Murderbot's New Mission: Navigating a Torus World in 'Platform Decay'

A bestselling author reimagines a sci-fi robot's journey as a 'family road trip from hell' on a toroidal world in the upcoming Murderbot Diaries installment Platform Decay. Martha Wells describes the narrative as 'like the family road trip from hell on Ringworld,' emphasizing the logistical and ethical complexities of a rescue mission on a planetary torus.

The novel's setting introduces unique navigational challenges. 'The planetary torus structure fundamentally alters how characters perceive distance and direction,' Wells explains.

This geometric configuration forces Murderbot to adapt its survival strategies while managing the moral weight of selective rescue operations. 'You can't save everyone,' she states, 'and the story examines the consequences of those choices.'

Wells clarifies that Murderbot's autonomy remains central to the narrative. 'You get to watch someone be able to take action in situations where you would really like to,' she notes.

The character's evolution continues to grapple with systemic oppression, a theme Wells emphasizes: 'One of the things that used to annoy me the most... people who were kind of ignoring the slavery aspect, because it is basically a science fiction slave narrative.'