Wells, Martha
Entry updated 6 October 2025. Tagged: Author.
(1964- ) US author most of whose career has been dedicated to fantasy [a highly selected Checklist appears below], beginning with the Ile-Rien sequence whose first volume, The Element of Fire (1993; rev 2006), applies some tropes from the Fantasy of Manners toolkit [see The Encyclopedia of Fantasy under links below] to colour in a tale of Magic. The second series in the overall sequence, the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy beginning with The Wizard Hunters (2003), brings inter-dimensional conflicts into play. Of sf interest are some Ties, two to the Stargate: Atlantis sequence (see Atlantis), and Razor's Edge (2013), tied to the Star Wars universe.
Of greatest sf interest is the Murderbot Diaries series beginning with All Systems Red (2017), featuring a humanoid Robot-cum-Cyborg special operative involved in interplanetary cases from its most regular base on Preservation Station (see Space Stations); the narrative, which is first-person, is light in tone, though harsh background realities – debt-Slavery is accepted in this brave new world – threaten occasionally to immerse the reader. The deprecatingly self-named Murderbot is foul-mouthed, ornery, insecure and strangely likable; having hacked its "governor module" it is no longer subject to behavioural constraints and has a low opinion of humanity (with distinct exceptions) yet regularly risks its existence to save human lives. All Systems Red won a Locus Award, a Nebula and a Hugo as best novella. Artificial Condition (2018), second in the sequence, introduces Murderbot's one nonhuman friend – the AI Spaceship Perihelion, informally known to our protagonist as ART for Asshole Research Transport – and also won a Hugo and Locus Award as best novella; the same year saw two more novellas, Rogue Protocol (2018) and Exit Strategy (2018). The full-length Network Effect (2020) adroitly enriches the sequence, and won a further Hugo, Locus Award and Nebula as best novel; also in 2021, the Murderbot Diaries received an additional Hugo for best series. The next instalment in publication order, the locked-Space Habitat murder mystery Fugitive Telemetry (2021), was withdrawn by the author from the Nebula novella finalists but won a further Locus Award as best novella. Again novel-length, System Collapse (2023) is set on an indentured colony planet under the harsh efforts of the tentacular Barish-Estranza corporation to exploit it unto death, and is a direct sequel to Network Effect in which Murderbot and ART must also deal with trauma and redacted memory (see Memory Edit) presumably resulting from that book's events. This book won a Locus Award as best sf novel. For omnibus editions see Checklist below.
The first Murderbot Diaries tale, All Systems Red, was adapted for Television Murderbot (2025-current); a second series is to follow. [JC]
further awards or honours: Worldcon.
Martha Susan Wells
born Fort Worth, Texas: 1 September 1964
works (highly selected)
series
Ile-Rien
- The Element of Fire (New York: Tor, 1993) [Ile-Rien: hb/Eric Peterson]
- The Element of Fire (No place given: Martha Wells, 2006) [rev of the above: Ile-Rien: pb/]
- The Death of the Necromancer (New York: Avon Eos, 1998) [Ile-Rien: hb/Liz Kenyon]
- The Book of Ile-Rien (New York: Tor, 2024) [omni of the above two: both texts revised: Ile-Rien: pb/Emmanuel Shiu]
Ile-Rien: The Fall of Ile-Rien
- The Wizard Hunters (New York: HarperCollins/Eos, 2003) [The Fall of Ile-Rien: hb/Donato Giancola]
- The Ships of Air (New York: HarperCollins/Eos, 2004) [The Fall of Ile-Rien: hb/Donato Giancola]
- The Gate of Gods (New York: HarperCollins/Eos, 2005) [The Fall of Ile-Rien: hb/Donato Giancola]
Stargate Atlantis
- Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary (London: Fandemonium Books, 2006) [tie to Stargate: Atlantis: Stargate Atlantis: pb/Lindsay Allen]
- Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement (London: Fandemonium Books, 2006) [tie to Stargate: Atlantis: Stargate Atlantis: pb/Lindsay Allen]
Emilie
- Emilie and the Hollow World (New York: Strange Chemistry, 2013) [Emilie: pb/]
- Emilie and the Sky World (New York: Strange Chemistry, 2014) [Emilie: pb/]
- The Emilie Adventures (New York: Tor, 2025) [omni of the above two: Emilie: pb/]
Star Wars
- Razor's Edge (New York: LucasBooks, 2013) [tie to the Star Wars universe: Star Wars: hb/Steve Stone]
Murderbot Diaries
- All Systems Red (New York: Tor.com, 2017) [Murderbot Diaries: pb/Jaime Jones]
- Artificial Condition (New York: Tor.com, 2018) [Murderbot Diaries: pb/Jaime Jones]
- The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 1: All Systems Red / Artificial Condition (New York: Tor.com, 2025) [omni of the above two: Murderbot Diaries: pb/]
- Rogue Protocol (New York: Tor.com, 2018) [Murderbot Diaries: pb/Jaime Jones]
- Exit Strategy (New York: Tor.com, 2018) [Murderbot Diaries: pb/Jaime Jones]
- The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 2: Rogue Protocol / Exit Strategy (New York: Tor.com, 2025) [omni of the above two: Murderbot Diaries: pb/Jaime Jones]
- Network Effect (New York: Tor.com, 2020) [Murderbot Diaries: hb/Jaime Jones]
- Fugitive Telemetry (New York: Tordotcom, 2021) [Murderbot Diaries: hb/Jaime Jones]
- The Murderbot Diaries (New York: Tor.com, 2023) [omni of the above six: ebook: Murderbot Diaries: na/Jaime Jones]
- System Collapse (New York: Tordotcom, 2023) [Murderbot Diaries: hb/Jaime Jones]
- The Murderbot Diaries Vol. 3: Fugitive Telemetry / System Collapse (New York: Tor.com, 2025) [omni of the above two: Murderbot Diaries: pb/]
Rising World
- Witch King (New York: Tor.com, 2023) [Rising World: hb/]
- Queen Demon (New York: Tor.com, 2025) [Rising World: hb/Cynthia Sheppard]
individual titles
- Wheel of the Infinite (New York: Harper Collins, 2000) [hb/Donato Giancola]
- Wheel of the Infinite (New York: Tor, 2024) [rev of the above: pb/]
links
- Martha Wells
- Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- The Encyclopedia of Fantasy: Fantasy of Manners
- Picture Gallery
previous versions of this entry