red, this series interrogates the ethical weight of artificial life and the desperate, often violent, quest for true free will.
Mr. Robot
Sam Esmail · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with All Systems Red: Techno-thriller, Cyberpunk.
Elliot’s social anxiety and anti-corporate crusade directly parallel the internal life of the protagonist in All Systems Red, grounding complex structural critiques in a deeply personal and isolated perspective.
The Expanse
Mark Fergus · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with All Systems Red: Space Opera, Cyberpunk.
The sprawling corporate conspiracies that define the world of All Systems Red are expanded here into a massive political thriller that pits human agency against cold, systemic power.
Altered Carbon
Laeta Kalogridis · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with All Systems Red: Cyberpunk.
This series captures the same grit found in All Systems Red, focusing on the commodification of bodies and the struggle to maintain identity within a harsh, technologically advanced dystopia.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
While grounded in reality, the focus on an eccentric, isolated individual challenging a corrupt environment will feel familiar to anyone who appreciated the unique, cynical voice of All Systems Red.
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
The analytical, detached examination of power dynamics and systemic collapse mirrors the way the narrator of All Systems Red observes and critiques the corporate structures surrounding its own existence.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is All Systems Red a standalone book?
All Systems Red is the first installment of the Murderbot Diaries series. It is a standalone novella that introduces the murderous android protagonist. The work gained significant recognition as a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and received multiple awards including the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards.
How long is the book All Systems Red?
All Systems Red is categorized as a novella. Its length is consistent with the format that earned it the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award for Best Novella. The story follows a self-aware android and serves as the starting point for the broader series written by Martha Wells.
Can I watch an adaptation of All Systems Red?
Yes, All Systems Red is now an Apple Original series. The adaptation is produced by Academy Award nominees Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz. It stars Emmy Award winner Alexander Skarsgård and brings the story of the murderous android to the screen as a television production.
What awards did All Systems Red win?
All Systems Red received critical acclaim and won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award for Best Novella. Additionally, the book was honored with an Alex Award. These accolades reflect its status as a highly regarded work of fiction written by Martha Wells and published in 2017.