I skimmed the bit about the novella because I haven't read it yet (it's on the Christmas list, ha), though Taylor read me the first couple chapters when I visited them last week.

BUT.

My concerns about the show are very much the same. :/ I would definitely have hoped for a less white casting choice, for exactly the reasons you said.

I also worry that the showrunners will be more interested in leaning into it being more of a power fantasy than the neurotic mess that is the Murderbot I know and love. And if they decide to give Murderbot a gender I'm going to be so fucking angry, ha. But it does seem like it would be distressingly easy to do so in order to tone down the queerness and give it a broader appeal. :/