I suppose the nice thing about Murderbot is how broad the appeal is, though I hadn't realized it at first; I used to wonder why the series was so popular before I started reading it. ^^;; I'm quite new to the idea of asexuality and being agender, and I appreciate books like these that give a glimpse of the possibilities; I tend to feel like I'm not in the right cultural context for them (I'm Asian), so it helps to read a novel that immerses me in a different context for a while and lets it sink in.

When you put it that way, Murderbot does come across as a cinnamon roll romance hero type, though I think it would hate the idea of being one. And yes, the books do read sort of like a power fantasy don't they? It's fun to see Murderbot progressively leveling up, and each upgrade feels well-earned.