📚心得【厭世機器人 #3：外星入侵應變對策】 ｜Review《Murderbot #5: Network Effect》 by Martha Wells, 2020

#軟科幻 #繁中譯本 #動作 #Cyborg主角 #半人半機 #複製人

首先，為何Network Effect被翻譯成「外星入侵應變對策」呢？ 🤔 而且英文版明明是第五集，怎麼中譯就變成了第三集？

雖然也許有些劇透，但我必須說，從頭到尾都沒有外星人啊？到底？🤷‍♂️

第5集這次終於讓我覺得有看頭了！前幾集花了大量篇幅描述作為SecUnit的殺人機主角如何在失去過去記憶的同時、掙脫"公司"掌握成為自由身，過程中不斷強調殺人機是人類與機械混合，卻給人機械、AI電腦為主的感覺，人性的部分很少，生物的情緒也幾乎展現不出來；這次終於不一樣了，除了長期被迫與討厭的人類相處外，因劇情原因有了不少機會不得不展現出情緒化的一面，也感覺得出來殺人機對於人類感情與情緒又愛又恨的心情：明明是個對自己無用、只會影響到理性思考速度與運行效率的化學反應，卻能大大影響自己做出重要決定、更好的體驗影響"人生"的重要時刻。

第5集的劇情相較於之前節奏更快，雖然一樣一堆動作劇情但篇幅較少，另外也許因為聽了讀者們的批評吧，這次的殺人機也有多次吞敗仗的紀錄了，不再像以前一樣越級打怪還能安然無恙，也因此終於有了較人性化的一面：自己並不像真正的「殺人機」一樣無往不利，也不再只是一個保安cyborg，他/她有感情、慾望與幽默感，模糊了人與機之間的界線。

另外，殺人機也逐漸正視自己與其他人類與AI(尤其是後者)的感情，更好地與其他角色溝通自己的想法，從純粹拯救他人的角色轉換為影響他人者。 雖然有了這麼多的進步，但老實說整體劇情的有趣程度我認為還是有很大的進步空間，和一些其他一樣有半人半AI角色的暢銷現代科幻經典如《Bobiverse》、《Children of Time》、《House of Suns》等相比還是不夠精彩，硬科學的部分也有一些遷強，依然不會是我想主動推薦給他人的作品。

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IMO總分：70分，劇情終於開始合理化、有多些人性思考的優秀續集。

核心思想：★★★☆☆ 核心討論議題是否有趣*5

劇情細節：★★★☆☆ 綜觀整體劇情的質與量*4

角色刻畫：★★★★★ 角色群的必要性與深度*3

科學軟硬：★★★☆☆ 是否符合現實物理現象*3

結局滿意：★★★☆☆ 結局滿意度與有無餘韻*3

易讀程度：★★★★★ 閱讀時章節是否難消化*2

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#Soft_Scifi #Translated #Action #Cyborg #Replicants

First off, why was "Network Effect" translated as "Alien Invasion Contingency Plan" in the Chinese version? And while the English origin is volume 5, how come the Chinese translation changed it to volume 3? 🤔

Although maybe some spoilers ahead, I have to say—there are NO aliens in the entire series? That makes the Chinese title nonsense! What’s going on?

However, this fifth episode finally made me feel like watching it was worth it! In previous episodes, a lot of time was spent detailing how the cyborg protagonist, a SecUnit assassin, struggled to regain their lost memories while breaking free from "corporate" control and becoming independent. Throughout all that, there was heavy emphasis on the cyborg being part human, part machine—but it felt more like a machine or AI-driven consciousness with very little humanity or emotional depth. This time around, things changed. While forced to interact with the humans it hates for years, the cyborg had several opportunities to show an emotional side, clearly conveying their conflicted feelings: human emotions and relationships, despite being something useless that only slows down logical thinking speed and efficiency through chemical reactions, it can actually heavily influence important decisions and create deeper life experiences during critical moments.

This episode's pacing was faster than previous ones, with more action scenes but less filler. Maybe it's because of reader feedbacks? This time, the cyborg lost some battles for a change, finallyh not just taking on higher-level opponents and walking away unharmed as before. Finally, this gave them a more human-like aspect: they’re not invincible and immortal "killing machines," nor are they just another security cyborg. They have emotions, desires, and even a sense of humor, blurring the lines between human and machine.

Additionally, the cyborg also began acknowledging their relationships with other humans and AIs (especially the latter), better communicating their thoughts, and transitioning from being purely a savior figure to someone who influences others.

While there have been so many improvements, I must admit that overall, the level of intrigue still has a lot of room for growth. Compared to other popular modern sci-fi classics with half-human-half-AI characters like 《Bobiverse》, 《Children of Time》, and 《House of Suns》, it's still not as compelling. There are also some forced "hard science" elements that don't quite hold up, so it’s not a series I’d actively recommend to others.

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IMO Rating: 70. An episode where the story finally started making sense and showing more human depth. Great for a follow-up in the series.

Core Theme: ★★★☆☆ (*5)

Plot Quality: ★★★☆☆ (*4)

Character Development: ★★★★★ (*3)

Science Validity: ★★★☆☆ (*3)

Ending Satisfaction: ★★★☆☆ (*3)

Readability: ★★★★★ (*2)